How to choose and buy fish
You should pay attention to your choice of fish. Depending on the number of family members, you can buy a whole fish or fillets. If you buy a whole fish, you should choose fresh, live fish for a better-tasting dish.
If you're buying a piece of fish, press the meat with your hand. If it's firm, elastic, and doesn't leave a finger mark, then it's fresh and good quality.
How to prepare fish before braising.
The initial preparation of the fish is equally important; it helps reduce the fishy smell and enhance the aroma of the fish after cooking.
The initial preparation of the fish is equally important; it helps reduce the fishy smell and enhance the aroma of the fish after cooking.
Before preparing braised fish, you should pay attention to cleaning the fish, removing the fishy smell and slime. This step is equally important whether it's sea fish, river fish, or freshwater fish.
You can use ginger wine, rice vinegar, coarse salt, or fresh lemon to rub on the outside and inside of the fish. The aroma of the wine, vinegar, or lemon, and the antiseptic properties of the coarse salt, will quickly eliminate the fishy smell and remove the slime.
You can wash the fish with rice water. After washing, let the fish drain completely before putting it in the pot. This will reduce the fishy smell, making it taste better when braised.
Fry the fish before braising.
To prevent the fish from breaking or falling apart during the cooking process, you can apply one of the following two methods:
You should lightly fry the fish before braising it. This will make the fish more flavorful, richer in taste, and prevent it from falling apart. After cooking, the fish will remain whole, look appealing, and have a firm texture. This method is recommended for fish such as goby, scad, anchovies, herring, or fish with roe.
You should lightly fry the fish before braising it. This will make the fish more flavorful, richer in taste, and prevent it from falling apart. When finished, the fish will remain intact, look appealing, and have a firm texture.
If you don't have time to fry the fish, you can blanch it as follows: Place the cleaned fish or fish fillets in a colander. Then pour hot water (around 70-80°C) over the fish. Avoid using water that's too hot as it will cause the skin to peel off. Afterward, let it drain. This not only removes the fishy smell but also helps the fish become firm and less mushy, resulting in a delicious dish when cooked.
Marinate the fish before braising.
Marinating fresh fish before cooking will make the dish more flavorful without the fish falling apart. You also need to pay attention to the fish marinating process.
Although each region and each cook has different tastes, there are some characteristic ingredients and spices for braised fish that you cannot ignore, such as: Galangal, lemongrass, and turmeric, washed and crushed, placed at the bottom of the pot before arranging the fish on top. Sliced ginger and crushed garlic are used to marinate the fish. Fish sauce, sugar, MSG, pepper, and fresh chili peppers are also included.
Marinating fresh fish before cooking will make the dish more flavorful without the fish falling apart. You also need to pay attention to the fish marinating process.
You can also use betel leaves, chili leaves, etc., to add aroma and flavor to the braised fish. At the same time, you can combine it with a few slices of sour starfruit, some pork belly, or coconut milk; the fish will not be dry and will have a rich, creamy taste.
In addition, there's another ingredient that's often mentioned: fresh tea leaves, or a small amount of dried tea. Just a few tea leaves or tea will make the fish dish incredibly fragrant and appealing.
Fish warehouse
After marinating the fish (for at least 20 minutes) and allowing the spices to penetrate evenly, we can proceed to braise the fish.
Add a little caramelized sugar syrup to the pot with the fish, bring to a boil, then add a little more and simmer over very low heat. This way, the fish will absorb the caramelized sugar syrup evenly, giving it a rich, even color and preventing it from becoming bitter.
During the fish stewing process, to ensure the fish absorbs the spices evenly and also cooks until tender and firm, once the stew comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens and reduces.
Finally, adjust the seasoning to taste, then continue simmering over low heat until the fish is tender and turns a glossy, golden brown color. Serve on a plate for the whole family to enjoy.
To prevent the fish from falling apart, please note the following.
Before braising the fish, marinate it with spices for about 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can toss the fish with a little salt, then let it drain completely before marinating. Remember that after preparing the fish, no matter what dish you're making, you should always let it drain. Then let it sit for about 30 minutes before cooking. This will prevent the fish from sticking to the pan, keep it from breaking apart easily, and give it a rich flavor.
Alternatively, you can dip the fish in warm water before marinating it; this will ensure the fish doesn't fall apart.
When frying fish, the oil in the pan must be very hot. This will prevent the fish from falling apart during both braising and frying.
Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/cach-kho-ca-dam-da-thom-ngon-khong-bi-nat-172260304135301361.htm
