How to Make Delicious and Easy-to-Make Live Tilapia Salad Without the Fishy Taste

How to make Live Tilapia Salad

• 1

  Prepare the tilapia

  After buying tilapia, you need to scale it, gut it, and remove the internal organs. Then, use sliced lemon to gently rub the surface of the fish to clean off the slime.

  Once prepared, use a sharp knife to cut deeply into both sides of the fish’s gills, then make a deep cut along the fish’s back and use your hands to separate the fish meat into two halves.

  After separating the fish meat, cut off the small bones on the back and the belly fat of the fish.

  After filleting the fish, use a paper towel to dry the fish meat thoroughly.

  Take 2/3 of the fish meat and cut it into small bite-sized pieces. The remaining 1/3 of the fish should be minced to make the dipping sauce.

  How to clean tilapia effectively without a fishy smell

  • You can rub salt all over the fish for about 2 minutes, then rinse with water to remove the fishy smell.
  • Soak the fish in a diluted saltwater solution for 10 – 15 minutes, then rinse with water to eliminate the fishy smell.
  • You can also soak the fish in rice water for about 15 minutes, as rice water effectively removes fishy odors.

  See details: 7 tips to easily and effectively remove fishy odors

  

  

  

  
• 2

  Prepare other ingredients

  Lemongrass is cleaned and then sliced thinly. The ginger root is peeled, sliced, and then cut into thin strips. The lime leaves are washed and cut into strips.

  Bird’s eye chili is sliced into small rings. Shallots are peeled and then minced finely.

  Pennywort leaves are picked to remove yellow or infested leaves (if any), then washed clean with water and drained.

  The fermented rice is blended with turmeric until smooth.

  

  

  

  
• 3

  Mixing the fish salad

  Place the sliced tilapia, 2/3 of the lemongrass, all the galangal, and finely chopped kaffir lime leaves on a plate, then add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, and mix well so that the ingredients absorb the seasoning evenly.

  Next, sprinkle 4 tablespoons of toasted rice powder onto the plate and continue to mix thoroughly so that the fish is coated evenly with the rice powder.

  Tip: You can buy pre-roasted rice powder or make it at home by roasting rice until golden and then grinding it finely.

  See details: How to make fragrant roasted rice powder easily at home

  

  

  

  
• 4

  Making fish dipping sauce

  Put a pot on the stove, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and heat it up, then add minced shallots and fry until fragrant.

  When the shallots are aromatic, add the minced tilapia into the pot and stir evenly over medium heat until the fish meat is firm. Next, add to the pot: 1/4 tablespoon of salt, 1/4 tablespoon of seasoning powder, 1/2 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate and continue to stir well for the fish to absorb the seasoning.

  Then, add the fermented rice, turmeric, and 2 tablespoons of cooking oil into the pot, stir well and cook until the fermented rice boils.

  Next, add 2.5 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of chili sauce, and 3 egg yolks into the pot.

  Tip:

  • Adding cooking oil to the dipping sauce enhances the aroma and richness, and helps prevent the sauce at the bottom of the pot from burning.
  • During the cooking process, you need to stir continuously to ensure the sauce is thick and smooth without clumping.

  

  

  
• 5

  Final Product

  Arrange the fish salad on a plate, serve with dipping sauce and a bit of herbs, and edible leaves as side dishes. This way, you will have a delicious plate of fresh tilapia salad for the whole family to enjoy!

  Picking up a piece of tilapia wrapped in herbs and dipping it in dipping sauce will allow you to fully experience the firm, fragrant, and sweet taste of the fish, without any fishy smell, blended with the rich, aromatic dipping sauce that is very enticing. This dish will surely make your family fall in love with it!