Delicious and Easy Recipe for Fried Grunt Fish for Family Meals

How to Prepare Fried Flatfish

• 1

  Prepare and Marinate Flatfish

  To remove the slime and eliminate the fishy smell, after purchasing the flatfish, scrape off the scales, cut off the fins, gills, and tail.

  Open the belly and remove all the internal organs and the blood vessels running along the spine of the fish. Next, rub salt over the fish, then rinse it with water and let it drain.

  Then, use a knife to make 2 – 3 diagonal cuts on the fish’s body so that the marinade penetrates the fish better.

  How to Clean Flatfish Without the Fishy Smell

  • To prevent the fish from being fishy during preparation, make sure to remove all the internal organs and scrape off the slime.
  • Use lemon to rub over the fish for about 5 minutes, then rinse with water to help eliminate the fishy smell.
  • If you don’t have lemon, you can rub with salt or wash the fish with cold water mixed with a little alcohol or vinegar.

  See details: How to Clean Flatfish Without the Fishy Smell

  Place the fish in a tray and marinate with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, and 2 minced garlic cloves. Use your hands to rub the seasoning mixture evenly over both sides of the fish, then let it sit for about 20 – 30 minutes for the fish to absorb the flavors.

  

  

  
• 2

  Prepare the fish sauce

  Put 2 bird’s eye chilies, 2 cloves of garlic, and 2 tablespoons of sugar into a mortar and then use a pestle to grind them finely.

  Next, add 3 tablespoons of fish sauce into the mortar and stir well to combine the ingredients.

  Finally, pour the fish sauce into a bowl, then squeeze in the juice of 1/2 a lemon, stir well, and adjust the seasoning to taste.

  

  
• 3

  Fry the flatfish

  Place a pan on the stove, add 50ml of cooking oil and heat it up.

  After the fish has absorbed the seasoning, use your hands or chopsticks to remove all the minced garlic stuck to the fish, then gently drop it into the pan and fry on medium or low heat until golden brown on both sides, then remove and let it drain.

  Tip:

  • Make sure to remove all the garlic stuck to the fish before placing it in the pan to avoid burning the fish.
  • Fry the fish on medium or low heat to ensure it cooks evenly and does not burn.
  • Let one side of the fish cook until golden before flipping to the other side. Avoid flipping the fish too many times as it can break apart.

  

  
• 4

  Finished Product

  Arrange the fish on a plate, add some sliced cucumber to serve with a bowl of sweet and sour fish sauce that you just prepared, then decorate it nicely to complete.

  The fried fish after completion has a beautiful golden color. The outside of the fish is crispy, while the inside is soft, fatty, and not dry.

  When serving, you can eat it with hot rice or rice paper, fresh vegetables, and dip it in the sweet and sour fish sauce. Adding this dish to the family meal would be really great!