Visit Nam Sach to enjoy sea bass cake.

Fish cakes made from scad fish are a simple yet delicious dish, full of the flavors of the countryside, and are included in the menus of many families in Nam Sach district (Hai Duong province) on weekends or holidays.

Fish cakes made from scad fish are a rustic dish, enjoyed by many families in Nam Sach.

Almost every weekend, the stall selling sea bass at Hop Market (Nam Sach town) is crowded with customers. The quantity of sea bass is limited, and buyers often arrive before the sellers, waiting in line for fear of running out of stock.

Bream are commonly caught by local fishermen in the Thai Binh and Kinh Mon rivers, and then sold to small traders at Hop market. At first glance, they look quite similar to crucian carp, but their bodies are larger, taller, and flatter.

Bream are commonly caught in rivers.

On average, each bream weighs between 300 and 400 grams, with some exceptionally large ones weighing 500 to 600 grams. Bream usually live in clean water, feeding on algae, insects, and leaves, so their flesh is white, not very fishy, ​​and makes for a delicious fish cake.

The ingredients for making fish cakes are readily available locally, but the preparation process is quite time-consuming. Therefore, people usually only make this dish on weekends or holidays.

Small traders at Hop Market prepare and fillet sea bass for customers.

To save time, people often ask vendors to scale and fillet the scad fish right at the market before taking it home to prepare.

After soaking, the fish meat is rinsed with clean water and drained. While waiting, the housewives will prepare the seasonings for the fish cake dish.

The spices used for this dish vary depending on each family's taste. However, essential spices such as dill, fresh onions, dried onions, ginger, chili peppers, black pepper, and lemongrass are indispensable. These spices are chopped or ground finely.

The drained sea bass meat is cut into appropriately sized pieces, then put into a food processor or chopped on a cutting board until finely minced (not too finely, otherwise the fish cake will be crumbly). The next step is to add some minced pork and the spices mentioned above and stir well.

The sea bass meat is cut into pieces, mixed with spices, and then ground or minced.

To prevent the fish cakes from drying out, and to make them chewier, crispier, and more flavorful, people often add a little fish sauce, seasoning powder, cooking oil, and crispy batter mix while stirring. Some people also add chopped ginger and betel leaves to enhance the aroma and flavor of this fish cake dish.

After the sea bass meat is finely ground and mixed thoroughly with spices, it is "refrigerated" for about an hour. The purpose of this is to help the fish meat absorb the spices evenly and become pliable, making it easier to shape into patties before frying.

After that time, the fish is shaped into small, round patties. The size of the patties varies according to the cook's preference. After shaping, the fish patties are either fried in a pan or steamed, then cooled before frying.

Fish cakes made from scad fish, when fried twice, will be more fragrant and crispy (illustrative image).

Heat oil or lard in a pan over medium heat, then add the fish cakes one by one and fry until golden brown on both sides. However, many people prefer to fry the fish cakes twice (also known as double frying). The first time, fry over medium heat until cooked through, then remove and drain the oil. The second time (before serving), fry over high heat for a short time to make the fish cakes chewier, crispier, and more golden.

Fish cakes made with scad fish sauce, garlic, and chili are best enjoyed with hot rice. This dish is perfect for cool weather.

If you ever have the chance to visit Nam Sach, be sure to "order" some fish cake made from vin fish by your relatives – a rustic dish that embodies the flavors of the countryside, is appealing, and very delicious.

DAWN

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/ve-nam-sach-thuong-thuc-cha-ca-ven-410666.html