Rich and flavorful braised mackerel with pickled vegetables.

Braised mackerel with pickled mustard greens is a common dish on cold days. The white, fatty, sweet fish blends perfectly with the mild sourness of the pickled greens, the slight spiciness of the chili peppers, and the fragrant aroma of black pepper and turmeric. Just add a bowl of hot rice, and the meal is complete and warming.

The dish of braised mackerel with pickled vegetables is visually appealing with its many colors - Photo: TGCC

Braised catfish with pickled vegetables is a simple, unassuming dish that sits quietly amidst everyday life, yet it has the power to captivate people with its aroma from the kitchen fire and evoke memories of home.

When the monsoon winds arrive and the sea offshore becomes turbulent, the fishing village of Tho Quang (Son Tra ward, Da Nang city) is once again filled with whispers of stories about fish and shrimp.

In small kitchens, pots of braised mackerel with pickled vegetables simmer gently, the smoke from the stove mingling with the salty scent of the sea, the aroma of pickled vegetables, and the fragrance of fresh turmeric, creating a unique flavor of the coastal region.

The parrotfish is a familiar fish to fishermen in Da Nang and Quang Nam . Locals also call it by simple names like catfish or parrotfish. The fish lives around coral reefs offshore and is available year-round, but it's at its best from March to October (lunar calendar), when the flesh is firm, fatty, and sweet.

The appearance of the parrotfish is not particularly striking. It has a long body, a round head, a slightly crooked mouth, and often dark horizontal stripes along its sides.

Many people, upon first seeing the barracuda, might shake their heads at its clumsy, unappealing appearance. But for people from coastal regions, the deliciousness lies not in its shape, but in its white, tender flesh, few bones, and unique sweet aftertaste.

Mackerel is mild and easy to eat. It's suitable for the elderly, children, and those recovering from illness. The fish has plenty of meat, is slightly tender but not bland, and becomes more flavorful the longer it's cooked.

At the Quang Nam - Da Nang fish market, grouper fish is quite reasonably priced, around 150,000 VND per kilogram, so it's a frequent feature in family meals, especially on days when the sea is rough and expensive fish are scarce.

From the scad fish, people in coastal areas create a variety of delicious dishes: scad fish sour soup, scad fish braised with turmeric, crispy fried scad fish, scad fish braised with pepper, scad fish hotpot… Each dish has its own unique flavor. But if asked which dish most evokes memories of home cooking, many would choose scad fish braised with pickled cucumbers.

The main ingredients for preparing braised mackerel with pickled vegetables - Photo: TGCC

Small melons – also known as miniature cantaloupes – are the "soul" of this dish. These small, rough-skinned melons have a dense flesh and become very crunchy when pickled. In rural markets, melon vendors often jokingly recite simple, rustic verses that are both amusing and poignant: "The melon vine is weak and crooked / Small and slender, a fleeting fate..."

The pickled cucumbers are washed, drained, layered thinly with coarse salt, covered with ice, and then sealed tightly. After about a week, the cucumbers begin to develop a mild sourness, crispness, and aroma. The cucumbers are ready when they are not soft, do not have a pungent smell, and make a distinct "crunchy" sound on the tongue when eaten. For many families, a jar of pickled cucumbers placed in the corner of the kitchen is like a cherished part of their memories.

Braised snakehead fish with fresh pickled cucumbers is delicious, but braising it with pickled mountain cucumbers is truly exceptional. The fish selected must be fresh, with clear eyes, red gills, and firm flesh. After purchasing the fish, clean it, remove the fishy smell with salt and lemon, drain, and cut into bite-sized pieces.

The pickled cucumbers are rinsed briefly to reduce the saltiness, squeezed dry, and sliced. The cucumbers are placed at the bottom of the pot, and the fish is placed on top. This arrangement prevents the cucumbers from becoming mushy and allows them to absorb the full sweetness of the fish.

Pickled cucumbers are sold at Tuy Loan market (Hoa Vang commune, Da Nang) for 30,000 VND/kg - Photo: TGCC

The seasonings are simple but must be just right: good quality fish sauce, a little sugar, MSG, crushed shallots, pepper, ripe chili peppers, and fresh turmeric. A few tablespoons of peanut oil are added at the end to enhance the aroma. The fish is marinated for about ten minutes, just enough time for the seasonings to penetrate without overpowering the fish's flavor.

The pot of fish is placed on the stove over very low heat. When the aroma begins to fill the house, a little boiling water is added, the lid is covered, and it continues to simmer. The fish cooks slowly, the sauce thickens, and the pickles absorb the flavors evenly. Before removing from the heat, the cook usually lets the fish "rest" for a few minutes to allow the flavors to penetrate deeper.

Around the dinner table, stories of the fishing village are told. The elderly recall stormy seasons at sea, while the young remember the hearths of their childhood. In Tho Quang, there's a legend about a fishing girl who cooked braised mackerel with pickled vegetables to treat a young man from the mountainous region of Hoa Vang who came to visit.

Whether it was the woman or the delicious "braised scad with pickled vegetables" that made them husband and wife, their love blossomed. The old folk song is still recited: "The rich flavor of braised scad with pickled vegetables / You cooked it so well, it's just right for me / May the sky and sea be peaceful / May the harvest be bountiful, then I will marry you..."

Braised catfish with pickled vegetables, therefore, is more than just a dish. It's the taste of the sea, the warmth of home, memories of the fishing village, and simple, rustic connections. Amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life, sometimes all it takes is a simple pot of braised catfish to slow down, remember where you grew up, where a home-cooked meal always awaits.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dam-da-ca-mo-kho-dua-20260106161218646.htm