Cha Ca Thang Long : Vietnamese Dill Fish with Turmeric

Directions

1. 1
   Prepping the galangal: Clean the chunk of galangal and remove any dirt. Peel the galangal root with the edge of a spoon, slice it and cut into julienne strips. Set aside.Prepping the fish: Wash the fish and pat dry using paper towels.
2. 2
   Cut the fillets into 1- inch thick rectangular sticks.
3. 3
   Place in a shallow dish. Season the fish with onion powder, 2 cloves of garlic, turmeric powder, shallots, galangal, palm sugar and red chili powder. Toss well.
4. 4
   Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil. Marinate the fish for no more than 30 minutes.Pat the fish dry one more time and remove any moisture. Season with Kosher salt.
5. 5
   Mix well.
6. 6
   Transfer a few fish sticks at a time onto a plate. Using a fine mesh strainer, sprinkle some flour (if used) over the fish sticks and shake off the excess flour.Cooking the dill fish:In a skillet, heat the oil and fry the remaining garlic until golden.
7. 7
   Remove the garlic and set aside. Once the oil has a nice garlic flavor, gently shake the excess flour off each fish stick one more time.
8. 8
   Place the fish in the oil, making sure the fish sticks don't touch each other. Jiggle the pan to make sure the fish does not stick to the bottom of the pan and that it's totally coated with oil. Cook for about 2-3 minutes (depending on the thickness of the steak) until lightly golden, flip each piece (I use chopsticks which I find easier to maneuver; you could use a slotted fish turner) and pan-fry the other side for another 2-3 minutes until crispy and lightly browned. Jiggle the pan again.
9. 9
   Place the fish sticks on a paper towel. Repeat until all the sticks are used.In the same skillet, add the green onions and onion wedges. Saut until golden.
10. 10
    Add half the amount of fresh dill, stir and cook for one minute until fragrant. Return the fish sticks and fried garlic to the skillet. Season with a drizzle of fish sauce. and cover with the remaining dill. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with peanuts. Jiggle the pan to let all the flavors blend together. Adjust seasoning.To check the "doneness", cut a fish stick in half; the color of the inside should be white and opaque. If it's still clear to translucent, put it back in the skillet.Assembly time:In a bowl, combine the lettuce, Vietnamese herbs and cucumber. Toss well.When you're ready to serve, place the greens in each individual bowl.
11. 11
    Add the vermicelli noodles and top with the dill fish and a few slices of chile pepper (if used).
12. 12
    Serve warm with lime wedges, sliced green chiles and traditional Hanoi shrimp paste dipping sauce (mm ruc, which tastes very strong -I'll post the recipe over the weekend) or nc mm on the side.Traditionally, this dish is also served with black sesame dotted rice crackers.Enjoy with a tall glass of chilled ginger and lemongrass drink.Bon apptit!