Cá Kho Tộ [w/ SakanaBlue Wild Aomori Yellowtail]

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SakanaBlue

Wild Aomori Yellowtail

FISH FACTS

The wild yellowtail amberjack population is considered to be high and stable with no overfishing currently occurring. 

Set net fishing methods have a low impact on the seafloor habitat and are not a concern for causing ecosystem impacts. This stationary gear type only makes contact with the seafloor with sandbags that are used to hold the nets in place. The set nets are used in a sandy/pebble habitat, which is not a major conservation concern.

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Cá Áp Chảo - Pan Roasted Fish [w/ SakanaBlue Farmed Steelhead Salmon]

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SakanaBlue

Farmed Aomori Steelhead Salmon

FISH HIGHLIGHTS

Consistently monitored water conditions to maintain the high water quality for fish health and minimal ecosystem impacts.

The farm has a proven track record of a low frequency of escapes.

Farming of steelhead trout begins in a flow-through system that is fed by fresh river water until juveniles are ready to move to marine net pens. 

Monitoring undertaken by the farm indicates that effluent and habitat concerns are minimal, and reports of disease occurrence and wildlife interaction are low.

Juveniles are 100% sourced from a biosecure hatchery, so there are no impacts on wild steelhead juvenile populations.

Improvement plans are in place to work towards less reliance on fishmeal in feed.

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Yield 4

Author Chef Tu David Phu

Prep time

5 Min

Cook time

5 Min

Total time

10 Min

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Cá Áp Chảo - Pan Roasted Fish [w/ SakanaBlue Farmed Steelhead Salmon]

Pan-roasting is a PERFECT cooking technique for flat, wide, or thin filets of fish. If executed properly, it will result in a juiciest, succulent fish filet, with a golden crispy crust.  As fish cooks, its cell structure dissolves in heat; at lower temperatures than meats. Once the fish’s cell structure is completely dissolved, the natural juices of the fish will start to evaporate-resulting in dried, over-cooked fish. In conclusion, pan-roasting fish is the ideal cooking method for fish; crispy, golden crust as a result of intense heat, accompanied with diminutive cooking times to retain the fish’ natural juices.

Ingredients

• 4 each, 5 oz. Farmed Aomori Steelhead Salmon Filets
• 3 tbsp., Avocado Oil
• 1/8 tsp/, Kosher Salt
• 1 tbsp., Minced Ginger
• 1 tbsp., Minced Lemongrass
• 2 tbsp., Unsalted Butter
• 1 tsp., Sliced Chives
• 1 tsp., Toasted Sesame Seeds

Instructions

1. Pat dry the fish filets with a paper towel; xcess moisture lowers the temperature of the oil and “causes the oil to burn.
2. Lightly season the fish filets on both sides.
3. Preheat a large castiron frying pan on medium high heat for 2 minutes.
4. Add 3 tbsp., of Avocado Oil.
5. Heat the oil in frying pan for 1 minute, or until the oil is glossy and shimmering.
6. Tilt that pan away from your body. Then gentle lay the salmon filets, flesh-side down.
7. Immediately add Minced Ginger, Minced Lemongrass, and 2 tbsp., of Unsalted Butter.
8. Use a large spoon to baste/bathe the fish filets with the melted butter in the pan. Do this for 3-4 minutes.
9. Gently flip the fish filets over with a spatula.
10. Cook the fish for 1 minute.
11. Take the fish out of the frying onto a plate lined with paper towels.
12. Garnish the fish Sliced Chives and Toasted Sesame Seeds.
13. Serve with starch and salad side.

Notes

—COOKING TIPS—

• As a general rule of thumb, default to the ’80/20 rule’, [cook the fish on the initial side for 80% of the total cook time. Then finish cooking the other side for the remaining 20%]. 
• Before cooking, make sure your filet is completely dry—inside and out— since excess moisture lowers the temperature of the oil and “causes the oil to become more agitated, which leads to burns
• Once you pour oil into the pan, it should cover one-third of the thickness of the fish so the meat doesn’t absorb too much oil while frying.
• Salmon & Steelhead is best-served medium-rare [120-125 F.] 

Recommended Products:

Farmed Aomori Steelhead Salmon

Hestan - NanoBond - Stainless Steel Titanium Skillet

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Cá Tái Chanh - Vietnamese Style Ceviche [w/ SakanaBlue Aomori Wild Yellowtail]

https://cheftu.com/recipelibrary/caapchao

TDP Enterprises, LLC

fish, salmon, steelhead, lemongrass, butter, ginger, friend, pan, cast iron

Dinner, Lunch

Vietnamese

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @cheftudavidphu on instagram and hashtag it #cookingwithcheftu

Soondubu Jjigae (Spicy Korean Seafood and Tofu Stew)

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Mapo Tofu Pudding

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Cá Kho Tộ [w/ SakanaBlue Farmed Kagoshima Yellowtail]

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SakanaBlue

Farmed Kagoshima Yellowtail

FISH FACTS

Kagoshima is in Southern Japan

Farmed Kagoshima Yellowtail has a good amount of fat. And is reminiscent (to me) of pork belly. You can braise, grill, and/or sear and it will result in a succulent, juicy, and tender piece of fish.

Their sustainability is far above average compared to conventional Yellow Tail Farms

This Farm operates beside an active volcano that erupts more than 100 times per day

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Salmon Confit with Ginger Scallion [Cá Hồi Om Dầu Olive]

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Take an additional 20% Off! Use discount code “david” at check out

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Yield

4

Author

Chef Tu David Phu

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

30 Min

Inactive time

15 Min

Total time

1 Hour

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Salmon Confit with Ginger Scallion [Cá Hồi Om Dầu Olive]

Similar to cooking eggs, the mastery of cook can be measured on how they cook fish. Why? Fish is incredibly delicate. It requires precision cooking; high cooking temperatures with short cook times; low cooking temperatures with extended cook times. But no need to worry. If you formulate the process and follow the procedure, you'll nail it every time. And this recipe is exactly that. FAIL-PROOF.

Ingredients

Confit Salmon

• 1 lb., Alaskan Wild King Salmon
• 2 tbsp., Kosher Salt 
• 2 tbsp., Organic Sugar 
• 1/2 each, Orange Peel
• 1/2 each, Lemon Peel
• 2 oz., Thinly Sliced Ginger (coin-sized)
• 4 cloves, Peeled Garlic (crushed)
• 2 cups, Corto Extra Virgin Olive Oil [or 500 ml.]
• 8 springs, Cilantro

Cooking Equipment

• Hestancue Smart Induction & Probe
• Digital Thermometer

Fish Butchery

• Fish Filet Knife
• Fish Pliers for Pin Bones

Ginger Scallion Sauce

• Use this recipe

Instructions

Portion Salmon

1. Trim away the belly fat. This section of the fish tends to be very thin. Thus it will overcook.  Set it aside to pan fry in a skillet to make Salmon bacon
2. Skin the filet. Place fish filet firmly in your dominant hand. Make an incision at the tail end of the filet. With your other hand, use your fingertips to pin down the incision onto the cutting board. Place the fish filet knife in the incision and run the knife upward to the skin of the filet to remove the skin. Set skin aside to render crispy as a garnish.
3. Remove the fish bones with fish tweezers. With the back of your knife, run the knife from the tail of the filet, toward the head.- that should scrap the hidden pin bones to the surface. Once the pin bones surface from the flesh, use fish tweezers to remove the pin bones. 
4. Split the filet lengthwise, down the natural seam.
5. Portion the Salmon into 2" filets, 4 oz. each filet, 4 portions total.

Confit Salmon

1. Lightly cure the salmon by lightly seasoning the salmon filets with 1 tbsp. of Kosher Salt and 1 tbsp of Organic Sugar. 
2. Cure the fish for 10 minutes. 
3. In a medium-sized pot, add: salmon filets, 2 cups extra virgin olive oil, 2 oz. sliced ginger, 4 crushed garlic cloves, lemon and orange peels. 
4. Add a thermometer into the fry pan. Make sure the probe is submerged underneath the oil.
5. Set the pot on low heat. 
6. Continue to keep the pot on low heat until the oil reaches 135 F. [make sure to gently shake the pan to even distribute the temperature of the oil]
7. Once the oil reaches 135 F., immediately take the pot off the heat. 
8. Allow the salmon filets to infuse in the warm oil for 30 minutes. It will continue to cook. [salmon filets can be stored on oil for 24 hours, refrigerated]
9. Use a spatula to gently remove the salmon. It will be very delicate. 
10. Place the salmon on a paper towel to remove excess oil. 
11. Drain the confit oil. Pour confit oil into a jar. 
12. Keep oil refrigerated to be reused as confit oil.

Render Salmon Skin

1. In a cold, nonstick fry pan place the salmon skin, skin-side down.
2. Turn the heat on low.
3. Render the salmon skin continuously on low heat. Or until the skin gets crispy. (20 minutes)
4. Lightly season with salt.

Salmon Bacon

1. Lightly cure the salmon belly by lightly seasoning the salmon filets with 1 tsp. of Kosher Salt and 1 tsp of Organic Sugar.
2. Cure the fish for 10 minutes.
3. In a cold, nonstick fry pan place the salmon belly, skin-side down.
4. Turn the heat on low.
5. Render the salmon belly continuously on low heat. Or until the skin gets crispy. (20 minutes)
6. Flip the salmon over and cook for another 5 minutes on low heat.

Ginger Scallion Sauce

1. Use this recipe [addition of bacon is optional]

Assemble

1. In a shallow bowl, gently lay the confit salmon in the middle
2. Spoon 2 tbsp of ginger scallion sauce over the salmon. 
3. Garnish the salmon with salmon bacon and crispy salmon skin. 
4. Garnish the bowl with cilantro sprigs.

Notes:

This dish was inspired by a traditional Vietnamese recipe called, "Cá Hấp Hành Gừng." [Steamed Fish with Ginger Scallion]. But instead of steaming the fish, I poached it in olive oil; it allows for a more delicate, succulent fish. 

Note: Oil is not needed when frying salmon belly or crisping salmon skin. Salmon skin has a alot of natural fat. Thus, naturally greases a pan with fish fat.

Recommended Products:

Hestancue Smart Induction and Probe

Fish Bone Pliers

Corto Olive Oil

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Mỡ Hành Gừng [Ginger, Scallion, Bacon Sauce]

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cheftu.com/recipes/salmonconfit

fish, confit, salmon, ginger, scallion, fish sauce, seafood, ocean, olive oil, hestan, cue

Dinner

Vietnamese

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Cá Trứng Chiên [Fried Smelt]

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Cá Trứng Chiên [Fried Smelt]

Yield

2

Author

Chef Tu David Phu

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

15 Min

Total time

35 Min

Big thanks to our #angler friends @asianmartha and @stinkydog6636 for the fish! Their highlights are usually catching local Dungeness Crab and King Salmon right outside the Golden Gate Bridge, in the Pacific Ocean. From their most recent fishing trip, they gifted us the most beautiful filet of salmon (that recipe is coming soon). But along with the salmon, they handed me beautiful, plump local smelt. And after digging into my memory bank of recipes, I recounted one of my favorite childhood bites, fried smelt.

Ingredients

Fried Smelt

• 10 each, Whole Smelt
• 2 quarts, Iced Water
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp, Kosher Salt
• 2 cups, AP Flour
• 1 cup, Rice Flour
• 1 tbsp Corn Starch
• 1 tsp, Kosher Salt
• 2 each, Whole Eggs
• 2 cups, Frying Oil

Garnishes

• Chrouk Metae Fermented Chili Paste (or sub Sambal Olek)
• Scallion Tops
• Sliced Serranos Slivers
• 1/4 cup, small diced red onion

Pickled Daikon and Carrots

• 1 cup, Shredded Carrots
• 1/2 cup, Shredded Daikon
• 1/4 tsp, Salt
• 1/2 tsp, organic sugar (or 1/4 tsp stevia)
• 1 cup, Rice Vinegar
• 2 cups, Water
• 2 cloves, Garlic
• 1 sliver, Ginger
• 1/2 each, Jalapeno

Instructions

Scale the fish

1. Rinse the fish under fresh, cold running water to loosen the scales.
2. Pinch the fish firmly by the tail. 
3. Use the back of a knife to start scraping away the scales; moving from the tail to the head.
4. Rinse the fish under running water to remove any remaining scales.
5. Turn the fish over and repeat on the other side.
6. Check to make sure that all of the scales have been removed by running a finger against the grain of the fish. 

Gut the Fish

1. Place the fish in one hand.
2. With a pair of scissors, make an incision starting from the anus of the fish and continue that cutting until you split the jaw. 
3. Pull out the internal organs with your hands. 
4. Rinse the inside cavity of the fish under running water, until water runs clear.
5. Removed the spine of the fish. 
6. With a pair of fish pliers, remove any remaining fish pine bones. 

Brine the Fish

1. In a large bowl, add 2 quarts of iced, the juice of 1 lemon, and 2 tsp of Kosher Salt
2. Add the deboned and gutted fish to the saltwater brine. 
3. Brine the fish for 15 minutes. 
4. Take the fish out of the saltwater brine. And place or pan lined with paper towels to remove excess water. 

Dredge the Fish

1. In a wide, shallow bowl add 2 cups of AP Flour, 1 cup of Rice Flour, 1 tbsp of Corn Starch, and 1 of Kosher Salt.
2. Mix the dredge mixture thoroughly with a fork, or whisk.
3. Dredge each fish in flour, turning and pressing lightly to coat. Shake off excess and place on a platter to set aside.

Fry the Fish

1. Preheat a large frying pan on medium heat for 1 minute
2. Add 1/4 cup of frying oil, per 5 filets. [do not overcrowd your pan + plus add more oil every time fish is rotated out of the pan]
3. Gently lay 1 fish in pan, skin side down first. Make sure to tilt the pan away from you [allows for the oil to splash away from your body to prevent burns]
4. Continue to pan fry on medium heat, until browned on the first side, 4 to 5 minutes.
5. With a spatula, carefully turn the fish over carefully. 
6. Continue to fry another side until it is crisp and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes more.
7. Transfer to a serving plate lined with paper towels, to remove excess grease.
8. Gently seasons with salt and pepper on both sides of fish

Pickled Daikon

1. In a medium-size pot, add [1/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 cup rice vinegar, 2 cups of water, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 sliver of ginger, 1/2 each Jalapeno]
2. Bring the pot to a simmer
3. Take the pot off the heat
4. Add cut carrots and daikon
5. Submerge carrots and daikon (under pickling liquid) with a small plate
6. Allow carrots and daikon to steep for at least 15 minutes at room temperature.
7. Store carrots and daikon in pickling liquid and use as needed.

Assemble

1. On a large entree plate, gently transfer 2 filets of fried smelt. 
2. With a tasting spoon, randomly dollop the fermented chili paste on the plate. 
3. Scatter the pickled daikon and carrots.
4. Garnish with a few slivers of serrano and scallion tops.
5. Sparring, garnish the dish with 1/2 tsp of small diced red onion.

Notes:

“Eating small fish, or "forage fish," like anchovies, sardines, herring and mackerel, will not only help curb the overfishing of popular large fish, but it can be totally delicious. Many people simply haven't had enough exposure to these kinds of small fish, and what exposure they may have had might be misleading.” 

 -Huff Post [https://www.huffpost.com/entry/anchovies-and-sardines-recipes_n_6933790]

Recommended Products:

Fish Bone Tweezers

Chrouk Metae

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cheftu.com/recipes/friedsmelt

fish, fried, seafood, sustainable, forage fish, fish sauce, umami, sushi, healthy

seafood

Vietnamese

Did you make this recipe?

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Barbecued Eel w/ Fish Sauce Caramel [Cá Khô Lươn Nướng]

Unagi Kabayaki

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Considering that Eel is a (juicy, firm, and white-flesh) fish, it’s usually prepared in a soup or a braise. Grilling Eel adds a nice smokey element that makes it extremely umami. But no need to worry, I’ve provided a few traditional Japanese recipes from my friends at American Unagi.

Unlike any other, American Unagi eels are exclusively ethically sourced and sustainably raised in Maine. As a James Beard Smart Catch Leader, I highly recommend this product.

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bbq, yakatori, eel, fish sauce, caramel, smoked, grilled, asian bbq, vietnamese chef, umami, sushi, sashimi, japan

bbq

Japanese

Yield: 4

Author: Chef Tu David Phu

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Barbecued Eel w/ Fish Sauce Caramel [Cá Khô Lươn Nướng]

Vietnam has a long romance with Eel. It’s a staple ingredient in Vietnamese Cuisine. And is found scattered across legendary Vietnamese dining Institutions. [I.E., Miến Lươn (Eel Glass Noodle Soup), Lươn Xào Sả Ớt (Lemongrass Curry Eel Stir Fry)]. Considering that Eel is a (juicy, firm, and white-flesh) fish, it’s usually prepared in a soup or a braise. My favorite Eel preparation is Cá Khô Lươn Nướng, a similar preparation to Unagi Kabayaki. However, instead of shoyu and sugar, artisanal 2-year aged @sonfishsauce caramel is used. And grilling it adds a nice smokey element that makes it extremely umami.

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 20 MinInactive time: 15 MinTotal time: 50 Min

Ingredients

Fish Sauce Caramel

• 1/4 cup, water
• 1/2 cup, Coconut Sugar
• 1 cup, Son Fish Artisanal Fish Sauce
• 1 tbsp, Minced Ginger
• 1 tbsp, Rice Vinegar

Instructions

Unagi [Eel]

1. 1 lb., Thawed Butterflied American Unagi

Fish Sauce Caramel

1. In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, add 1/2 cup of coconut sugar and 1/4 cup of water.
2. Bring saucepan to a boil.
3. Allow it to boil, undisturbed on low heat until a deep amber caramel color forms, about 20 minutes.
4. Take the pan off the heat.
5. Gradually whisk in 1 cup of Fish Sauce
6. Put the saucepan back on medium heat.
7. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup of water
8. Add 1 tbsp of minced ginger, 1 tbsp of Rice Vinegar, and 1 tsp of coarsely cracked black pepper
9. Bring the saucepan to a simmer.
10. Take the pan off the heat. And allow cooling to ambient temperature.

Marinate Unagi [Eel] Skewers

1. Cut the thawed Unagi into 2" square filets 
2. Skewer the Unagi filets in between the flesh and skin 
3. Dip the skewered Unagi into the Fish Sauce Caramel
4. Drench the Fish Sauce Caramel on both sides of the filet. 
5. Allow the Unagi Skewers to marinate in the Fish Sauce Carmel.

Grill Unagi Skewers

1. On a preheated charcoal grill [450 F] grill the Unagi skewers for 2 minutes on each side.

Notes:

Frozen Butterflied Eel Filets $35

Use ‘UNAGICHEFTU’ for an additional 10% off at check out.

Free Shipping on orders over $100

• Each fillet is 4-6oz.
• Each Pack is 1 lb.
• Each pack has 3-4 fillets.

Recommended Products:

American Unagi Frozen Butterflied Fillets [1 lb. for $35]

Son Fish Artisanal Sauce

Coconut Sugar

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Did you make this recipe?

Tag @cheftudavidphu on instagram and hashtag it #

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Vietnamese Cajun Seafood Stew

Cháo Cá [Vietnamese Fish Porridge]