Best Cha Ca La Vong Recipes

CHA CA LA WONG

Cha Ca La Wong image

Up a flight of rickety stairs in Hanoi is a 100-year-old restaurant that is often a must-not-miss in guidebooks. It serves one iconic, delicious dish, called cha ca la Vong, which also happens to be the name of the restaurant. In the bright, noisy dining room, packed with communal tables set with little charcoal burners, a skillet of fish and other components arrives, and you submit to a brusque ceremony of tabletop cooking and do-it-yourself assembly. This version, from the chef Simpson Wong, omits shrimp paste and utilizes fresh turmeric.

Provided by Florence Fabricant

Categories dinner, main course

Time 1h30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

2 two-inch pieces fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped (see note)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 inch fresh peeled ginger, chopped
2 inches fresh peeled galangal, chopped (or substitute ginger)
1 and 1/2 pounds skinless hake fillets, cut in 2-inch squares
1/4 cup Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc mam)
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chile flakes
1/3 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
4 ounces dried Vietnamese or Thai rice noodles (also called rice stick)
1 head Bibb lettuce, rinsed, trimmed, core removed, sliced thinly
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium-large onion, sliced thin vertically
1 and 1/2 bunches scallions, trimmed and chopped
1 bunch dill, stems discarded, fronds coarsely chopped
1/2 cup each cilantro leaves, mint leaves and Thai basil
1/4 cup chopped roasted salted peanuts
1/4 cup crisp fried shallots (sold in jars in Southeast Asian stores), or canned fried onions

Steps:

Place the fresh turmeric, ground turmeric, ginger and galangal in a food processor or mini-chopper. Process until very fine, almost a paste. Transfer to a stainless-steel dish. Wash food processor immediately to prevent staining. Place the fish in a bowl. Rub mixture all over fish, remembering to wear gloves or plastic bags on your hands to avoid turmeric stains. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.
Combine fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of the garlic, half the chile flakes, the lime juice, sugar and 1/2 cup cold water in a small bowl. Stir well. Refrigerate. Place noodles in another bowl, cover with warm water and set aside 10 minutes until softened.
Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, drain noodles and add to boiling water. Cook 1 minute, then drain.
Spread lettuce on a serving platter. Spread noodles over lettuce. Cover lightly with a sheet of foil or plastic wrap.
Place oil in a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet and heat to a high temperature. Add fish pieces. When seared on one side, 1 minute or so, turn to sear other side, sprinkle with salt and remaining chile flakes and cook through, another minute or two. Remove to another platter. Add onions to pan and reduce heat to medium. When onions start to brown, add remaining garlic, stir, and add scallions. Stir again. Tuck fish pieces back into the pan and add the dill. Cook about 1 minute, just enough to warm fish. Remove pan from heat.
Spread contents of the pan, including all the oil, on noodles. Scatter herbs on top, then toss on peanuts and fried shallots. Serve with sauce on the side.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 551, UnsaturatedFat 18 grams, Carbohydrate 51 grams, Fat 22 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 39 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 1647 milligrams, Sugar 11 grams, TransFat 0 grams

CHA CA LA VONG

CHA CA LA VONG image

Categories Fish Pasta

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 24

Ingredients

Ingredients : Serves 4
75 g
7.5 ml
500 g
3 tablespoons
1 large bunch
15 ml
30 ml
4
1 small bunch
1 small bunch
1
Rice flour
Ground turmeric
White fish fillets, such as cod skinned and cut into bite-size chunks
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Fresh dill
Groundnut (peanut) oil
Roasted peanuts
Spring onions (scallions), cut into bite-size pieces
Fresh basil, stalks removed, leaves chopped
Fresh coriander (cilantro), stalks removed
Lime, cut into quarters
Nuoc cham sauce, to serve

Steps:

Method : Mix the flour with the turmeric and toss the fish chunks in it until well coated. Heat the oil in a wok or heavy pan and cook the fish in batches until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Scatter some of the dill fronds on a serving dish, arrange the fish on top and keep warm. Chop some of the remaining dill fronds and set aside for garnishing. Heat the groundnut oil in a small pan or wok. Stir in the peanuts and cook for 1 minute. Add the spring onions, the remaining dill fronds, basil and coriander. Stir fry for no more than 30 seconds, then spoon the herbs and peanuts over the fish. Garnish with the chopped dill and serve with lime wedges and nuoc cham to drizzle over the top.