Grilled snakehead fish – braised in Phu My style (Binh Dinh) is delicious in any season, but the most delicious is on cold rainy days at the end of the year; In particular, snakehead fish often appears in offerings and banquets.
After Tet, I had the opportunity to have an early spring meal of a colleague’s family in Quy Nhon City, which was originally from Phu My district – the locality “born” of this special grilled snakehead fish dish.
“On New Year’s Day, many families in the city will certainly have no shortage of delicious dishes. But which family has grilled snakehead fish – Phu My-style braised fish is valuable,” he proudly boasted.
According to local people, the dish of snakehead fish is rustic, but it is very special and wonderfully processed. The cook had to spend the whole day huddled in the kitchen. All stages must also be done very carefully, a little carelessly considered to be abandoned.
Therefore, the dish of snakehead fish often appears in offerings and feasts in many localities of Phu My district and some northern communes of Phu Cat district. In particular, the taste of braised snakehead fish is indispensable in the 3-day Tet offering tray.
Because of that speciality, it is rare to find a dish that makes people eat day in and day out without getting bored. Braised snakehead fish dish of Phu My people is not inferior to that of Vu Dai village’s braised fish.
Snakehead fish is nowhere to be found, and there are many ways to cook it such as: Grilled trui (grilled all over), braised in rim, cooked in soup… However, it is the unique processing and feats of the people of Phu My district that are new. making it a specialty.
The secret to making snakehead fish a specialty, from choosing fish to stocking is not too big nor too small (usually as big as an adult big toe or slightly larger). Fish are fished by people in rivers, ponds, etc., to clean the scales, clean the oil, then use bamboo pins to bend the fish before going to the oven. Charcoal-grilled fish must also be a kind of fire so that the fish is cooked from the inside out.
Grilled fish continues to be fried with peanut oil, but that is not the final stage. After the fish is fried, let it cool, then use a sauce made with fresh coconut water, season with salt and fish sauce, seasoning seeds, whole chili peppers, a little fried onion to stock the fish.
The fried golden fish is filled with sauce and then simmered on the charcoal stove until the water reaches the edge of the fish. But the more delicious the fish, the longer it takes to store it through 2-3 times the fire.
“In the Central region, often at the end of the year there are constant rains and floods, the weather is cold, there is a dish of braised snakehead fish that eats a lot of rice! Like I ate in prison for a whole month without getting bored”, this person shared.
With grilled copper snakehead fish – Phu My style braised, diners not only enjoy the delicacy of the dish that is balanced between salty-sweet – spicy – bitter – fleshy – fragrant – fatty, but also feel the taste of copper. rice straw, the smell of kitchen smoke.
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