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Seafood boasts high nutritional value, good for health, and beloved by many. Mytour introduces you to 5 delicious ways to cook seafood.
5 creative twists for mouthwatering seafood dishes every day
A handy tip for preparing seafood is to soak it in rice water, ginger wine, saltwater, or fresh lime juice. These liquids effectively remove any fishy odor.
Seafood braised in tomato sauce
Undoubtedly, this is a very familiar dish on Vietnamese dining tables. The rich, creamy taste of braised seafood blends with the sour, spicy tomato sauce when eaten with hot rice, a dish loved by many generations.
Ingredients
– 500g of sea fish
– 500g of ripe tomatoes, 2 horn peppers, 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic
– Various spices
Method:
Step 1: Preparation
– After bringing the sea fish home, remove the intestines, clean, drain, and cut into pieces about 5cm.
– For the tomatoes, wash them thoroughly, remove the seeds, cut them in half, then dice them to speed up the cooking process.
– Wash the horn peppers, remove the seeds, and slice them thinly. Adjust the amount of peppers according to your taste preference.
– Peel and wash the onions, divide them into 2 parts. Chop one part finely, and slice the other part into thin wedges or rings as desired. Keep the two parts separate.
– Peel the garlic, finely chop it. Estimate about 1 teaspoon of minced garlic for marinating the seafood.
Step 2: Fry the fish
– Place a small pan on the stove, turn on high heat, add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil, wait until the pan is hot, then fry the fish until both sides are golden brown, then remove the fish onto a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. This step enhances the crispiness and flavor of the fish.
Step 3: Tomato sauce
– Place a small pot on the stove, add some cooking oil and heat it up, then add minced garlic and half of the chopped onions, sauté until fragrant, then add tomatoes and stir-fry together. Stir well until the tomatoes start to soften, then add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of sugar, a little seasoning powder, and continue stirring for about 10 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
Step 4: Braised seafood in tomato sauce
– Layer the fried seafood in a large pot, sprinkle the finely chopped chili peppers and the remaining half of the onions on top, pour the sauce mixture from step 3 over, then turn on the stove and simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes to allow the seafood to absorb the flavors evenly.
A small note when cooking this dish is to ensure the seafood is submerged in the sauce and simmer over low heat until the seafood is tender, avoiding drying out completely, always leave a layer of sauce underneath.
Pepper-braised seafood
It can be said that pepper braising is one of the simplest ways to prepare seafood. However, this does not make pepper-braised seafood any less appealing.
Ingredients
– 500g of fresh seafood
– 2 chili peppers, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 piece of ginger, spring onions
– Various spices
Method:
Step 1: Preparation
– Upon bringing the seafood home, ensure thorough cleaning and draining. Then, marinate the seafood with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder.
– Peel and finely chop the garlic. Peel and slice the ginger into strips. Wash and slice the chili peppers.
Step 2: Frying the seafood
– Similar to making seafood braised in tomato sauce, to make pepper-braised seafood, you also need to lightly fry the seafood to prevent it from breaking apart during braising.
Step 3: Making the sugar syrup
– Heat oil in a pan, add 4 teaspoons of white sugar, stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Then, add a small bowl of water, bring to a boil, and when the sugar turns amber, turn off the heat.
Step 4: Braising the fish
– Place the tuna in a pot, add garlic, chili peppers, ginger, and some seasoning to taste. Next, pour in the sugar syrup made earlier and mix well. Then, place the pot on the stove and simmer until boiling, then reduce the heat to low. Continue simmering for about 20 – 30 minutes until the fish is firm, then season to taste and turn off the heat. Cook over low heat, season with fish sauce, finely chopped scallions, salt, sugar, cooking oil, occasionally turning both sides of the fish pieces to absorb the seasoning.
– Once the fish is cooked and transferred to a serving plate, you can add scallions, sprinkle some ground pepper on top to make the dish more appealing. Depending on your taste preference, you can add more or less ground pepper.
Seafood sour soup
Talking about everyday delicious dishes made from seafood without mentioning seafood sour soup would be a big oversight. A bowl of seafood sour soup with tender fish meat, combined with sour broth, will satisfy the whole family, especially on hot sunny days.
Ingredients
– 500g of sea fish
– ½ pineapple, 2 star fruits, 3 tomatoes, 2 hot peppers, 3 mild peppers, cilantro, dried shallots
– Various spices
Method:
Step 1: Preparing the ingredients
– After preparing the sea fish, cut it into bite-sized pieces and marinate with salt, fish sauce, ground pepper, and seasoning powder for about 10 to 15 minutes to absorb the flavors.
– Peel the pineapple, remove the eyes, and slice thinly. Trim the edges of the star fruits and cut them into star-shaped rounds. Rinse the tomatoes, then cut them into wedges. Wash the hot peppers and cut them diagonally. Cut the mild peppers into quarters and remove the seeds. Rinse the cilantro and pat dry.
Step 2: Cooking the sea fish sour soup
– First, heat oil in a pot over the stove, add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant. Then, add star fruits, seedless hot peppers, and pineapple, stir-frying briefly before pouring water and stirring well. After about 5 minutes, add the marinated sea fish, cover, and simmer gently, occasionally stirring to ensure the fish cooks evenly.
– Once the sour soup is boiling well, add cilantro, hot peppers, and adjust seasoning to taste. Let it boil for another 3 minutes, then turn off the heat and serve.
If you're a fan of okra and string beans, you can also add them to the sour fish soup for added appeal. However, since okra and string beans cook quickly, add them later and don't let them cook for too long to prevent them from becoming mushy.
Steamed Sea Fish with Rice Paper Rolls
Unlike fish in tomato sauce where larger fish are often chosen and cut into pieces, steamed fish prioritizes selecting fish of moderate size for quick steaming, helping to preserve the natural sweetness of the fish. Silver carp, catfish, tuna, and mackerel are often chosen for preparing this delicious dish.
Ingredients
– 500g whole sea fish
– 1 piece ginger, 3 lemongrass stalks, scallions, fresh chili, basil leaves
– Various spices
Method:
Step 1: Prepare
– Clean the fish, gut it, and let it dry. Wash the ginger thoroughly, mash half, and slice the rest into strips. Crush 3 lemongrass stalks, mince half, and cut the rest into chunks or thin slices. Wash and drain the scallions, basil leaves, and lemongrass roots. Thinly slice the fresh chili.
Step 2: Marinate the fish
– Mix minced ginger, minced lemongrass, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons sugar, and a bit of pepper in a small bowl to create a marinade for the fish (rub inside the fish and over its body) for about 15 to 20 minutes.
– Once the fish has absorbed the flavors, place a layer of basil leaves, scallions, ginger, and lemongrass at the bottom of a large plate, then place the fish on top. Arrange the remaining ingredients inside the fish cavity and cover the fish completely.
– Drizzle some marinade over the fish and plate.
Step 3: Steam the fish
– Before steaming the fish in the microwave or a steamer, wrap the fish plate tightly with aluminum foil. Steaming the fish for 15 minutes will cook it thoroughly. Afterward, simply tear off the foil and enjoy the delicious steamed fish.
– Once the fish is steamed, arrange it on a plate along with rice paper, water spinach, and various herbs such as basil, coriander, mint, laksa leaves, cucumber, starfruit, and kumquats. Dip in seasoned fish sauce or spicy garlic lime fish sauce for an exquisite and flavorful dining experience.
Parchment Paper Grilled Sea Fish
Ingredients
– 500g sea fish
– 1 piece ginger, 5 lemongrass stalks, 1 tablespoon white wine
– Various spices
Method:
Step 1: Preparing
– Begin by cleaning 2 sea fish thoroughly. Then grind some ginger, mix it with rice wine, blend well, strain the essence, and marinate the fish for about 15 minutes to eliminate any fishy smell.
Step 2: Marinating the fish
– Grind the remaining ginger with lemongrass, season with spices, and pepper according to your family's taste preferences to create a fish marinating mixture.
– Spread aluminum foil and sprinkle a thin layer of the fish marinating mixture on the bottom, then place the fish on it and cover the surface with another thin layer of the fish marinating mixture.
– Place the fish in the refrigerator's cool compartment after wrapping it tightly in aluminum foil for about 3 hours, allowing the marinating mixture to soak into the fish.
Step 3: Grilling the fish
– Once the fish has absorbed the marinating mixture, put it in the oven or on a grill rack over a gas stove for about 30 - 40 minutes, adjusting until the water dries up perfectly.
At this point, simply remove the aluminum foil and savor the aroma of grilled sea fish, which is tender and sweet inside with a rich flavor. For extra deliciousness, you and your family can enjoy this dish with sweet and sour fish sauce.
From Mytour
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Reference: Travel Guide from Mytour
MytourApril 22, 2020
