This is quite literally the “other” favorite dish I discovered as a Vietnamese adult (the first being the Bun Cha Hanoi aka Hanoi Grilled Pork Belly and Pork Patty). Our version is a little variation on the OG dish, which I devoured in Hanoi for the book and . . . holy CRAP was it GOOD! So, feel free to experiment and try out other variations.

　　

Ingredients

2–4 servings

　　3 tablespoons fish sauce

　　1 teaspoon turmeric powder

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger

　　2 tablespoons finely diced shallots

　　1 tablespoon chopped dill fronds

　　1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

　　1 pound striped bass skin-on fish filets, or any kind of white fish

　　1 small yellow or white onion, sliced

　　1/3 bunch plus 2/3 bunch fresh dill, stemmed

　　2 plus 2 scallion stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces

　　Persian cucumber, julienned

　　Pickled red onions

　　1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

　　8 ounces vermicelli, cooked

　　Coco Rico Vietnamese Fish Sauce

　　Butter lettuce

　　“Mam Nem” (optional)

　　

Step 1

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.

　　

Step 2

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.

　　

Step 3

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.

　　

Step 4

Plate the fish on sautéed onions, scallions, and dill. Garnish with remaining fresh dill and scallions, cucumber, Pickled Red Onions, and peanuts.

　　

Step 5

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!

　　From Adventures in Starry Kitchen: 88 Asian-Inspired Recipes from America's Most Famous Underground Restaurant © 2017 by Nguyen Tran. Reprinted by permission of Harper One, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.