Hue-style braised mackerel pot, eat 'rice with fish like mother and child'

Among the 202 dishes made from 112 types of Vietnamese fish in the program Journey of the Full Flavor of Vietnamese Fish, there is a rustic and familiar dish of mackerel braised in chili from the Hue Culinary Culture Association.

Braised mackerel with chili

The dish of mackerel braised with chili peppers was once sent by people from Hue to residents of Ho Chi Minh City during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Braised fish inspired by mother's milk.

With its long coastline and numerous rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams, Vietnam has a wide variety of ways to prepare fish. "Rice with fish is like a mother with her child" – fish is deeply intertwined with the rice- farming agricultural culture of the Vietnamese people and has become an ingredient in dishes that strengthen family bonds.

Among fish dishes, everyone knows and enjoys braised fish. Artisan Ly Sanh shared: "My favorite is braised fish. Perhaps the inspiration for braised fish comes from mother's milk."

He explained, "During childbirth, most women eat a lot of braised fish, which passes into the baby's bloodstream through breast milk. Therefore, I think almost all Vietnamese people like braised fish."

"The diversity of braised fish dishes is a treasure trove of Vietnamese culinary culture. Braised fish may sound simple, but this dish also has medicinal properties. There's braised snakehead fish with pepper, braised catfish with turmeric. In Central Vietnam, they add shallots to the braised fish. In Northern Vietnam, they often braise fish with galangal."

"The spices used in braised fish are medicinal herbs that warm the body, relieve colds, and are very good for health. Therefore, although braised fish is a simple dish, it is a cultural tradition passed down from our ancestors," said Mr. Ly Sanh.

Culinary artist Hong Loan carefully prepares braised fish - Photo: Provided by the artist.

Hue-style braised mackerel with chili

Culinary artist Tran Thi Hong Loan, while preparing braised mackerel with chili, recalled: “When Ho Chi Minh City was experiencing a severe COVID-19 outbreak, a group of female entrepreneurs from Hue joined forces to buy fish ingredients to braise. I was one of the people in charge of cooking. In total, nearly 2 tons of fresh fish were processed and sent to people in Ho Chi Minh City.”

The biggest challenge was ensuring the braised fish remained edible after a long journey of several days.

From then on, Ms. Hong Loan discovered the secret to making braised mackerel that can be eaten gradually for a whole month without spoiling, even when stored at room temperature.

According to her, the secret isn't too difficult. "The most important thing is that the fish must be fresh. Mackerel stew tastes better. Wash the fish thoroughly, coat it with a layer of good quality fish sauce, then drain. The ingredients include onions, fish sauce, chili peppers, sugar, and cooking oil. Stew the fish for 8 hours. Start with high heat, reduce the heat after 1 hour, and then simmer for another hour," she instructed.

"Braised fish only needs to be flavorful enough to eat with rice. Braising fish with too much salt doesn't help it last longer and isn't good for your health. One secret is to leave a little extra cooking oil. That's a natural preservative that helps the fish last longer. When eating, you just need to remove the oil layer," Ms. Loan shared.

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HOANG LE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/noi-ca-nuc-kho-kieu-hue-an-com-voi-ca-nhu-ma-voi-con-20251029075137235.htm