Turmeric and Dill Fish from Jeremy Pang’s School of Wok

By Erin Brown
Related Categories: Cookbook Confidential

“Traditionally a river fish, similar to catfish, is used for this dish. In Hanoi this dish, called cha ca la vong is often grilled first before frying. For ease, I have kept the whole cooking process in a wok, but if you’d rather cook it the traditional way, grill it under a hot grill for 3–4 minutes at the beginning of Step 4, then follow the recipe from there.” Jeremy Pang, author of Jeremy Pang’s School of Wok

Serves 2

100g rice vermicelli

400g skinless halibut or cod fillet, cut into bite-sized pieces

8–10 spring onions, roughly chopped

Large bunch of dill, torn into bite-sized pieces

Vegetable oil

Sauce

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Juice of ½ lime

5 tablespoons water

1 tablespoons fish sauce

1 ½ tablespoons sugar

Marinade

½ thumb-sized piece of galangal or ginger, peeled

3 garlic cloves

½ small red onion

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon fish sauce

½ tablespoon cornflour

To garnish

2 tablespoons salted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Small handful of coriander leaves

Finely sliced spring onion

Soak the vermicelli in hot water for 3–4 minutes until tender, then drain and refresh in cold water. Drain again and spread out on a clean tea towel to dry for 10 minutes. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.

Blitz the marinade ingredients to a smooth paste in a food processor, or finely chop the ingredients and crush using a pestle and mortar until smooth. Place the fish in a mixing bowl and generously coat it on all sides with the marinade.

Build Your Wok Clock: Start at 12 o’clock with the marinated fish, followed by the spring onions, dill and lastly the sauce.

Heat 2–3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a high heat in your wok and place the marinated fish in the oil piece by piece, allowing space between each piece of fish so that they can char a little around the edges. Fry in the oil for 2–3 minutes, then use a fish slice to turn the fish and sear the other side. Once the fish is seared well around the edges, reduce the heat to medium, cover the fish pieces with the spring onions and dill and start to fold it all gently into the wok, taking care not to break the pieces of fish. Then pour in the sauce and cook for 1–2 minutes until the herbs have wilted.

Garnish the fish with roasted peanuts, coriander leaves and finely sliced spring onion and serve with the noodles on the side.