Hanoi Style Grilled Fish Recipes

Steps:

• For the dipping sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients and stir to dissolve the sugar completely. Set aside.
• For the pork: Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a blender; puree about 20 seconds until smooth. Place the pork in a medium bowl, pour the marinade over the meat and massage the pork well. Marinate for at least 1 hour if time allows. Heat a grill pan, medium skillet or griddle to high and add the oil. When you see white wisps of smoke, saute the pork for about 5 minutes until cooked through.
• For the noodles: Soak the rice sticks in warm water for 20 minutes. Drain, then boil the soaked rice sticks in 3 quarts (2.8 liters) of water in a 4-quart (3.8-liter) pot for about 12 minutes until al dente. Rinse them well under cold water in a fine mesh strainer and reserve.
• Assembly: Divide the noodles into 4 separate bowls. Place the pork on top of the noodles. Sprinkle the pork with radish, carrot, roasted peanuts and scallions. Pour Nuoc Cham Sauce over the noodles and mix them well like a salad.

Steps:

• Mix fish sauce, turmeric powder, garlic, ginger, shallots, dill fronds, and black pepper in a bowl. Add fish and coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for no longer than 30 minutes, or else the fish will get too salty as you prepare the rest of the recipe.
• Heat a little bit of oil on high heat in a pan/skillet and sauté onions until lightly golden. Add 1/3 bunch of fresh dill and two sliced scallions stalks to the party. Sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes. Plate the onions, scallions, and dill on a serving platter.Remove fish from bowl, drain, and dispose of marinade. Pat dry excess marinade with paper towels so the sugar in the fish sauce doesn't burn the fish.In the same pan used to cook the onions, heat a little more oil on medium-high heat. Pan-fry the fish for 3-4 minutes, or until both sides are evenly browned. If you have delicious skin-on fish, give some extra cooking love to that skin, which should turn nice and crispy before you flip it.Plate the fish on sautéed onions, scallions, and dill. Garnish with remaining fresh dill and scallions, cucumber, Pickled Red Onions, and peanuts.Serve immediately with sides of vermicelli noodles, Coco Rico Vietnamese Fish Sauce, and butter lettuce. Wrap everything, eat everything in a bowl, or whatever combination makes you happy. (I and many Vietnamese especially like it with "Mam Nem", a fermented fish and pineapple dipping sauce-don't knock it til you try it!) Enjoy one of my favoritest dishes evaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!

Steps:

• In small bowl, whisk together sugar, turmeric, salt, pepper, garlic, and shallot. Place in large sealable plastic bag with fish and refrigerate 15 minutes.
• In medium bowl, whisk together fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and 2/3 cup water until sugar dissolves, about 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
• In heavy, 6-quart pot, bring 8 cups water to boil. Add noodles and boil until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain in colander, rinse with warm water, and let drain completely.
• Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 400°F. Place rice cracker directly on rack and heat until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. The cracker will blister as it toasts. When cool enough to handle, break cracker into shards and place on small plate.
• Place peanuts in small bowl and arrange lettuce and herbs on platter.
• Preheat grill (high heat). Grill fish, turning once, until cooked through, about 5 minutes total.
• Meanwhile, place cast iron dish on grill over high heat.
• When fish is cooked, place on heated dish, then top with onion and fresh dill. Immediately but carefully pour vegetable oil on top. This will create smoke coming up from food. Serve immediately with sauce and accompaniments.

Steps:

• Peel the galanga and cut into pieces, then process in a blender with a tablespoon of water.
• In a blender, combine turmeric with a little water and a dash of lemon juice, press and strain.
• Strain the shrimp paste together with the fermented rice to collect the juice.
• Mix together the galanga, the turmeric juice, the shrimp paste and rice mixture and the cashew nut oil.
• Season with oyster sauce and sugar.
• Marinate the fish in the mixture for at least three hours.
• Arrange the pieces of the fish on a grill. Grill on a cast iron plate with oil with a little dill, white parts of chives, peanuts and dried onion on top - turn continuously.
• Serve hot with the "bun" noodles and a Vietnamese dipping sauce.
• P.S. If you're going to Hanoi, I really recommend this course ! http://www.hanoi-cooking.com/tip.html.