This salad combines the tangy flavour of green mango with the savoury taste of dried snakeskin gourami fish (Trichopodus pectoralis). This dish originates from the southern region near the Mekong Delta and Cà Mau, showcasing popular local ingredients. The fish used is typically a freshwater species that has been salted and sun-dried for preservation. Outside of Vietnam, it can be found in Asian supermarkets.
SERVES: 4-6
PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOKING TIME: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 young mango, peeled (620g after peeling)
- Boiling water, for soaking
- 255g dried salted snakeskin gourami (khô cá sặc)
- or any other dried fish
- 60ml (¼ cup) plus 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 10g shallot, coarsely chopped
- 35g garlic, coarsely chopped
- 425g cucumber
- 335g poached pork belly, sliced
- 1 quantity tamarind dipping sauce
- 25g Vietnamese basil (húng quế), leaves picked
- 20g Vietnamese coriander (au răm), leaves picked
- 2 bird’s eye chillies, thinly sliced, optional
METHOD:
Shred the mango using a grater. Soak in a bowl of iced water to maintain its crispness.
Pour boiling water over the dried fish to clean it. Drain thoroughly.
Heat the 60ml (¼ cup) of oil in a pan over a medium heat. Fry the fish for 4–5 minutes until golden. Remove the fish from the pan, let it cool, then shred into pieces.
In a separate pan, heat the remaining oil. Fry the shallot and garlic in the oil for 5–6 minutes until golden. Drain on paper towels.
Using a julienne peeler, peel the cucumber lengthways, alternating peeled and unpeeled sections so the cucumber looks like it has ‘zebra stripes’. Discard the peel and slice the cucumber into rounds.
Drain the mango well. In a large bowl, combine the shredded mango, cucumber slices, poached pork belly (side), shredded fried fish, half the tamarind dipping sauce, the herbs and the chillies, if using.
Transfer the salad to a serving platter and top with the fried shallots and garlic.
Serve immediately with the remaining tamarind dipping sauce on the side.
Edited recipe extract from Vietnam: The Cookbook by Anaïs Ca Dao van Manen, published by Phaidon. $80.
