Recipes / Vietnamese dishes / Grilled Dishes

Ca Loc Nuong Giay Bac (Snakehead Fish Grilled in Foil), Made with Monk Fruit Sweetener

Vietnamese dishesGrilled DishesSouthern Vietnam1 hour marinating, 30 minutes grilling on each side, then 15 minutes more with the foil opened

Snakehead grilled in foil comes out juicy and smoky rather than dried out the way open grilling can leave it. The difficulty is the thickness of the fish, where the seasoning tends to sit on the outside and leave the middle plain.

So the body is scored on the diagonal to let the marinade sink in, the rest of it is packed straight into the cavity, and the fish sits for a full hour. Wrapped tightly in foil, it holds its steam and the flesh stays soft.

This batch weighs about 1.1kg, at roughly 98 calories per 100g.

Method

  1. Open the belly of the fish, remove the guts and gills, cut off the fins and tail, and scrape off the scales.
  2. Rub coarse salt over the body and inside the cavity to take away the slime, then rinse it thoroughly.
  3. Score the body on the diagonal or across so the seasoning can reach the flesh.
  4. Mix 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 2 tablespoons minced shallot, 2 tablespoons barbecue marinade sauce, 1 tablespoon seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon MSG and 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend.
  5. Rub the mixture over the fish and into each cut, pack what is left into the cavity, and marinate it for 1 hour.
  6. Lay a sheet of foil on a flat surface, set the fish on it, fold the two ends in first, then the two sides, pressing lightly to seal it.
  7. Light the charcoal and let it burn down to a red glow, set the grill over it and cook the parcel for 30 minutes on each side.
  8. Open the top of the foil and grill for another 15 minutes.

Tips

  • Scoring both sides on the diagonal lets the seasoning reach deep into the flesh.
  • A 1kg fish takes thirty minutes a side over evenly glowing coals, while open flames burn the foil.
  • Fold the edges of the foil tightly so the steam stays inside and the fish does not dry out.
  • Opening the foil for the last 15 minutes dries the surface to a light gold and brings out the smoke.
  • Serve it wrapped in rice paper with rice vermicelli (bun), cucumber, green banana, star fruit, pineapple and fresh herbs, with ginger fish sauce for dipping.

Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?

The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.

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