Crispy Fried Fish, Hmong Style
User Reviews
5
Crispy Fried Fish, Hmong Style
Description
The dish begins with whole scaled and gutted bass-like fish, which are slashed on the sides to help heat penetrate and reduce cooking time. After salting, the fish is fried in peanut oil heated to around 330-350°F along with garlic, which is browned and removed to flavor the oil. The frying produces a crispy exterior while keeping the fish moist inside.
The accompanying dipping sauce combines chopped hot chiles, lemongrass, cilantro, green onion, lemon juice and zest, salt, sugar, and fish sauce for a balance of heat, citrus brightness, herbs, and umami. Together, the crispy fish and dipping sauce pair well with steamed white rice, typical for serving this dish.
For best results, serve the fish hot with the dipping sauce at the center, using forks or chopsticks. The combination of crispy crust, fragrant sauces, and citrus notes characterizes this Hmong preparation.
Ingredients
FISH
- 2 bass-like fish see above, scaled and gutted, to 4 plate-sized
- salt
- 1 cup peanut oil or other vegetable oil
- 3 garlic smashed, to 5 cloves
- black pepper freshly ground
- 1 lemon cut into wedges, or 2 lemons
- 4 green onion sliced on the diagonal
- cilantro torn into 1-inch pieces, for garnish
DIPPING SAUCE
- 3 hot chile such as Thai, or 1 habanero, to 5 small
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass white part only, minced
- 3 tablespoons cilantro minced
- 3 tablespoons green onion minced, or chives
- lemon juice of a
- lemon grated zest
- salt a pinch
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
Instructions
- Take the fish out of the fridge and rinse it under cold water, checking for any remaining scales. Remove the gills if they are still there. You can snip off the fins with kitchen shears if you want. Use a sharp kitchen knife to slash the sides of the fish perpendicular to the backbone. Make the slices at an angle, from the tail end toward the head end. This opens up the fish to the hot oil and makes it cook faster. Salt the fish well and set aside.
- Make the dipping sauce by combining all the ingredients in a bowl. Make sure everything is chopped fine. Set aside.
- A wok is the best thing to use for cooking these fish, unless you have a deep fryer. I have both, and still prefer the wok. A large frying pan will work, too. Heat the oil until it is between 330°F and 350°F. Fry the crushed garlic cloves until they are a lovely brown and remove.
- Gently put one or two fish into the hot oil. It's OK if the tails and heads are not submerged. It will sizzle violently, so watch yourself. Use a large spoon to baste the fish with the hot oil as it cooks. Fry like this a solid 6 to 10 minutes, depending on how thick the fish is. You want it very crispy and golden brown. Carefully flip the fish -- I use two spatulas to do this. Fry another 5 to 8 minutes. Repeat with any remaining fish. If you do have to do this in batches, let the cooked fish rest on a rack set over a baking sheet in a 200°F oven.
- To serve, lay the fish down on plates and grind a healthy portion of black pepper over them. Black pepper is a signature flavor in this dish so be generous. Arrange the fried garlic and the remaining garnishes alongside. Serve with the dipping sauce and white rice.
Notes
- Serve the fish with steamed white rice and the herbaceous dipping sauce in the center for communal enjoyment.
- Use forks or chopsticks to eat for ease of handling the crispy fried fish.
- Make sure the oil is properly heated to achieve a crispy, golden crust without overcooking the fish.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 475 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 475kcal | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 6g | 2% |
| Protein | 94g | 188% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 167mg | 56% |
| Sodium | 998mg | 42% |
| Potassium | 1991mg | 42% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 741IU | 15% |
| Vitamin C | 31mg | 34% |
| Calcium | 168mg | 17% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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