My friend, who is a fishing boat owner in the Hoang Sa sea, sent me some impressive footage recorded by his phone. In the film, he was seen pulling the net to circle a school of bream (also known as rice fish, betel nut fish...). The net caught about a few tons of fish, so I texted him to congratulate him. And then I received a message: "This type of fish is very cheap, so the income is not worth much. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, I caught more than 10 tons but each kilo was only sold for ten thousand dong."
Cheap fish with rough, coarse skin and shifty eyes are what many people call "country bumpkins". But don't just ignore the fish because it's ugly and cheap, eat it and you'll still crave it in your sleep.
Sweet braised fish
A friend from the city came to visit, and I took her to enjoy the wild and poetic scenery of Chau Me beach (Duc Pho town, Quang Ngai). After swimming freely in the waves, we went to a simple restaurant hidden under the cool shade of a poplar tree. The owner of the restaurant warmly invited us and introduced the fresh seafood that had just been caught from the sea, including grilled perch with chili salt.
The charcoal stove was lit by the dreamy blue sea. The wind from the open sea blew to the shore, replacing the fan in hand to make the charcoal stove more red. The crackling charcoal fire blended with the murmuring waves lapping at the sand. The fish was gutted and gutted, then cleaned and placed on an iron grill on the charcoal stove, the smoky smell taking people back to the simple kitchen in the peaceful countryside. The fish skin gradually turned gray-brown, giving off a delicious aroma.
Wait for the fish to be cooked then turn to the other side, keep the heat at medium so that the fish is cooked evenly. The owner crushes Sa Huynh salt with a few green chillies. When the fish is cooked, pick it up and put it on a plate with a rustic look. Remove the rough skin on the outside to reveal the white flesh, which looks very eye-catching. Pick up the meat, dip it in the salt and chilli, then slowly put it in your mouth to enjoy, it is surprisingly delicious. The soft, sweet fish meat blends with the salty taste of salt and the spicy chilli, making you ecstatic with joy.
Because the anchovies were so fresh and delicious, I bought a few to bring home and cook for dinner. After pre-processing, the fish were put into a pot of boiling water on the stove with a little salt. Next, a few thinly sliced chili peppers were added to the pot to get rid of the fishy smell. After a while, add spices and wait for the fish to cook, then remove from the stove, sprinkle some ground pepper and you have a delicious sweet braised dish that is hard to compare to.
Pick up the fish and place it on a plate next to a bowl of fish sauce with a little bit of chili. Pour the braised fish sauce into the bowl of rice, sweet and soft, with the aroma of new rice. Remove the skin of the fish, then pick up the meat, dip it in the fish sauce and put it in your mouth, "delicious enough to soften your lips". The fish sauce is salty and the chili is spicy, so you want to keep picking up the fish meat. You nod and exclaim in praise: "The fish from your hometown looks rustic but is extremely delicious."
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