Braised snakehead fish of Yen village (Yen Binh hamlet, Quang Loc commune, Can Loc, Ha Tinh) is not only famous as a delicious and nutritious dish but also unique in its processing method.
Video: Process of making "queo" braised snakehead fish from Yen village
Visiting Yen Binh village (Quang Loc commune) in late May, we were able to "witness" the process of making "queo" braised snakehead fish at the Yen Village Braised Fish production facility of Ms. Thai Thi Ha.
Ms. Ha's Yen Village Braised Fish production facility has 10 employees. With an area of over 100 m2 , the facility is divided into 3 areas, including: raw food processing, main product processing and product packaging area. After being purchased from local markets, the snakehead fish will be brought to the raw food processing area to perform cleaning steps such as scraping scales, cleaning the belly, etc. After processing, fish weighing about 500-700 grams and 35-40 cm in length will be selected to make "queo" braised fish.
After preliminary processing, the fish is washed. The most unique thing about this dish is probably the process of making the fish body “queo” (curved). This step requires skill. The maker will use a sharp iron skewer, about 50 cm long, to punch holes in the tail and head of the fish. Next, insert the tail into the fish’s mouth and then pierce the iron skewer through the two punched points to fix the fish body in a circular shape.
The purpose of curving the fish body is to reduce the area, to fit the clay pot. In addition, braising the whole fish will help the dish have a very special delicious taste. This is also the difference that creates the "uniqueness" of the dish. After being "curled", the fish will be grilled on a charcoal stove. The griller must monitor the temperature, flipping the fish continuously to avoid burning. When the fish skin turns yellow and the meat is firm, the iron skewer will be removed and left to cool before marinating with spices. This helps the fish meat have a certain toughness and sweetness.
Spices for braising fish include: cooking oil, strong tea, molasses, MSG, pepper, seasoning powder, coriander, tangerine peel, shallots, garlic, chili...
After about 10 minutes of cooling, the fish is put into a large clay pot (4-5 fish per pot) and marinated with prepared spices, leaving to marinate for 10-15 minutes.
After the fish has absorbed the spices, it will be braised on a wood stove. The cook needs to watch the pot of fish so that the water does not dry out. This is a time-consuming step, taking 50-90 minutes to prepare a quality pot of braised fish.
While waiting for the fish to cook, the members at the facility continue to make fish cakes. Snakehead fish that are not heavy and long enough to be braised will be made into cakes. The characteristic of fish cakes comes from the flavor of locally grown Nhây trơng leaves. Snakehead fish, fatty pork, Nhây trơng leaves, after being minced, are mixed together and rolled into round balls. Then, the cakes are placed on grapefruit leaves and grilled over hot coals for about 10 minutes before being braised. The rich, sweet flavor of Nhây trơng leaves combined with the aroma of grapefruit leaves creates an irresistible flavor that stimulates the taste buds.
Braised fish and sausage are placed in tin trays weighing from 0.5 to 1 kg. The price of finished braised fish and sausage is 300,000 VND/kg. Buyers can use it immediately or reheat it on the tin tray, which is very convenient. On average, the facility makes more than 200 kg of braised fish and sausage per month.
With the desire to bring local specialties to customers nationwide, Ms. Thai Thi Ha and her staff are still working hard to improve product quality and distribution. Recently, the Yen Village Braised Fish product was recognized by the People's Committee of Can Loc district as a 3-star OCOP product.
Hoang Nguyen
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