How to Make Grilled Catfish with Ginger and Fermented Rice Using BlueStone Air Fryer

How to prepare Grilled Catfish with Ginger and Fermented Rice

• 1

  Prepare the catfish

  You should buy catfish that has already been processed, removing the head, spines, and entrails.

  Put the fish in a bowl, pour boiling water over it until the fish is submerged to make the slime coagulate and peel off.

  After about 10 – 15 seconds, wash it immediately; if you leave it too long, the fish’s meat will be cooked and the bones will come off.

  Remove the fishy smell by rubbing it with vinegar and salt. You can replace vinegar with lemon juice.

  Wash the fish several times with water and let it drain.

  Tip: To reduce the fishy smell, you should remove the blood clots near the spines and gills. When buying, ask the seller to remove them for you. If they are still there, you can do it yourself!

  

  

  

  
• 2

  Pick fresh herbs

  In this step, you can pick herbs as you normally would.

  However, be sure to keep the stems and roots of herbs like Vietnamese coriander, basil, dill,…

  Wash them well to marinate the fish for added aroma.

  
• 3

  Making fish marinade

  The stems of the herbs will now be cut into small pieces.

  Shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, and chili are all finely chopped.

  Put everything into a mortar and grind it until smooth.

  

  
• 4

  Filtering fermented rice

  Take 5 tablespoons of fermented rice and filter it through a sieve to make it smooth, without any lumps.

  

  
• 5

  Marinating catfish

  Make several diagonal cuts on the fish body for the marinade to penetrate better.

  Marinate the fish with:

  • 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate
  • 3 teaspoons of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
  • 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons of annatto oil
  • 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
  • Filtered fermented rice
  • 2 teaspoons of shrimp paste
  • 2 teaspoons of white wine

  Wear gloves and massage the marinade evenly into the fish.

  Continue to add the freshly ground galangal and lemongrass mixture and mix well.

  Marinate the fish for about 30 – 60 minutes.

  

  
• 6

  Make the dipping sauce

  While waiting for the fish to absorb the spices, take advantage of the time to make the sweet and sour fish sauce to accompany it.

  You mix the dipping sauce with:

  • 1.5 tablespoons of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
  • 4 tablespoons of filtered water
  • Minced garlic, ginger, chili, and dill

  Tip: You can mix ginger fish sauce with garlic, chili, and lemon spices, which also goes very well with grilled catfish with ginger and tamarind.

  
• 7

  Grill the catfish for the first time

  Remove any marinated ingredients sticking to the fish before grilling to prevent burning and bitterness.

  Stuff some grilling spices into the fish’s belly for a unique preparation method of your own.

  Place the fish in the air fryer, spray a little cooking oil so the fish does not dry out while grilling.

  Set the temperature to 180 degrees, grill for 12 minutes on each side.

  

  
• 8

  Grilling catfish for the second time

  Mix a little annatto oil into the marinade for the catfish, and stir well.

  Use a food brush to apply this colored liquid onto the catfish to keep it moist and give it a beautiful color.

  Adjust the temperature to 200 degrees, and grill for another 5 minutes so that the fish is fragrant and its flesh remains juicy.

  

  
• 9

  Enjoying

  Plate the catfish, and if possible, lay a layer of banana leaves for an attractive and fragrant presentation.

  Grilled catfish with galangal is often served with vegetables and herbs, perfect for wrapping in rice paper and dipping in sweet and sour fish sauce, which is simply wonderful.