How to Make Vietnamese Braised Fish with Green Bananas
Here’s how to braise fish with green bananas, a rich and flavorful dish. After braising, the bananas become tender and full of flavor, creating a deliciously hearty meal.
Ingredients
- 2 pieces of fish (~650g)
- 4 green bananas
- 300g pork belly
- 2 shallots
- 1 large galangal root (~20g)
- 1 piece of ginger (~20g)
- 2-3 spicy chilies
- 1 piece of turmeric
- Coarse salt
- Seasonings: fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, MSG, ground pepper, chili sauce
Ingredient Notes
You can use grass carp, carp, or snakehead fish for this recipe. Cookbeo uses grass carp here.
Instructions
Prepare the Fish
Clean the grass carp by scraping off the scales and removing the black membrane inside the belly. Rub the fish with coarse salt, rinse well, and let it drain.
To ensure the fish absorbs the flavors well and doesn't fall apart during braising, cut the fish into pieces about the thickness of a finger.
Marinate the fish with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce to enhance the flavor and firm up the flesh. You can also add a bit of ground pepper for extra aroma.
Prepare Other Ingredients
Rub the pork belly with coarse salt, rinse thoroughly, and cut into cubes or matchstick-sized pieces. Don't cut the pieces too small as they may become too soft after braising.
Peel and trim the ends of the green bananas, then wash them. Prepare a bowl of water mixed with 1/2 tablespoon of salt and soak the bananas to remove their sticky sap and prevent browning.
Slice the bananas diagonally into 2 cm thick pieces, which will help them retain their shape during braising. Soak them in the salted water until ready to cook, then rinse to remove excess salt.
Crush and peel the shallots, ginger, and turmeric. Slice the galangal diagonally. Lightly crush the chilies.
Once the ingredients are ready, layer the pot with galangal, shallots, chilies, pork belly, and green bananas. Place the fish on top, then add more bananas and pork belly on top of the fish.
Make Caramel for Braising
Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to a pot. Heat over low flame, spreading the sugar evenly in the pot. As the sugar melts, stir gently until it turns into a light golden caramel.
Once the caramel turns a light amber color, add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce and 1 tablespoon of boiling water. Stir quickly to prevent the caramel from hardening. When the mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and pour the caramel into the pot with the fish and bananas.
Braise the Fish with Green Bananas
Place the pot on the stove and season with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of chili sauce, 1 tablespoon of MSG, 1/2 tablespoon of seasoning powder, and 1/2 tablespoon of ground pepper. Add enough boiling water to cover the fish.
Cook over high heat for 5-7 minutes until the pot reaches a rolling boil, which helps the fish firm up. Then lower the heat and simmer the fish gently on low heat.
Braise the fish for about 3 hours over low heat. During this time, the fish will absorb the flavors and become tender, while the bones soften slightly. Adjust the seasonings as needed during cooking to suit your taste.
When the fish is fully cooked, increase the heat slightly for about 2 minutes to firm up the fish before serving. This step helps keep the fish intact and prevents it from falling apart after long cooking. It also thickens the sauce and enhances the color. You can drizzle a bit of oil over the fish for added shine and flavor.
