The North Vietnamese fish brochettes | Cha ca nuong In Hanoi’s old city, the famous Cha Ca Street used to hold a number of restaurants all selling this spectacular marinated fish. The most well known is Cha Ca la Vong, said to be 135 years old and now owned by the sixth generation of the founding family. This recipe is one of the simplified street-food versions sold in the eatery’s vicinity.
Serves 4–6
Ingredients:
1lb (450 g) firm white fish such as monkfish, snapper, or grouper
1 onion
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1⁄4in (4cm) piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 fresh red chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons fish sauce such as nuoc nam
2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine (or mirin or sake)
4 scallions (green onions), finely chopped
1⁄2 bunch of fresh dill, picked and chopped salt and freshly ground black pepper
31⁄2 oz (100g) skinned raw peanuts, dry-roasted until
golden, then roughly crushed, to garnish
lime wedges, to serve
Method:
1. Clean the fish, removing the bones and the skin (you could ask your fishmonger to do this). Cut the flesh into 11⁄4in (3cm) cubes, and put in a glass or ceramic bowl. Grate the onion using a cheese grater, to form a rough pulp.
2. In a bowl, mix the onion, garlic, ginger, and chile. Add the turmeric, 2 tablespoons of the oil, fish sauce, and rice wine, and stir to combine. Pour over the cubed fish, and let marinate, covered in the refrigerator for 2–3 hours.
3. To make the basting sauce, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a pan over a medium-high heat. Add the scallions and dill. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to infuse.
4. Soak a handful of short bamboo skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes to avoid scorching. Heat a barbecue or ridged cast-iron grill pan until hot. Skewer the pieces of marinated fish onto the bamboo skewers. Season with salt and black pepper.
5. Grill the brochettes of fish on the hot grill for 2 minutes on each side, basting with the scallion and dill mixture while grilling. When they are cooked, scatter with the crushed peanuts, and serve hot with lime wedges.
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| North Vietnamese fish brochettes recipe |
