Braised perch with turmeric leaves, rustic taste, used to be considered a poor people's dish, why do rich people crave it now?

And perhaps, the most memorable is still the braised perch with turmeric leaves that my mother often cooked - a rustic dish imbued with the taste of the homeland.

The first days of October started with a period of heavy rain, the "gut" of the central region, the land often compared to "the shoulder pole between the two ends of the country" has always had to endure many hardships and difficulties from natural disasters.

Looking at the pouring rain hitting people's faces, I let out a sigh: "The fate of a land is not something to choose."

I remember the conversation I had with my parents in the countryside via Zalo earlier this evening: “Don’t worry, your parents are still healthy at home. The rice fields are in season, so your parents will take advantage of the clear sky to go out and finish harvesting.

The two of us have been working slowly for more than half a year now, we only know so much, it's a job of "looking after everything". Then my parents asked about the rain and wind in the city, about work and food.

Dad said: "Your daughter is staying alone, your parents are not close by to take care of her, remind her, so try to take care of your health." Mom kept asking anxiously: "Have you eaten all the food your parents sent you last time? If you need anything else, tell us so we can send it next time."

I don't know why my nose is stinging, my eyes are about to tear up, from my memory comes the image and taste of braised perch with turmeric leaves, topped with a layer of burnt pork belly braised at the bottom of the pot, making me tear up...

It would not be an exaggeration to say that: Family is the practice environment, nurturing talent for many "super chefs" to show off their skills.

It could be mom, dad, grandparents, siblings… That is, anyone, as long as they meet the criteria: Cooking with all their willingness, passion and love. Like at my house, due to the nature of my job, I often have to work away from home, so family meals are always cooked by my mom.

We had the excuse of being "busy studying" so we often ate a lot but didn't do much, helping our mother with some small chores like picking vegetables, washing vegetables, peeling onions, garlic...

Braised perch with turmeric leaves is delicious and evokes the rustic flavor of the countryside.

Of all the “kitchen assistant” jobs, I especially hated scraping and washing turmeric. The pungent smell and the yellow turmeric stains on my hands, which I could not wash off no matter how many times I washed them, made me always try to avoid them whenever I was asked to do something.

However, the irony of life is that people who do not like to work with turmeric, but like to touch turmeric, really like to eat dishes related to turmeric, especially braised perch with turmeric leaves. Don't say that turmeric leaves are different from turmeric, I know that. But those who say that probably don't know how to prepare braised perch with turmeric leaves in my hometown.

To make this dish of braised perch with turmeric leaves, my mother had to go to the market early in the morning to choose fresh, delicious fish caught in the fields or ditches, which is the best. The perch is small, has hard fins, and has fat yellow scales, not big and plump like tilapia.

Mom bought a whole bunch, big and small, mixed together, but fresh, each one blinking its eyes, many naughty ones tried to jump out of the pot and then, not knowing where to go, accepted being caught.

Mom started to cut the fins, scale the fish, then carefully placed them in a clay pot lined with turmeric leaves. Mom picked fresh turmeric leaves from the corner of the garden.

Choosing some young leaves, my mother said: "Leaves that are too young will not have a strong aroma when stewed with fish, and leaves that are too old will be tough and fibrous when eaten." Only young turmeric leaves when cooked will have a characteristic aroma and rich taste.

Once you have the perch and turmeric leaves, continue to slice the pork belly into small pieces, slightly thicker than when making braised pork, then stir-fry until both sides are golden brown.

When the sides of the pork belly turn brown and slightly charred, turn off the stove. Cut the turmeric leaves into 3-5 cm pieces, spread them on the bottom of the pot, then arrange the pork belly in turn, then arrange the perch and cover with a layer of turmeric leaves on top.

The turmeric is peeled, crushed, and mixed with a little warm water. Add it to the fish pot, season with spices, fat, and crushed shallots, and cook over fire.

My mother's secret to cooking always has a powerful assistant, which is fish sauce. The fish sauce is brewed by my parents from fresh herring, and is filtered as they eat, so it has a strong aroma and a sweet taste. At first, my mother braised the fish over high heat, and when the fish meat is firm, she turned down the heat so that the fish is marinated in spices and becomes soft without falling apart.

At dinner, the father and children eagerly awaited their mother's braised perch with turmeric leaves to be served. The sweet, chewy perch served with the savory turmeric leaves blended with the fatty, soft taste of the pork belly to create an attractive, appealing flavor, both rustic and sophisticated.

Traveling far away, eating all kinds of dishes, people still long for the rustic taste of braised perch with turmeric leaves, full of love...

Source: https://danviet.vn/ca-ro-kho-la-nghe-moc-mac-vi-que-xua-cho-la-mon-nha-nghe-nay-sao-nha-giau-cung-them-an-lam-20240510232757964.htm