Ca Bơn Chiến Nước Mắm (Vietnamese-Style Fried Sanddabs)

There are a few simple preparations that particularly allow you to showcase the taste and texture of the fresh fish itself - this is one of them. Photo Credit: Emily Miller

Ingredients

• 4 Pacific Sanddabs, gilled, gutted, scaled (heads may be left on)

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 2 teaspoons pepper

• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder (optional)

• 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro for garnish

• 3 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil

  Nuoc Mam  

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• Juice of 1 lime

• ¼ cup fish sauce

• 2 tablespoons white sugar

• ¼ cup water (or less, add gradually and taste to adjust to your preference)

• 1-2 thai chiles, chopped or finely sliced

• 1-inch peeled ginger, minced (optional, the addition of ginger with less water makes nuoc mam gung)

Mo the dog is tormented by good cooking smells, and by a view from below the glass table where we enjoyed this meal.

Photo by Emily Miller

Pacific Sanddabs are caught commercially on hook and line in San Diego - and handled carefully throughout the process, because they are fragile. Their flesh is the definition of “delicate” and “sweet” - small flake size, white meat - sometimes compared to trout.

One characteristic of these petite, tender flounder is a lack of "pinbones" - the vertical bones that you find may yourself pulling from the centers of thick fillets of other fish. Eating them whole is therefore a breeze. We like to eat the upper half of the fish, then lift the tail and pull the attached bones clear of the fish.

For those seeking to get more comfortable preparing and eating whole fish, Pacific Sanddabs are a friendly, pan-sized introduction.

How to Prepare:

1. After gilling/gutting/scaling Pacific sanddabs, thoroughly pat them dry. Combine salt, pepper, and turmeric evenly together, then season the fish on both sides with the mixture. Set aside in refrigerator to make nuoc mam.

2. To make nuoc mam, Mix sugar, water, lime juice, and fish sauce together in a bowl or small jar. Stir vigorously to dissolve sugar. Add garlic, ginger, and chiles. Taste and adjust to your preference.

3. Heat skillet with vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add Pacific Sanddabs once oil is hot, and do not crowd pan. Reserve some oil for multiple batches if needed.

4. Let cook each side for 2-3 minutes. Larger sanddabs will need extra time. Flip when golden brown.

5. Drain fried sanddabs on a paper towel before plating with rice. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with a small bowl or dish of nuoc mam. Enjoy each bite of sanddab dipped in flavorful, tangy nuoc mam!

Eye to eye with a fresh Pacific Sanddab. The clear eyes are an indicator that this fish was recently caught. Photo by Emily Miller.