The rustic treasure of the Mekong Delta: a snakehead fish smothered under a large rice straw fire, protected by its own scale armor, then drizzled with scallion oil and rolled in rice paper with crisp herbs and a tangy tamarind sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 pieces fresh whole snakehead fish
- 1.5 kg dry untreated rice straw
- 1 bunch fresh scallions with greens
- 4 tbsp refined peanut oil
- 60 g unsalted roasted peanuts
- 160 ml tamarind nước mắm sauce
- 20 pieces thin Vietnamese rice paper wrappers
- 300 g thin bún rice vermicelli
- 1 piece very firm green plantain
- 1 piece fresh star fruit
- 1 piece fresh Persian cucumber
- 150 g mixed fresh Vietnamese herbs (mint, tía tô perilla, cilantro)
Method
- Prepare the snakehead fish following the strict rule of the delta: absolutely do not scale or gut it. Rinse the fish thoroughly under clear water to remove any surface impurities, then dry it carefully with a clean cloth.
- Thread a sharp green bamboo skewer or a long metal skewer through the mouth of the snakehead fish, pushing it firmly along the central bone all the way to the tail so the body remains straight and stable during cooking.
- Outdoors on clean dirt ground or in a large, safe fire pit, plant the skewer solidly into the ground with the fish's head pointing down and the tail pointing to the sky.
- Pile dry, untreated rice straw all around and over the snakehead fish to form a dense, compact mound that covers it completely.
- Light the base of the straw mound on multiple sides to spread a quick, even fire. Let the blaze burn intensely for about ten minutes, adding a little straw if necessary to maintain a suffocating heat, until the straw collapses into a mound of white ash and glowing embers.
- Let the fish rest for five minutes in the heart of the smoking ashes so the residual heat finishes cooking the flesh all the way through near the backbone.
- Pull the skewer from the ashes, place the fish on a tray, and vigorously scrape the charred skin with a paring knife to remove all the calcined scales and reveal the fragrant white flesh.
- Thinly slice the fresh scallions, including the green tops. Heat the refined peanut oil in a small saucepan until it shimmers, then pour it all at once over the scallions in a bowl to create a crackling, fragrant oil.
- Cut the green plantain, star fruit, and Persian cucumber into thin, even sticks, boil the thin bún rice vermicelli in a pot of water until tender, drain thoroughly, and arrange the fresh Vietnamese herbs on a large serving platter.
- Slit the snakehead fish along the dorsal line, gently pry the two fillets apart to expose the central bone, generously drizzle the hot flesh with the scallion oil, and sprinkle everything with crushed, unsalted roasted peanuts.
- Serve the fish at the table with the thin Vietnamese rice paper wrappers, crunchy garnishes, vermicelli, and tamarind nước mắm sauce: lightly moisten a piece of rice paper, add herbs, raw vegetables, vermicelli, and a nice piece of snakehead fish, roll everything up tightly, and dip into the sauce.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 2142.4 kcal
- Protein
- 51.7 g
- Carbohydrate
- 406.53 g
- Fat
- 28.7 g
- Fibre
- 12.53 g
- Calcium
- 36.93 mg
- Iron
- 1.86 mg
- Magnesium
- 136.58 mg
