Herring, the taste of the summer sea

No bargaining, each kilo is 40,000 VND. The fishmonger said that at that price, she would choose the big ones. All fresh fish, the body still blue as the sea. After saying that, her hands quickly selected enough, she scooped some ice and put it in a bag for the customer to take home. Along the winding road, the sea breeze blew with a salty taste. Back home - a small rented villa, on the sidewalk there was a stove and charcoal. Just leave the herring in the styrofoam box, rest assured it won't spoil, save it for dinner, put it on the fire and grill it.

Hương vị quê hương: Cá trích, vị biển ngày hè - Ảnh 1. — Grilled and braised herring served with white rice

Around 5pm, the summer sun has faded. I busily light the fire, stir the coals. The grill is placed on the counter. The fish is put in a basket, water is poured to melt the ice. Then I leisurely pick up each fish and put it on the grill, turning it over and over. The smell of fresh fish grilled on charcoal is always an interesting "attraction" every time I return to the sea.

Then there are some other grilled dishes to nibble on. The herring is saved to be braised for breakfast with rice. Even if you eat little or much, it is to remember your youth, every time you prepare to go to the fields to work, you have to fill your stomach with some white rice and braised fish.

Wash the herrings to remove the kitchen ash, put them in a small pot, add a little peanut oil, and simmer. When the oil is boiling, you can flip the fish over to let it absorb some of the fatty flavor. On the outside, prepare some fish sauce mixed with a little water, add a few chili peppers. When the fish has a layer of oil and is just golden brown, pour in the bowl of water. Simmer again and pick some herbs including lettuce, perilla, fish mint, basil, and thinly sliced cucumber. Wash and soak in a little salt for a few minutes, then remove the vegetables and drain.

Crush a few cloves of garlic, add some chili and leave it there. When the fish has absorbed the flavor, let the fish stock cool, pour it into the garlic and chili bowl to make a dipping sauce for vegetables. Arrange the fish on a plate, add some cooked chili from the pot on top. So there are 2 dishes for breakfast with a bowl of rice just served on the table.

White rice, grilled and braised herring is a rustic dish, although when eating, you have to pick out some small bones on the flank, but eating it near the sea, you can feel the sweetness of the fish mixed with herbs and dipping sauce. It is also a dish that carries the flavor of summer days of years ago when there was a good herring harvest in the sea of my hometown, which once raised me day by day...

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