Fish dish “sleeping in a hammock” takes 5 liters of oil and takes 10 hours to cook in Thai Binh

Thai Binh cuisine: Fish dish “lying hammock”unique and sophisticated

Fish dish “lying in a hammock” is an equally important “famous” dish of the people of Dioc village (Tan Hoa commune, Hung Ha district, Thai Binh province), often appearing in the party of congregating old people. It is held on the 3rd day of the Lunar New Year every year.

The reason why the fish dish “lying in a hammock” is so named is because of the unique way of processing it with a bamboo or iron bender with a hammock-like design.

According to the concept of the people of the heron village, the “hammock” fish dish after processing must keep its golden scales, representing the symbolic meaning of “turning into a dragon”. This is also considered as a wish, a wish for a long life, a centenary of the old age of the children and grandchildren in the house, acquaintances and neighbors sent to the elderly.

On the tray of this old man, in addition to the “hammock” fish dish placed in the highest and most solemn position, there are many familiar dishes such as sticky rice, chicken, spring rolls, sprouted soup, bean soup, … All ingredients must be expertly prepared and presented according to local traditions.

To prepare a dish of “lying hammock” fish, the people of Hec village use fresh whole carp, weighing from 2.5kg or more. Usually, after the Lunar New Year, if a family prepares to have someone grow old next year, they will buy a very strong carp and then release it in the pond.

After a year, carp were caught on the afternoon of the 30th of Tet. The owner will drop the fish in a pot of clean water, keep it for 1-2 days so that they can remove all the dirt from the body and then process it.

According to the people of the heron village, the processing “hammock” fish dish requires patience and feats, especially this village only know how to fry fish to the standard. In the past, people used to use black carp, but the body of this species was a bit long, so the next generation switched to carp.

The fish dish “sleeping in a hammock” is sophisticated in its processing

The carp used for making a deck must meet all the criteria such as not tearing fins, losing scales, weighing 3-4kg, still fresh, whole. After that, people clean the fish, cut open the belly, remove the intestines, marinate the meat in salt water to make it more meaty and reduce the fishyness, and then wash the water again to remove all the slime.

Wait for the fish to drain, then stuff the dried banana leaves into the fish’s belly, sew it up well. Processed carp must ensure that the whole fish is intact, with the outer scales and tail also kept intact. After that, people use a homemade brace made of bamboo or iron, designed like a hammock to fix the fish, bending the fish in a beautiful curved shape.

In addition to the preliminary processing, the process of frying carp to make a meal for the old man in the heron village is also very laborious, requiring a lot of time and dedication. One must prepare a large deep pan, use about 5 liters of lard (or cooking oil) to fry a carp weighing several pounds.

However, instead of frying fish in a pan like the traditional way, this dish has a completely different way of processing. The fish hammock is placed in the middle of the fat pan, people use a ladle to scoop up the boiling fat and sprinkle it evenly over the entire body of the fish. With the heat of the fat, the fish will gradually cook and bend beautifully. When the fish is cooked evenly, the golden crust is crispy, then lift it out.

Also because of this feat, the step of frying the fish “in the hammock” takes several hours to complete. Even the process of preliminarily processing fish to the final stage before going on the tray takes 8-10 hours. When the fish is golden, people begin to remove the hammock brace and place the finished product on a tray that has all the dishes laid out.

According to the people of the heron village, the standard “hammock” fish dish must meet many criteria such as: The eyes of the fish must be intact, the body curved like the roof of a house, and the scales have an attractive and even yellow color. If one of the above conditions is not met, the chef must process it again and replace it with another carp.

For local people, the dish of carp “lying in a hammock” not only shows respect to the elders but also pride, exuding the traditional culinary quintessence of Thai Binh land.

At the end of the frying process, the people of the Heron village quickly put the fish on the highest and most solemn position on the tray, so that the fish’s mouth is wide open, the body is curved up like a hammock. Surrounded by other traditional dishes such as sticky rice, chicken, spring rolls,…

Locals believe that the bigger the fish, the more beautiful it is, and the high tray is full of respect, wishing for health and longevity to the elders.