Vietnamese Stuffed Fish
 This tasty and impressive dish makes an
ideal centerpiece. The Vietnamese do not use much chili but this recipe,
which is much hotter and spicier, may be influenced by the Thai food.
Ingredients:
700 g (1.5 lb) whole grouper or bream
3 red chilies, seeded if a less spicy flavor
is preferred
2 stalks lemon grass
1 clove garlic
2 shallots
Salt and pepper to taste
100 g (3.5 oz) minced pork (can also replace
with chicken)
1 tablespoon fish sauce (nuoc mam)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sherry
1/2 teaspoon groundnut oil
Garnish:
2 hardboiled eggs
2 limes
1 carrot
Coriander sprigs
Preparation:
Clean and gut the fish. Cut a slit from head
to tail and carefully remove main bone without cutting off head or tail.
Remove eyes. Make cuts on both sides of the fish. Blend or pound chilies,
lemon grass, garlic and shallots, adding salt and pepper to taste. Mix
with minced pork, fish sauce and sugar. Rub a little salt and pepper into
cut slits of fish. Cover tail with foil (do not allow foil to touch sides
of oven). Stuff fish with pounded mixture and pork. Sprinkle fish with
sherry to moisten it.
Microwave Cooking Method:
Grease a baking dish with 1/2 teaspoon
groundnut oil. Place fish carefully on the dish and steam, covered with
plastic wrap for 8 minutes on High. Turn fish carefully and cook for
another 4 minutes on High.
Serving:
Serve garnished with hardboiled eggs, lime
slices and a carrot. Peel carrot and slice a piece to cover eye socket.
Cut thin strips from the rest. Halve eggs and limes. Use carrot strips as
a basket handles for the egg baskets, and fill them with coriander sprigs.
Happy Cooking,
Carol |
