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Cha ca La Vong
Turmeric fish with dill
Chả cá Lã Vọng: Hanoi turmeric fish sizzled with dill and spring onions
A family restaurant in Hanoi's Old Quarter served this one dish for so long that the street itself was renamed Chả Cá, Grilled Fish Street. Chunks of white fish are marinated in turmeric and galangal, cooked until golden, then brought to the table in a pan of hot oil where everyone throws in handfuls of dill and spring onion to wilt. You eat it over rice vermicelli with peanuts, fresh herbs and a pungent shrimp-paste dip. Dill is rare elsewhere in Vietnamese cooking, which is why this dish tastes so distinct. Chef's tip: use a lot more dill than seems sensible; it is treated as a vegetable here, not a garnish.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 1 ⅓ lb firm white fish fillet (monkfish, cod loin or catfish)skinned and boned
- 2 tsp ground turmericor 20 g fresh turmeric, grated
- ⅔ oz fresh galangalgrated; or fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlicgrated
- 1 shallotfinely chopped
- 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegarstands in for fermented rice (mẻ)
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil
For the greens
- 2 ⅛ oz fresh dillcut into 4 cm lengths
- 6 spring onionscut into 4 cm lengths
For the dip
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tsp caster sugar
- 1 red bird's eye chillisliced
To serve
- 10 ½ oz dried rice vermicelli
- 1 ¾ oz roasted peanutsroughly crushed
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Cut the 1 ⅓ lb firm white fish fillet (monkfish, cod loin or catfish) into 4 cm chunks and pat very dry with kitchen paper. Wet fish steams in the pan instead of browning.
Step 2: Mix the 2 tsp ground turmeric, ⅔ oz fresh galangal, 2 cloves garlic, 1 shallot, 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp caster sugar and 1 tbsp of the 1 tbsp vegetable oil into a paste. Turn the fish in it until evenly yellow, cover and chill for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 3: Meanwhile cook the 10 ½ oz dried rice vermicelli following the packet, rinse in cold water and drain well. Put the noodles, 1 ¾ oz roasted peanuts and 1 oz coriander and Thai basil on the table.
5 minStep 4: For the dip, whisk the 1 tbsp fermented shrimp paste (mắm tôm), 2 tbsp lime juice and 2 tsp caster sugar in a small bowl until it turns pale and foamy, then add the 1 red bird's eye chilli. If shrimp paste is too strong for you, a bowl of everyday fish sauce dip works too.
Step 5: Heat 3 tbsp of the 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the fish in a single layer and leave it alone for 2–3 minutes, until a golden crust forms underneath. Common mistake: stirring the fish. It breaks into flakes; turn each piece once with a fish slice or tongs.
3 minStep 6: Turn the pieces and cook for 2–3 minutes more, until the fish is opaque all the way through and flakes easily, 145°F/145 °F in the centre. Work in two batches if your pan is small.
4 minStep 7: Bring the pan to the table, on a portable burner if you have one. Add the remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil, then pile the 2 ⅛ oz fresh dill and 6 spring onions on top of the fish and toss gently for 30–60 seconds, until just wilted and bright green.
1 minStep 8: Serve straight from the pan: put some noodles in each bowl, add fish and greens, a spoonful of peanuts and herbs, and a few drops of the dip.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 540 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cha ca La Vong take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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