Sous Chef Võ Nguyên Phúc of Mặn Mòi Restaurant in HCM City. Photo courtesy of Humventures

Born and raised in Việt Nam’s south, Sous Chef Võ Nguyên Phúc has spent most of his life learning and discovering fine delicacies from different regions across the country. He is also an expert in salad recipes.

If you are a hardcore fan of salad dishes or other food delights at Mặn Mòi, Chef Phúc is the one who makes these delectable dishes.

Here is a recipe from the talented chef that will impress you and your family members.

Rambutan salad with snakehead fish cheeks

Ingredients:

- Rambutan: 200gr

- Carrot (cut into threads): 20gr

- Turmeric (minced well): 20gr

- Cottonii seaweed: 20gr

- Glass seaweed: 20gr

- Snakehead fish cheeks: 100gr (dry or fresh, both are okay)

- Herbs (mint leaves + basil): 10gr

- Fried onion: 5gr

- Fish sauce: 10gr

- Sugar: 20gr

- Lemon juice: 10gr

- Shrimp crackers: to your liking

- Goal horn pepper (cut into threads): 10gr

- Roasted peanuts (broken): 20gr

Method:

- Clean and peel turmeric, and then mince well.

- Clean the fish and marinate with the minced turmeric, set aside for 10 minutes.

- Remove the shell and the seed of the tambutan before cutting it in half and placing the rambutan in a basket for a few minutes to dry its juice.

- Grill the marinated fish until it smells and turns golden.

- Mix thoroughly and tenderly the ingredients together: carrot, seaweeds, herbs, pepper, fried onions and roasted peanuts with the sauce made of lemon juice, sugar and fish sauce.

- Plate up and garnish the grilled fish on top then spread the remaining fried onions and roasted peanuts as in the photo.

Rambutan salad with snakehead fish cheeks. Photo courtesy of Humventures.

The salad specialty is best served with shrimp crackers.

The rambutan salad is among the favourites at Mặn Mòi restaurants in HCM City’s District 2 and District 3. VNS