How to Cook Northern Vietnamese-Style Carp Stewed with Pickled Mustard Greens Like a Restaurant

Prepare the Carp

Scale the carp, trim the fins, remove the gills, and cut off the tail scales. Gut the fish, then rub the outside and inside with rock salt to clean and remove any fishy smell. Rinse thoroughly and let it drain.

Lightly coat the fish with a layer of rock salt and ground pepper, then let it marinate for about 15-20 minutes.

Next, heat some cooking oil in a pan (you don’t need too much oil). When the oil is hot, gently fry the fish until slightly golden. Frying the fish helps it firm up, preventing it from breaking apart when stewed with pickled mustard greens, and also enhances its flavor.

Once the fish is lightly golden on all sides, transfer it to a separate plate.

Prepare the Other Ingredients

Rub the pork belly with rock salt, rinse, and let it drain, then cut it into slices about 5mm thick. Marinate the meat with 1 teaspoon of fish sauce for about 20-30 minutes.

To add a rich flavor to the carp stewed with pickled mustard greens, you can also use crispy pork fat. To make it, cut pork fat into small pieces, then fry over medium heat until the fat renders out and the pieces turn crispy and golden. The rendered fat can be used in cooking to add more flavor.

If the pickled mustard greens are too salty or sour, you can rinse them and let them drain. If the pickles are too old or too salty, mix in a little MSG and sugar after rinsing and draining to balance the flavors.

Rinse the tomatoes and cut them into wedges.

Peel and finely chop the shallots. Peel and remove any dark spots from the ginger, then crush and mince it. Rinse the fresh turmeric and crush it.

Rinse the fresh chili peppers, crush them slightly, and cut them into two pieces.

Pick, rinse, and prepare the scallions and dill. Separate the white part of the scallions, shred it finely, and cut the green part into small pieces along with the dill.

Cook the Carp Stewed with Pickled Mustard Greens

Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan or pot. When the oil is hot, sauté the chopped shallots, ginger, and turmeric until fragrant. Then add the pork belly and stir-fry over medium-high heat until the meat is browned and firm.

Once the meat is cooked, add the tomatoes and pickled mustard greens, stirring well, and sauté for about 1 minute to let the ingredients absorb the oil.

Next, add the fish, gently covering it with the pickled greens and tomatoes. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of fish sauce over the fish to enhance its flavor.

Once the fish has firmed up, pour in the pickled mustard green brine, and add enough water to just cover the fish. Continue stewing over low heat for about 20 minutes, allowing the fish to absorb the flavor of the pickled greens.

Adjust the seasoning to taste with MSG, a pinch of seasoning powder (or broth powder), sugar to balance the sourness, and a bit of fish sauce to enhance the aroma. Finally, add the chopped scallions and dill on top, cook for about 10 seconds, then turn off the heat and transfer the fish to a serving plate.