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Vietnamese Approach to Flounder
Special Kind of Fish Fry

Nuoc Mam

This is a spectacular presentation for whole Flounder. The Vietnamese recipe is adapted from Bach Ngo. This recipe would serve about 8 people.

Fish Basket

(Ca Gio Hoa)

Vietnamese

Ingredients:

1 whole Flounder, about 3 or 4 pounds

Garlic – a Key Ingredient

½ can Baby Corn, well drained
½ can Straw Mushrooms, well drained
1 cup Snow Peas, strings removed
1 cup thinly sliced Bamboo Shoots
1 Carrot, thinly sliced
2 cloves of Garlic, chopped
Oil for deep frying
2 tablespoons oil for sauteing

For the Batter:

Baking Powder

2 cups Al Purpose Flour
2 cups Water
1 teaspoon Baking Powder

For the Sauce:

2/3 cup Chicken Stock
1 teaspoon Nuoc Mam Fish Sauce
1 teaspoon Cornstarch

Method:

First fillet the Fish or have your fish market do it.  Be sure to keep the bones, head and tail in one piece.

Organize the Mise en Place by preparing and organizing the Vegetables, draining where appropriate, removing strings from the Snow Peas, slicing the Bamboo Shoots and c Carrots and peeling and chopping the Garlic.

Next, prepare the Batter by mixing together the ingredients. Do the same for the Sauce.

When ready to cook, dip the Fish skeleton into the Batter and deep-fry it until it is golden brown.  Remove to the serving platter.

Fish Sauce

Next, cut the Fish fillets into cubes about an inch square, then remove and discard the skin.  Dip the cubes into the same Batter used for the fish skeleton and deep-fry it unti they are golden brown and dry on paper towels.

Finally, heat the 2 tablespoons Oil in a skillet and add the chopped Garlic, then the remaining Vegetables. Stir well and add the Sauce.  Put the Vegetables and the Fish cubes in the basket you have created from the deep-fried skeleton and season with Black Pepper and serve.

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