Herring, the taste of the summer sea

No bargaining, each kilo is 40,000 VND. The fishmonger said that at that price, she would choose the big ones. All fresh fish, their bodies still blue like the sea. After saying that, her hands quickly selected enough, she scooped some ice and put it in a bag for the customer to take home. Along the winding road, the sea breeze blew with a salty taste. Back home - a small rented villa, on the sidewalk there was a stove and charcoal. Just leave the herring in the styrofoam box, rest assured it won't spoil, save it for dinner, light the fire and grill.

Grilled and braised herring served with white rice

Around 5pm, the summer sun was fading. I busily lit the fire, stirred the coals, and put the grill on. The fish was put in a basket, and water was poured to melt the ice. Then I leisurely picked up each fish and put them on the grill, turning them over and over. The smell of fresh fish grilled on charcoal is always an interesting "attraction" every time I return to the sea.

Then there are some other grilled dishes to nibble on. The herring is saved to be braised for breakfast with rice. Even if we eat little or much, it is to remind us of our youth, when every time we prepare to go to the fields to work, we have to fill our stomachs with some white rice and braised fish.

Wash the fish to remove the ash, put them in a small pot, add a little peanut oil, and simmer. When the oil is boiling, you can flip the fish over to let it absorb some of the fat. Prepare some fish sauce mixed with a little water and a few chili peppers. When the fish has a layer of oil and is golden brown, pour in the bowl of water. Simmer again and pick some herbs including lettuce, perilla, fish mint, basil, and thinly sliced ​​cucumber. Wash and soak in a little salt for a few minutes, then take the vegetables out and drain.

Crush a few cloves of garlic, add some chili and leave it there. When the fish is well-seasoned, let the fish stock cool, pour it into a bowl of garlic and chili to make a dipping sauce for vegetables. Arrange the fish on a plate, add some cooked chili from the pot on top. So there are 2 dishes for breakfast with a bowl of rice just served on the table.

White rice, grilled and braised herring is a rustic dish, although when eating, you have to pick out some small bones on the flank, but eating it near the sea, you can feel the sweetness of the fish mixed with herbs and dipping sauce. It is also a dish that carries the flavor of summer days of years ago when there was a good herring harvest in the sea of ​​our hometown, which once raised us day by day...

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