While this dish is traditionally made with a whole fish and deep fried, this simpler version of Vietnamese fried fish with tomato sauce uses easy to find cod fillets. It's also a worthwhile use of fresh tomatoes with this homemade sauce that, unlike others, really levels up in flavor with fish sauce.
While this fish is typically deep fried for this recipe, the irony is that the crispy skin from deep frying, it gets soggy anyway after being smothered with wet tomato sauce. This pan fry method seems to work just as well.
Serve this quick fish dish with a side salad, baby bok choy with a secret touch, or a Vietnamese lemon soda chanh for a slightly sweet beverage.
Ingredients
We like this recipe because it uses easy to find ingredients, especially if you have fish fillets in the freezer and tomatoes on hand.
Seasoning ingredients (not pictured)
- Fish Sauce - Made from fermented anchovies, this sauce transforms adds saltiness and savoriness to fresh tomatoes, even if they're not very ripe.
- Sugar - Just a touch to heighten the natural sweetness in tomatoes.
- Black Pepper - Just a few cracks.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
Instead of cod, any thick, large flake fish that holds together works very well such as:
- ling cod
- salmon
- swordfish
- albacore tuna
- sea bass
- mackerel
A smaller, thinner fillet such as snapper or rockfish will work too but will fall apart more easily in the tomato sauce.
If you do want to use a smaller fish, it would be best to pan fry it whole or be gentle with the filets.
Instead of fresh tomatoes, you can also use canned, crushed tomatoes.
Instructions
- Step 1: Sear fillets, presentation side down (which is the non-skin side on a skinless filet) in a thin layer of olive oil in a hot pan.
If your fillets came frozen, dry to dry off the excess moisture with a towel, so you get a better sear.
- Step 2: Remove the seared fish to a plate. The fish will initially stick to the pan and should release once the crust has been formed. Do not try to pick up the fish if it's still sticking to the pan.
You need sear only one side, since the other side will be cooked in the tomato sauce.
- Step 3: After removing the fish, you can use the same pan for the tomato sauce. The aromatic vegetables just need a minute or two over medium heat. (Those brown spots from the fish sear will go away when we add the tomato.)
- Step 4: Add chopped tomatoes to the pan along with the fish sauce, sugar, and black pepper.
- Step 5: Simmer the tomatoes while stirring for 4-6 minutes over medium heat until the tomatoes "melt" to form a sauce.
- Step 6: Finish fish in tomato sauce. Add the fish back to the pan, seared side up, to finish cooking for 2-5 minutes, depending on how thick your fish is. Since the sauce may turn dry, cover the pan with a lid, so you don't have to thin out the sauce by adding water.
Hint: You could make this ahead of time and reheat is later. The tomato sauce keeps the fish nice and moist. Spread the tomato sauce over any imperfections on the fish you want to cover. Or serve the tomato sauce underneath the fish. Garnish with the green part of the green onions.
Storage
Store up to 3 days in the fridge for best flavor.
Top Tips
- Substitute cod with salmon, swordish, albacore tuna, seabass, or mackerel.
- If defrosting frozen fish, make sure the fish fillets are thoroughly dry to obtain the best crust. Dab with paper towels.
- Vine ripe fresh tomatoes make a big difference in this recipe, though canned tomatoes will work too.
- The tomato sauce is your friend. If your seared fish is not pretty, just cover with tomato sauce wherever needed.
- This tastes really lovely on top of rice, but a fresh green salad or stir fried greens work too.
Related Seafood Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Here are some additional side dishes to try:
Recipe
Vietnamese "Fried" Fish with Tomato Sauce (Cá Chiên Sðt Cà)
Ingredients
- 1 lb cod, cut into 2 portions skin on or off, see Note 1 for substitutions
- salt for seasoning fish
- 2 Tb olive oil or other cooking oil
- 1 ½ c chopped, fresh tomato about 2 medium tomatoes, cut into roughly 1" dice
- 2 ea green onion, sliced white and green parts separated
- 1 ea garlic clove, minced about 1 teaspoon
- 1 ea shallot cut into thin slices
- 2 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a pan to medium high heat. While it's heating, pat the cod filets dry with paper towel. Sprinkle both sides of the fillet with salt to taste. (For me this is about a ¼ tsp).
- Add 1 Tb of the oil to the hot pan. Place fish presentation side down in the hot pan. The presentation side is the side of the fish you want to serve facing up. This could have the skin, if using, or the clean side of the fish without brown skin marks.
- The fish will take 3-5 minutes to develop a crust and release from the pan. Remove to a plate, with the presentation side up, and set aside.
- In the same pan as the fish, add the remaining 1 Tb oil to the pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, white part of the green onion, and shallot. Saute for 1-2 minutes until translucent until the vegetables sizzle and soften. They should not brown.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, fish sauce, sugar, and black pepper to the pan. Continue stirring and cook until the tomatoes begin to melt. This will take 4-6 minutes.
- Nestle the fish fillets, seared side up, to the pan. Cover and continue to cook for 2-5 minutes until the fish is cooked through or reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. If the sauce starts to dry out, add a little water to the pan.
- Garnish with the green part of the sliced green onion, and serve hot.
Notes
- Substitute cod with salmon, swordish, albacore tuna, seabass, or mackerel.
- If defrosting frozen fish, make sure the fish fillets are thoroughly dry to obtain the best crust. Dab with paper towels.
- Vine ripe fresh tomatoes make a big difference in this recipe, though canned tomatoes will work too.
- The tomato sauce is your friend. If your seared fish is not pretty, just cover with tomato sauce wherever needed.
- This tastes really lovely on top of rice, but a fresh green salad or stir fried greens work too.
Nutrition
Fortune Cookie 🥠
If you wish to be out front, then act as if you were behind.
Lao Tzu
Judi W says
You forgot the shallots in the ingredient list
asiantestkitchen@gmail.com says
Ugggh, how embarrassing! Thank you very much for letting me know and not getting mad at me. I really appreciate your taking the time to let me know in a kind and respectful manner. Updating now!!!