Taste of home: Braised catfish with turmeric

The snakehead fish lives in rivers and streams, preferring shallow, fast-flowing water. Along the Lam River ( Nghe An province ), snakehead fish breed in large numbers.

A few decades ago, only the poor could afford to eat it because it was small and looked quite thin and frail. But today, it has become a specialty dish thanks to the skilled chefs of Nghe An province.

The catfish after being caught.

To catch snakehead fish, fishermen on the Lam River usually use fine-mesh nets that they cast into the river or streams.

Fishermen usually bring the caught catfish to the market to sell in bunches. Nowadays, catfish has become a delicacy and is sold for 100,000-150,000 VND/kg, and it is sought after by many restaurant owners.

The meat of the snakehead fish is fragrant, the bones are soft, and it can be prepared in many ways: snakehead fish soup with fermented bamboo shoots, fried snakehead fish, snakehead fish braised in soy sauce, but the most "rice-consuming" dish is still snakehead fish braised with turmeric.

The catfish is fried in oil before being braised with turmeric.

Wash the fish thoroughly, drain, and fry briefly in oil before removing. Slice galangal and place it at the bottom of an earthenware pot, then arrange the fried fish in layers. Sprinkle chopped shallots and crushed fresh turmeric on top. Season with fish sauce, seasoning powder, molasses, and fresh chili peppers, and marinate for about 30 minutes. Then add enough water to cover the fish and simmer over low heat. After about an hour, turn off the heat and let it cool to firm up, then continue simmering over low heat.

To make a delicious braised catfish with turmeric, it needs to be braised three times in water until the fish bones are soft, but the fish meat remains firm.

Catfish tastes better when braised in an earthenware pot.

Braised catfish with turmeric has become a specialty and a rare delicacy in the mountainous districts along the Lam River due to high demand.

Some restaurant owners in the mountainous district of Nghe An, where the Lam River flows, have been preparing braised catfish with turmeric to sell on-site for 110,000 VND per small pot. Besides being eaten at the restaurants, the catfish is also packaged and shipped to various locations upon customer order.

Braised catfish is very delicious and goes well with rice.

A restaurant owner in Anh Son District (Nghe An Province) said that on average, the restaurant sells about 300 pots of braised catfish per day, mostly to customers passing by who stop to buy or order by phone.

During the Lunar New Year and the breeding season when snakehead fish are difficult to catch, snakehead fish are frequently out of stock due to insufficient supply to meet demand.

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