Nha Trang not only has abundant sea fish but also many freshwater fish. In season, the fish are plump, firm, sweet and fatty. And grilled fish is a favorite dish of many people because they can enjoy the original sweet, fresh taste of the fish.
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In the past, my mother often grilled fish on a charcoal stove. After finishing cooking all the dishes, she started to grill the fish. When the stove was still hot, she pushed some of the hot coals around, the heat of the stove and the coals would cook the fish evenly. She often grilled fish that she had dried in the sun until wilted, such as mackerel (sliced), hairtail fish... Instead of frying or stewing, she switched to grilling for a different flavor. At that time, I saw my mother simply make salted fish or fresh fish rubbed with salt and chili, dried in the sun until wilted and then grilled, without elaborate spices. The fish was delicious because the sweetness of the fish was preserved, and the richness of the salt and chili spices.
During the rainy season, when the market is full of freshwater fish, my mother often buys perch to grill. Grilled perch is delicious with coriander fish sauce or chili garlic fish sauce. My mother makes thick coriander fish sauce for grilled snakehead fish and perch, and thick ginger fish sauce for grilled catfish. Grilled fish with chili fish sauce in the cold rainy season is quite delicious. The best is mackerel marinated with salt water, dried, then grilled, and eaten with chili garlic fish sauce. Sometimes my mother grills the mackerel until it is just cooked, then she makes tomato sauce. With salted and chili fish or grilled salted and chili lemongrass fish, it is equally delicious. With stingray and shark, my mother often marinates it with turmeric and grills. The smell of fish, turmeric, and spices spreads out, fragrant and fragrant!
Mom also makes delicious grilled mackerel in banana leaves. The fish is marinated with onions, pepper, salt... then wrapped tightly in banana leaves, then grilled. When the fish is cooked, Mom spreads scallion oil on the fish. This dish is eaten with rice paper rolls, raw vegetables, and vermicelli.
The quickest dish is grilled dried fish. The smell of grilled fish filling the kitchen on a rainy day is unforgettable. It is cold, the mother sits by the warm stove, the children gather around to inhale the aroma of smoke and fish, eagerly watching the fish slowly cook under the mother's skillful hands and waiting for it to be served on the tray.
When I was still cooking with a charcoal stove, I sometimes grilled fish. I imitated my mother by buying mackerel or tuna to grill. Grilled fish on a charcoal stove had a light crispy outside and a soft and sweet inside, very delicious. Later, when there was no charcoal stove anymore, I grilled fish in an electric oven and found it not delicious. In the days before aluminum foil and the need to clean the oven, I no longer grilled fish.
Nowadays, aluminum foil is very convenient for grilled dishes, especially when grilled in the oven or air fryer. All the essence is wrapped in aluminum foil so it does not melt in the oven, but it is not as delicious as charcoal grilling. Grilled leather fish with salt and chili wrapped in rice paper and raw vegetables. In the aluminum foil, the sweetness of the fish and the spicy and salty taste of the salt and chili are preserved, so it is very delicious. Rolled in rice paper and dipped in salt, lemon, chili and sugar is wonderful!
Regarding grilled fish, the most knowledgeable are the fishermen or anglers, they know which fish is delicious grilled, which fish is not delicious grilled... The fish just caught from the sea, no need to marinate, grilled and eaten with salt and chili is already very delicious!
In the cold rainy season, in addition to fish, Nha Trang people also have grilled salted squid which is quite tasty. My mother used to tell me that if I want the salted squid to release less salt (reduce the saltiness), I should soak them in salt water. I did as she said, eating salted squid makes me miss her so much!
DAO THI THANH TUYEN
Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/van-hoa/sang-tac/202411/ve-an-ca-nuong-be06231/
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