| Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 20 mins | Difficulty: Medium | Serves: 6 |
| kcal | fat | saturates | carbs |
| 265 | 12g | 3g | 33g |
| sugars | fibre | protein | salt |
| 5g | 3g | 10g | 1.5g |
Why I Love Vietnamese Salted Fish Fried Rice
As a lover of Indian-American fusion cuisine, I sometimes find myself venturing towards stirring up dishes from other cultures and my recent experiment was a delightful Vietnamese dish called the Salted Fish Fried Rice. This vibrant and pungeant dish takes me on yet another food adventure that tastefully combines the savoury flavours of salted fish fillets and jasmine rice.
A Recipe Inspired by Cultural Diverseness
My journey for perfection took me to the culinary insights of a famous Vietnamese-American chef, Charles Phan, owner of ‘The Slanted Door’ restaurant in San Francisco. His philosophy of using fresh ingredients and traditional Vietnamese cooking techniques sparked my inspiration to modify the recipe a bit while keeping its original essence intact.
Relishing the Flavours
The exciting aspect of this recipe is its perfect balance of simple yet powerful flavours. Each bite offers a burst of caramelised onions, a hint of garlic, perfectly cooked jasmine rice absorbing the seasonings of soy sauce and oyster sauce, textured by delightfully crunchy veggies like peas and carrots, all of this tied together by the ubiquitous salted fish fillet. It’s the kind of dish that is enough to stand on its own, yet also pairs beautifully with a light Vietnamese chicken soup.
On the nights when I want to whip up an international cuisine inspired by my transcontinental culinary adventures, this dish of Salted Fish Fried Rice become a nostalgic reminder of how wonderful it is to be a food explorer, sitting right in my California kitchen. It’s more than just a meal on the table; each bite is a voyage that I cherish.
What You’ll Need
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- 1/2 pound salted fish fillets
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 2 green onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Cilantro for garnish (optional)
Method
Step One
Cook the jasmine rice according to package instructions, then fluff with a fork and set aside to cool slightly.
Step Two
Rinse the salted fish thoroughly to remove excess salt, then cut into small pieces.
Step Three
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium heat in a large pan or wok. Once it’s hot, add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Saute until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
Step Four
In the same pan, add the pieces of salted fish and cook until they’re golden brown, then remove them from the pan and set aside.
Step Five
In the same pan or wok, add the beaten eggs and scramble them. Once cooked, remove them from the pan and set aside with the fish.
Step Six
Add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan, then add the cooked rice, frozen peas, shredded carrots, and chopped green onions. Stir fry everything together until the rice is hot and the vegetables are cooked, about 5-7 minutes.
Step Seven
Add the cooked salted fish and eggs back into the pan. Stir in the sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and ground black pepper. Mix everything together until all the ingredients are well-coated with the sauces.
Step Eight
Drizzle with sesame oil, then remove the pan from the heat.
Step Nine
Transfer the fried rice into serving bowls or plates. Garnish with cilantro if desired, then serve hot.
Enjoy this savory and satisfying Salted Fish Fried Rice!
