Vũ Đại Village Braised Fish

Name: Vũ Đại Village Braised Fish
Ingredients: 8.8 lbs black carp (cleaned, head and guts removed); 7 oz pork belly, cut into cubes; 2/3 cup fish sauce (about 160 ml); 2/3 cup field crab soy sauce (about 160 ml); 10 shallots, finely minced; 2 large pieces galangal (half minced, half thinly sliced); 1/2 cup caramel sauce (made from melted sugar, about 120 ml); Hot coconut water; Black pepper, whole red chili peppers, lime

Hien Thanh @HienThanh

TP. Hồ Chí Minh

I’ve never been to Vũ Đại Village, but every Tet holiday, just seeing those “clay pot braised fish” dishes on TV makes me crave them! Because I love it so much, I researched and tried making “field crab soy sauce” to imitate the Vũ Đại Village style of braised fish!
Since I live in the city, I don’t have the space to use a wood stove or clay pot, so I braise the fish using an electric stove and a stainless steel pot! ☺
If I had to wait 10 days to make the “field crab soy sauce,” then for this “Vũ Đại Village Braised Fish,” I also had to patiently braise it for over 10 hours! While it was cooking, the aroma of the fish filled the house and made me so hungry!😁. The pork belly, even after long braising, stayed intact, with clear fat, tender, flavorful, and rich! The fish pieces were firm but the meat was soft, sweet, nutty, and deeply flavorful—perfect with white rice! 😋
So this Tet, my family has another delicious dish to enjoy! So happy...😄

Hien Thanh @HienThanh

Saved

Ingredients

8.8 lbsblack carp (cleaned, head and guts removed)
7 ozpork belly, cut into cubes
2/3 cupfish sauce (about 160 ml)
2/3 cupfield crab soy sauce (about 160 ml)
10shallots, finely minced
2large pieces galangal (half minced, half thinly sliced)
1/2 cupcaramel sauce (made from melted sugar, about 120 ml)
Hot coconut water
Black pepper, whole red chili peppers, lime

Saved

Steps

1

Clean the black carp by removing the scales, then rub with lime and salt. Rinse thoroughly.
- Rub the inside of the fish with lime and salt, then rinse again.
- Cut the fish into thick slices (remove head and guts), then let drain.
- Line the bottom of the pot with 2 layers of thinly sliced galangal.
2

Arrange the fish in the pot. Add minced shallots, minced galangal, field crab soy sauce, fish sauce, caramel sauce, and black pepper.
3

Gently shake to mix and marinate the fish for about 15 minutes. Add the pork belly cubes on top.
- Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a low simmer. When the liquid reduces, add hot coconut water as needed. After about 7 hours, add whole red chili peppers.
4

Continue braising for a total of 10 hours, then add 1/3 cup lime juice (about 100 ml). Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat.