Vietnamese · Dinner
Charred Snakehead Fish Skewers
Ca Loc Nuong Trui
Mekong street-grilled snakehead fish skewered on bamboo and roasted over high heat until the skin chars black and the flesh stays milky white, served with rice paper, vermicelli, herb plate, peanuts, and a tamarind dipping sauce.
$$$
15 minsPrep
25 minsCook
40 minsTotal
MediumLevel
Nutrition per serving
620Calories
38gProtein
22gFat
65gCarbs
8gSugar
4gFiber
1240mgSodium
85mgChol
Goes well with
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Instructions
1
Prep
Mince 6 garlic cloves and slice 4 red chillies into rings. Slice cucumber and green banana into spears, scallion thin, and pick herb leaves. Rub 600g snakehead fish (2 whole fish) inside and out with 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp oil. Skewer each through the mouth with bamboo.
2
Build
Whisk 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp tamarind concentrate, 1/4 cup fish sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 120ml hot water, minced garlic, and half the chilli rings off heat 1 minute until sugar dissolves and sauce turns glossy amber-brown.
3
Boil
Bring a pot of water to rolling boil over high heat 5 minutes. Drop 240g vermicelli in, cook 4 minutes until just tender. Drain, rinse under cold water, shake until noodles loosen into clean strands.
4
Grill
Heat grill pan over high heat 3 minutes until ripping hot. Lay both fish skewers on, cook 8 minutes per side until skin chars deeply black and flesh underneath stays milky white when peeled back at the thickest point.
5
Rest
Slide fish onto a plate 3 minutes until juices settle. Pull off charred skin, lift flesh from bone in long pieces. Coarsely crush 40g roasted peanuts.
6
Plate
Arrange rice paper, butter lettuce, herbs, vermicelli, fish, cucumber, and green banana on a platter. Scatter crushed peanuts and sliced scallion over the fish. Serve tamarind sauce alongside for wrapping each bite.
Recipes use AI and Edamam. Always check for allergens before cooking. Spotted something wrong—email us at hello@grubplanit.com.
Serves
2 portions ·
2 adults, 0 over 10, 0 under 10
Ingredients
- 600g (21.2 oz) whole snakehead fish
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp neutral oil
- 240g (8.5 oz) dried rice vermicelli
- 90ml (6 tbsp) tamarind concentrate
- 4 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 120ml (1/2 cup) hot water
- 6 garlic cloves
- 4 fresh red bird chilli
- 16 sheets round rice paper
- 60g (2.1 oz) butter lettuce
- 20g (small handful) Vietnamese mint
- 16g (small handful) perilla leaves
- 16g (small handful) cilantro
- 120g (4.2 oz) cucumber
- 120g (4.2 oz) green banana
- 40g (1.4 oz) roasted peanuts
- 20g (small handful) scallion