Although it is not a high-class river fish specialty, too expensive and rare like fried, lang, kumquat... but catfish - a type of catfish, present in most rivers in the province, especially Lo River, Da River is always considered a delicious dish, easy to prepare with many ways of cooking that diners will not forget, always being paid attention to by diners in restaurants when they want to enjoy the river cuisine of the Ancestral Land. There are many delicious dishes made from catfish such as braised catfish, braised catfish, braised eggplant, grilled catfish... In particular, the dish of catfish cooked with fish sauce is only available in the Lo River region with a unique way of processing, combined with the unique cooking style of fishermen, always bringing a unique and unforgettable taste to culinary connoisseurs.
There are only two types of river catfish: farmed and wild caught by fishermen for sale. Farmed fish along the Lo River in Phu Ninh district are abundant, however, according to gourmets, farmed fish are not as “quality” as wild fish, even though they look big and beautiful. Gourmets can distinguish farmed fish by their color, size and meat.
The common characteristic of catfish meat is that it is yellow, the darker the meat, the more natural or long-lived the fish is. Batches of catfish of the same size (about 3-4 fish per kg) are usually farmed fish, the fish skin is pale white, and is more crumbly than natural fish.
The "vô vô" (or "vô" as it is also called) is abundant in the area of the Bach Hac River junction (Viet Tri City), the Red River... and is only available around the 2nd and 3rd lunar months every year. It is a crustacean with a short life cycle, it only surfaces in the early morning to molt and lay eggs, then returns to the life cycle as above.
When the weather changes, there is a lot of fog... fishermen often catch cobia. Caught with a net, after the cobia is collected, it will be sold to customers or cleaned, vacuum-packed to keep in the refrigerator and use gradually. When cooking, defrost the cobia, clean it again and stir-fry it with rice water, tomatoes, green onions, lard... to bring out the aroma and flavor. After processing, the cobia will be kept separate from the catfish to achieve the best taste...
At peak times, cobia are sold for around 250,000 VND/kg and are also very difficult to buy if you don't know the source, because they are often purchased by restaurants right after fishermen catch them ashore. Cobia hunting in the 2nd and 3rd lunar months every year has in recent years brought high income to fishermen who are not afraid to wake up early and work hard to catch them...
In addition to the main spices that make the fish smell good, when eating and adding color... the dish of catfish cooked with fish cannot lack herbs. Hoa Nham fish restaurant at the head of Viet Tri bridge, Bach Hac ward often prepares catfish cooked with fish by choosing delicious perilla leaves, fresh onions with onion heads and wormwood... clean, chop finely for customers to season when eating, creating a delicious feeling, rich flavor and removing the fishy smell of fresh catfish...
After being caught, the catfish will be processed, cleaned of slime, fins cut and cut into pieces depending on the size of the fish. Usually 5-7 pieces for one fish. After cutting into pieces, the fish will be marinated with onions, garlic, fermented rice, fish sauce, salt and chili... for about 15-20 minutes to absorb the flavor and then set aside on a large plate, to be dipped in the broth when eating.
These naturally golden river catfish pieces are marinated with spices and a pot of broth with the taste of fermented rice, stir-fried tomatoes... sweet and naturally sour and spicy, stimulating the taste and smell of diners. The pot of broth will be put on a gas stove or induction stove, brought to a boil, then the processed fish is added to increase the unforgettable and unique sweetness, creating a nutritious, fatty dish with a unique way of eating of fishermen, making it difficult for diners to resist the craving...
After the pot of broth has boiled, diners drop the processed catfish into the pot. Usually the head and tail will be added first to increase the rich sweetness. After about 3-5 minutes, diners can scoop the catfish and the fish, add a little chopped herbs and add hot broth to the bowl to start eating. The cooked fish will be intact, not mushy, just need to use chopsticks to gently separate the golden fish pieces from the bones, making eating the fish easy and delicious. Catfish does not have small bones, so the lean part is abundant and fatty, rich and unforgettable.
The broth for the finished dish of catfish cooked with fake fish has a very beautiful color and an extremely unforgettable aroma for diners. Usually, a tray for 6 people will use about 1.5 kg of fake fish and 2-2.5 kg of catfish, along with dill, onions, vermicelli... Raising a cup of country wine, in the cold weather, sitting and sipping, chatting about family, life, business... a bowl of catfish cooked with fake fish also contributes to the warm atmosphere of friends gathering and the pleasure of enjoying the unique river cuisine of the homeland...
Priced from 250-300 thousand VND/kg, farmed catfish or river fish will be sold by restaurants or fishermen depending on the quality of the fish. However, when entering a restaurant, the catfish dish cooked with vo will be more expensive and not all diners know how to order this dish. Not too rare, but the uniqueness of the combination of catfish and vo vo has brought to the cuisine of the Homeland an unforgettable delicacy for visitors from near and far.
On a Spring day, on the porch, raising a cup of strong wine and enjoying a dish of catfish cooked with friends near and far is also a relaxing occasion to enjoy delicious dishes and promote the culinary specialties of the homeland such as banh te, banh chung, banh tai, ca thinh... To see more love and appreciation for the land of our ancestors...
National Assembly
Source: https://baophutho.vn/kho-quen-ca-nganh-nau-vo-226367.htm
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