Cá cơm chiên tỏi ớt is a popular Vietnamese way to cook anchovies: the anchovies are coated in flour and fried, then tossed in a pan of garlic, honey, sauce and chilli powder until the sauce cooks down onto them. It’s a dish to eat with a bowl of hot rice, and a good one for cold days. It isn’t difficult, either. Plan ahead: the anchovies sit in salt for about 30 minutes before they’re floured and fried. Ingredients For the fish 400 g anchovies 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon flour Oil, for frying For the glaze Garlic 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon sauce 1 teaspoon chilli powder 1 teaspoon oil How to make cá cơm chiên tỏi ớt 1. Clean and dry the anchovies Wash the anchovies, pull off the heads and remove the guts, then wash them again. Tip them into a basket and leave them until they’re dry. 2. Salt and flour them Toss the anchovies with 1 teaspoon of salt and leave them for about 30 minutes. Then coat them in the flour. 3. Fry them twice Heat some oil in a pot. When it’s hot, add the anchovies and fry them for about 5 minutes. Lift them out, let them rest for 3–5 minutes, then put them back in the oil and fry them a second time. In the recipe author’s experience, the second frying is what makes the anchovies crispier and the dish better. Lift the fish out onto a plate lined with paper towels so the towels soak up the excess oil. 4. Make the glaze Peel the garlic and crush it. In a small bowl, stir together the honey, sauce and chilli powder. Put 1 teaspoon of oil and the crushed garlic in a pan and fry the garlic. Slowly add the honey, water and sauce to the pan and heat it. 5. Toss the anchovies in the glaze Add the fried anchovies to the pan and turn them until every piece is coated. Keep cooking until the sauce has dried onto the fish, then turn off the heat. Serve with hot rice. Leftovers keep well in a closed jar or in the fridge. Share:
