Hoàng Lan

Quảng Ngãi Province is not only well known for its Quảng-style noodles (locally known as mỳ Quảng), a specialty of the province and its surrounding areas, but also tasty dishes cooked from flying fishes which have helped to put the province on the national culinary map.

That's the verdict of local fisherman Bùi Ngọc Thịnh, who says with its immense sea waters, the central coastal province is proud to be an owner of beautiful and rich sea islands such as Lý Sơn, Sơn Tịnh, Bình Sơn and Sa Huỳnh where flying fishes live and develop in the most natural environment.

Visitors to the province can have the chance to enjoy fresh, firm and aromatic flavoured flying fish dishes that they would never forget, said Thịnh who has been fishing more than 30 years.

The dishes include fried flying fishes with turmeric (locally known as cá chuồn chiên nghệ), chargrilled flying fishes (cá chuồn nướng mọi) grilled over hot coals, often with minimal seasoning, flying fishes braised with jackfruit (cá chuồn kho mít) and tobiko dishes. 

Thịnh said most popular is the grilled flying fishes with garlic and chili. Ingredients needed to cook the dish are 500-700 grams of the fish, one large garlic, three chillis, three red onions, cooking oil, salt, fish sauce, sugar, pepper, fresh herbs, cucumber and rice paper.

Drain the fish and use a tissue to dry it off then cut several diagonal pieces.

He told Việt Nam News how to make the dish: first, use a knife to gently scale the fish and its fin, take out its inners and soak it in light salt water or diluted vinegar and clean it with white wine mixed with smashed ginger before rinsing with clean water, but leave the fish whole if you want to grill it.

To make the sauce, mix the minced onion, garlic and chilli with two table spoons of cooking oil, two table spoons of fish sauce, one tea spoon of sugar, half a tea spoon of salt and half a tea spoon of pepper. 

Wear gloves to rub evenly the mixed spices on the fish both outside and inside and marinade for 30-60 minutes to make the dish to be rich with more flavour.

You can grill the fish over wooden charcoal, in an oven or an air fryer but the most popular method is to grill it over wooden charcoal. 

“Your mouth would be watering because of the characteristic flavours flying out,” said Thịnh.

The fish is meaty and fragrant with a rich spicy and pungent flavour from pepper and chilli.

The dish is more enjoyable or a great option when eating with rice paper or hot rice accompanied with fresh herbs dipped in fish sauce mixed with lemon juice, minced garlic and chilli, said Thịnh.

Apart from grilled flying fish with garlic and chili, visitors and guests to Quảng Ngãi also enjoy steamed flying fish wrapped in rice paper, fried flying fish with lemongrass and chili, sour flying fish soup, simmering flying fish with fish sauce and sugar, and braised flying fish with chilli and turmeric, he said. — VNS