Delicious dishes from anchovies

( Quang Ngai Newspaper) - Although anchovies are small, they can be processed into many dishes. Anchovies have sweet meat, mild aroma, rich flavor, and are delicious when cooked in any dish. From this characteristic, it can be said that anchovies are a "mixture" in which every piece is rich and flavorful.

First is the braised anchovies with salt. This dish is very easy to prepare. Just marinate the fresh anchovies with a few spoons of fish sauce, sugar, pepper... Leave for a few dozen minutes for the fish to harden, then put it on the stove, turn on low heat, wait for the fish to boil a few times until the water is just above the surface and it's done. Sprinkle a little ground pepper before eating. White rice with braised anchovies with salt is perfect. I remember when I was a kid, I went out to play, then came back to rummage through the pot. The fish was gone but just a little braised anchovy water was enough to make me happy. I scooped up a full bowl and brought it out to the patio to "eat". Just a few spoons of anchovy water could make a whole bowl of cold rice disappear.

Attractive anchovies braised with turmeric. Photo: C. Duyen

My family also often braises anchovies with minced fresh turmeric. The smell of turmeric is strange, pungent and alluring. The anchovies are soaked in turmeric until deep yellow, soft but not mushy. Just biting into the fish, you can smell the delicious aroma. The layer of fish at the bottom of the pot is charred, the aroma is strong and attractive. Sometimes the bottom of the pot is bare, using a spoon to scoop up a bunch of turmeric powder mixed with the sticky fish sauce and pour it over the rice is enough... just a few spoonfuls and the bowl of rice is gone.

Sweet and sour anchovies. Photo: C. Duyen

Braised anchovies are usually dried fish soaked in warm water for about ten minutes. Soaking like that is to soften the dried fish, otherwise the hard fish will not be delicious. Braised anchovies add sugar, salt, fish sauce and a bunch of minced garlic fried in cooking oil. Simmer over low heat until the spices are absorbed into the fish. This dish is a "main" dish on the dinner table. Braised anchovies have firm but not tough meat, everyone praises it as delicious. If you braise a lot of fish, you can put it in a glass jar and put it in the refrigerator, it will still be delicious a week later.

Anchovy soup cooked with tomatoes. Photo: C.Duyen

Remembering the pot of anchovy soup cooked with ripe eggplant. In the hot summer, this is a favorite dish of many people. All you need is a pot of water, a bowl of sliced ripe eggplant, a bowl of anchovies, a little salt, fish sauce and MSG to make a delicious pot of anchovy soup. The soup has the sweet smell of anchovies, permeated with the smell of ripe eggplant, making the pot of rice quickly empty.

As for anchovies, cooking a pot of thin porridge with green onions and ground pepper is also delicious. Fresh anchovies that have just arrived at the dock, still silvery, can be marinated with lemon, mixed with shallots, garlic, green banana blossoms, peanuts, and basil to make a soft and sweet salad. Whenever you see three or four fishermen sitting on the porch, or setting up a simple plastic table under the shade of a tree in early summer, they are definitely enjoying anchovy salad.

TRAN CAO DUYEN

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