Pan-Fried Spanish Mackerel with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Name: Pan-Fried Spanish Mackerel with Spicy Tomato Sauce (Cá Thu Sốt Cà)
Yield: Serves 4-6 as part of a Shared Meal
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch); 2 tablespoons Mum’s vinaigrette dressing; 1 small handful coriander (cilantro) leaves; 1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch); 2 spring onions (scallions), sliced; 2 teaspoons fish sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; 2 bird’s eye chillies, sliced; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 onion, cut in half (then ½ finely chopped, ½ diced); 2 red Asian shallots, finely chopped; 2 spring onions (scallions), sliced; 3 mackerel cutlets (600 g/ 1 lb 5 oz); 200 g (7 oz) tomatoes; 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) vegetable oil

Cá Thu Sốt Cà

Preparation info

Serves
4-6
as part of a Shared Meal

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Songs of Sapa

By Luke Nguyen

Published 2009

About

YOU WILL FIND SPANISH MACKEREL IN MANY VIETNAMESE RECIPES. THEY ARE ENJOYED FOR THEIR FIRM FLESH AND THEIR DEEP SAVOURY FLAVOUR. THEY ARE A CLOSE RELATIVE TO THE TUNA, SO TUNA CUTLETS WOULD BE A GOOD SUBSTITUTE IF MACKEREL IS UNAVAILABLE.

Ingredients

3 mackerel cutlets (600 g/ 1 lb 5 oz)

Asia
Vietnam
Quy Nhon
Fish course
Dinner
Pescatarian
Southeast Asia
Spicy
Gluten-free

Method

Season the cutlets with ½ teaspoon each of salt and freshly ground black pepper. To seed the tomatoes, cut them in half horizontally, then squeeze out the seeds or use a teaspoon to scoop them out. Finely chop the tomato flesh and set aside.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add