Vietnamese Fish Lettuce Wraps: Tasty lettuce wraps are a great compliment for big, bold flavors. In this recipe you use tender, flaky, cod fish for the filling, and to spice it up with a little curry spice blend. The fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, water, and chili garlic sauce makes the ideal drizzling for this dish. To finish it, add cilantro, and fried shallots for an energetic meal that lets everyone choose their flavors.
This style of dish lettuce wraps are my favorite go to meals. Chicken, steak or fish I love to make them. One because they are easy to prepare and two for the most part they are great healthy options. So let’s go over the ingredients and their health benefits.
Fresh cod fish
Cod is nutritious and flavorful fish packed full of lean protein, vitamins, and minerals. It does have a lower level in omega-3s than fatty fish like salmon, cod can still be part of your healthy diet. Compared to Salmon and Tuna, Cod contains less mercury and it’s a very flexible fish to cook with.
The power of curry powder
This spice blend is rich with anti-inflammatories and eating it may help reduce oxidative stress, increase heart health, and stabilize blood sugar levels. Curry powder makes an excellent addition to your spice rack
fish sauce why is it healthy?
Many people consider fish sauce as a good source of iron, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, Vitamin B12 and B6. Fish sauce is a condiment made from fish coated in salt and fermented over a couple of weeks up to two years.
Chili garlic sauce?
One of my favorite sauces is Chilli Garlic Sauce. The main ingredients are chili, garlic, and vinegar. Chilli Garlic sauce is a great condiment to renovate any meal into a strong, flavorful and healthy culinary experience.
Romaine is simple, easy and good for you
Romaine is low in fiber, high in minerals, all very good things for bone health. Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium will give your system a great boost. A nice bonus, romaine lettuce is packed with vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate.
Tips for cooking fish
If you’re grilling or broiling thick fish steaks, marinate it for 15 minutes in lemon or lime juice. The acid from the juice “cooks” the fish a bit, cutting down on the time it needs to stay on the heat. This helps prevent you from drying out your fish.
Fixing dry fish: If you’re cooking fish and it comes out too dry, brush it with a mixture of equal parts melted butter and lemon juice. The butter will help make it moister, while the lemon juice will help it hold together.
Wine pairing
Pinot Noir and Freshwater Fish: Conventional wisdom is red wine with fish is a non starter, but that’s not always the case. Red wines have high tannin that makes the bites of fish taste like metal. Some red wines can be paired with specific types of fish, and actually strengthen the tastes from both the wine and the fish.
One red wine Pinot Noir has that ability. Pinot Noir is a light bodied red wine that is not as strong as many other varieties of red wine. Its lower amounts of tannins contribute to the idea that you can pair it with lighter foods such as seafood. The unique properties of Pinot Noir can be paired with almost anything. For fish, it’s best to go with a freshwater fish like salmon or trout that has dense, meaty flesh. Additionally, your fish dish should be on the heavy side served with a thick tomato or cream based sauce for maximum effect. With the right fish, the more complex flavors of a good Pinot Noir can be brought out mimicking the flavors of vanilla, clove, licorice and caramel.
Vietnamese Fish Lettuce Wraps & Sushi Rice
Equipment
- small saucepan
- medium skillet
Ingredients
- curry powder use 2 tsp
- 10 oz pkg cod fillets
- 1 pkt chili garlic sauce
- 1 oz fish sauce
- 1 romaine heart
- 1 oz salted peanuts
- 1 lime
- ¼ oz fresh cilantro
- 1 shallot
- 5 oz sushi rice
- neutral oil
- coarse kosher salt
- sugar
Instructions
- Cook rice: In a small saucepan, combine rice, 1 cup water, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until rice is tender and water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Keep covered until ready to serve.
- Prep ingredients: Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice shallot into thin rings. Pick cilantro leaves from stems; thinly slice stems, keeping leaves whole. Squeeze 2 tablespoons lime juice into a medium bowl. Coarsely chop peanuts. Trim and discard end from lettuce, then separate leaves, keeping them whole.
- Make sauce: To the medium bowl with lime juice, add fish sauce, chili garlic sauce, ¼ cup warm water, and 2 tablespoons sugar; stir to combine. Add cilantro stems and 2 tablespoons of the shallots (save rest for step 4). Set aside until step 6.
- Fry shallots: Heat ¼ inch oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Add remaining shallots and fry until golden brown, stirring constantly to ensure even browning, 2–3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shallots to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with salt. Reserve skillet with oil for step 5.
- Season & cook cod: Pat cod dry, pressing out excess water if necessary. Cut into 2-inch pieces. In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons of the curry powder and a pinch of salt. Rub curry mixture all over fish. Heat reserved oil in skillet over medium-high. Add cod and cook until lightly browned, 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; sprinkle with salt.
- Assemble & serve: Fluff rice with a fork. Assemble lettuce wraps at the table, filling each lettuce leaf with some of the rice and cod. Drizzle with sauce and top with fried shallots, peanuts, and whole cilantro leaves
Video
Notes
Fish, Sulphites and Peanuts. May contain traces of other allergens. Packaged in a facility that packages gluten containing products.
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