Salmon - Ca Nuong Banh Trang

When I was a little girl, my family lived in Alaska from 1982-1985. My dad was working for a plumber company at that time. One of my fondest memories during that time was eating my Mom’s salmon dish. She used a simple dry rub, which consisted of salt, pepper and a few other spices to marinate the fish. The most memorable part of the dish was her special “mo hanh”; her scallion oil. She used thinly sliced pork belly to render the fat then add the chopped scallions to a sizzling pan. After the oil was finished, she poured it over the fish, then added crushed peanuts. I remember loving this dish every time my mom made it and today I am making a healthier version of this dish for my daughter, Franchine. I am also showing my daughter how to cook salmon two ways (1) baked (2) pan seared using the cooking techniques I learned from my mom.

Ingredients:

Salmon

• 1 lb. salmon fillets

• 1 tsp salt & pepper

• 1/2 tsp of brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp of paprika

• 1/2 tsp of ground ginger

Toppings for the Salmon

• 1 green onion

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 2 tbsp. chopped peanuts

• 1 tbsp. fried shallots

Vegetables for the Rice Paper rolls

• 1 bag of ready to serve spring mix

• 1 cucumber, julienne

• Vietnamese herbs

• pickle bean sprouts

Dipping Sauce

• Base fish sauce - Equal parts of sugar, vinegar, water and fish sauce. taste and adjust if need to. In a large bowl add sugar and vinegar, stir until the sugar is dissolve then add water and fish sauce. 

• 1/4 cup of chopped pineapple

• 2 chopped garlic

• 1 chopped chili

Rice Paper & Noodle

• 1 package of rice paper

• 1 package of fine rice vermicelli; banh hoi

Kitchen Equipment used

• Grilled pan with Lid

• Bakeware pan

• Rice paper water bowl

• Parchment Paper

Watch video below for additional instructions