Tiếng Việt
ไทยGoby fish is a familiar fish of the Southern river region, featuring sweet meat, few bones, and being very easy to cook and “rice-friendly.” However, not everyone knows what to make with goby fish, or what is delicious to cook with goby fish to preserve its natural fatty flavor without being fishy. In this article, Ola Squid will share detailed information on the most popular goby fish dishes, ranging from hotpots and braised dishes to fried and grilled recipes, along with specific, easy-to-apply cooking methods for both daily meals and weekend gatherings.
What delicious dishes can be made from goby fish?
Mentioning goby fish is mentioning rustic but very “appetizing” dishes. Thanks to its soft meat, thin skin, and characteristic flavor, goby fish can be cooked in soups, braised, grilled, or fried. If you are wondering what to make with goby fish, the list below will provide you with the most complete and practical perspective.
Goby fish hotpot with bitter herbs
Goby fish hotpot with bitter herbs is considered the “soul” of Western Vietnamese cuisine. The slight bitterness of the herbs blends with the sour and spicy hotpot broth, making the dish more addictive the more you eat it, especially on rainy days.
Ingredients:
- Live goby fish: 500g
- Bitter herbs: 200g
- Sour tamarind: 30g
- Minced garlic, lemongrass: 1 tablespoon each
- Chili, green onions
- Fish sauce, salt, sugar, MSG
- Broth: 1.5 liters
Instructions:
- Wash the goby fish, leave them whole, and do not remove the scales.
- Crush the tamarind to extract the juice, discard the seeds.
- Sauté the garlic and lemongrass until fragrant, then add the broth and bring to a boil.
- Season with tamarind juice, salt, fish sauce, and sugar for a balanced sweet and sour taste.
- When eating, put the goby fish into the hotpot; as soon as the fish is cooked, dip the bitter herbs in.
- Serve with fresh rice vermicelli and chili fish sauce.
Sour goby fish soup
Sour goby fish soup brings the familiar flavor of Southern meals, being easy to eat and not cloying. This dish is suitable for both the elderly and children.
Ingredients:
- Goby fish: 400g
- Tomatoes: 2 fruits
- Taro stems or elephant ear stalks: 100g
- Bean sprouts: 100g
- Sour tamarind or Giác fruit
- Rice paddy herb, thorny coriander
- Fish sauce, salt, sugar
Instructions:
- Wash the goby fish and let them drain.
- Boil water with tamarind until moderately sour, then add the tomatoes.
- Drop the goby fish into the pot and cook over medium heat.
- Season with fish sauce and sugar to balance the flavor.
- Add taro stems, bean sprouts, and aromatic herbs, then turn off the heat.
If you are looking for goby fish dishes that are light and easy to digest, sour soup is a very safe choice.
Braised goby fish with laksa leaves
Braised goby fish with laksa leaves has a characteristic aroma and goes very well with white rice. Laksa leaves help eliminate the fishy smell and make the braised dish more flavorful.
Ingredients:
- Goby fish: 500g
- Laksa leaves: 1 small bunch
- Fish sauce: 3 tablespoons
- Sugar: 1.5 tablespoons
- Pepper, chili, shallots
Instructions:
- Clean the goby fish, marinate with fish sauce, sugar, and pepper for about 15 minutes.
- Sauté the shallots, add the fish, and braise until the meat firms up.
- Add a little water to cover the fish, braise over low heat for 15–20 minutes.
- Add the laksa leaves before turning off the heat.
This dish is highly favored when discussing what to make with goby fish for a family meal.
Grilled goby fish with chili salt
Grilled goby fish with chili salt is a rustic drinking snack with a clear spicy and salty taste that is addictive.
Ingredients:
- Goby fish: 400g
- Grain salt: 1 tablespoon
- Minced chili: 1 tablespoon
- Sate sauce (optional)
Instructions:
- Wash the fish and leave them whole.
- Pound the salt with chili and rub it evenly over the fish.
- Grill over charcoal or in an oven until the skin is slightly charred.
- Serve with fresh vegetables and lime salt.
Goby fish hotpot with river leaf (Lá Giang)
Goby fish hotpot with river leaf is a characteristic Southern dish, standing out with the natural sourness of the river leaf and the soft, sweet goby meat, perfect for gathering meals.
Ingredients
- Goby fish: 500 grams
- River leaf (Lá giang): 100 grams
- Tomatoes: 2 fruits
- Shallots: 2 bulbs
- Garlic: 2 cloves
- Chili: 1 to 2 fruits depending on taste
- Ripe tamarind: 1 tablespoon or tamarind juice: 20 ml
- Bone broth or filtered water: 1.5 liters
- Cooking oil: 1 tablespoon
- Salt: half a teaspoon
- Seasoning powder: 1 tablespoon
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon
- Side vegetables such as morning glory, water lily stems, water mimosa, bean sprouts as needed
- Fresh rice vermicelli for serving
Instructions
- Clean the goby fish slime with salt or lemon juice, then wash multiple times until clean.
- Wash the river leaves and crush them slightly to release the sour taste.
- Cut the tomatoes into wedges, and mince the shallots and garlic.
- Sauté the shallots and garlic with cooking oil until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes and stir-fry until softened.
- Pour the broth into the pot and bring to a boil.
- Season with salt, seasoning powder, sugar, and tamarind water for a balanced sour, salty, and sweet taste.
- Add the river leaves to the pot and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes.
- When the hotpot broth boils again, add the goby fish.
- Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the fish is cooked, then turn off the heat.
- Add sliced chili if you like it spicy.
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Grilled goby fish with sate sauce
Grilled goby fish with sate is a bold, mildly spicy dish with an attractive aroma, very suitable as a drinking snack or for a change in family meals.
Ingredients
- Goby fish: 500 grams
- Sate sauce: 2 tablespoons
- Mince garlic 1 tbsp + Minced lemongrass 1 tbsp + Minced chili 1 tsp according to taste
- Cooking oil 1 tbsp + Fish sauce 1 tbsp + Sugar 1 tsp + Salt half a tsp
- Side vegetables such as fresh lettuce, cucumber, aromatic herbs as needed
Instructions
- Clean the goby fish slime with salt or lemon, wash well, and let drain.
- Mix sate, garlic, lemongrass, chili, oil, fish sauce, and sugar into a marinade.
- Marinate the goby fish with the mixture for about 20 to 30 minutes to absorb the flavors.
- Preheat the charcoal grill or oven.
- Arrange the fish on the rack and grill evenly until the fish is golden and fragrant.
- Flip the fish gently to avoid breaking.
Crispy fried goby fish
Crispy fried goby fish is a rustic, easy-to-make dish with a crunchy outer layer and sweet, soft meat inside, perfect for serving with fresh vegetables and sweet and sour fish sauce.
Ingredients
- Goby fish: 500 grams
- Crispy frying flour: 100 grams
- Cornstarch: 2 tablespoons
- Salt: half a teaspoon
- Ground pepper: one-fourth of a teaspoon
- Cooking oil: enough for deep frying
Instructions
- Clean the goby fish slime with salt or lemon, wash multiple times, and let drain.
- Mix the crispy frying flour with cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
- Roll the goby fish in the flour mixture to coat evenly.
- Heat the oil over medium heat.
- Fry the fish in deep oil until golden and crispy.
- Remove the fish and let drain the oil.
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Fried goby fish with sesame
Fried goby fish with sesame is a fragrant and nutty dish with a light crispy shell and the scent of roasted sesame, very suitable for changing the taste of family meals.
Ingredients
- Goby fish: 500 grams
- White sesame seeds: 50 grams
- Crispy frying flour: 80 grams
- Cornstarch: 2 tablespoons
- Salt: half a teaspoon
- Ground pepper: one-fourth of a teaspoon
- Chicken egg: 1 fruit
- Cooking oil: enough for frying
Instructions
- Clean the goby fish slime with salt or lemon, wash well, and let drain.
- Mix the crispy frying flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and egg until smooth.
- Dip the goby fish into the batter mixture.
- Roll the fish in white sesame seeds to coat evenly.
- Heat oil over medium heat.
- Fry the fish in deep oil until golden and crispy.
- Remove the fish and let drain the oil.
Braised goby fish with white radish
Braised goby fish with white radish is a flavorful dish with a natural sweetness from both fish and radish; the braising liquid is clear and easy to eat, perfect for family meals.
Ingredients
- Goby fish: 500 grams
- White radish: 300 grams
- Shallots 2 bulbs + Garlic 2 cloves + Chili 1 fruit according to taste
- Fish sauce 2 tbsp + Sugar 1 tbsp + Caramel sauce 1 tsp
- Ground pepper: one-fourth of a teaspoon
- Cooking oil 1 tbsp + Filtered water 300 ml
Instructions
- Clean the goby fish slime with salt or lemon, wash multiple times, and let drain.
- Peel the white radish, cut into rounds or bite-sized chunks.
- Mince the shallots and garlic.
- Sauté the shallots and garlic with cooking oil until fragrant.
- Add the goby fish and stir gently to firm the meat.
- Add fish sauce, sugar, and caramel sauce, stir well.
- Add the white radish and filtered water to the pot.
- Braise over low heat for about 20 to 25 minutes until the fish and radish absorb the spices.
- Re-season to taste, sprinkle with pepper, then turn off the heat.
Dried goby fish
Dried goby fish is a rustic specialty of the Western region, with chewy and sweet meat and a mild salty flavor, very convenient for storage and easy to prepare into many delicious dishes.
Ingredients
- Fresh goby fish: 1 kg
- Salt: 2 tablespoons
- Sugar: 1 tablespoon
- Ground pepper: half a teaspoon
- Chili powder: half a teaspoon (optional)
Instructions
- Clean the goby fish slime, wash thoroughly, and let drain.
- Slice along the body of the fish, remove the entrails, and wash again.
- Mix the salt, sugar, pepper, and chili powder.
- Marinate the fish with the spice mixture for about 1 to 2 hours.
- Arrange the fish on a rack or a clean tray.
- Dry under the sun for 1 to 2 days until the surface is dry but still flexible.
- Store in the cool compartment or freezer of the refrigerator.
How to use
- Grill over charcoal or in an oven.
- Deep fry and serve with rice or mango salad.
- Shred and mix into salads.
Notes when making dried goby fish
- Do not dry the fish too much to avoid it becoming hard.
- Choose fresh fish with firm meat for the best dried product.
- Store in airtight containers to avoid odors and insects.
Claypot braised goby fish
Claypot braised goby fish is a familiar dish in Western family meals, with a harmonious salty and sweet taste, soft fatty fish meat, and a lightly thickened sauce that is very appetizing.
Ingredients
- Goby fish: 500 grams
- Shallots 2 bulbs + Garlic 2 cloves + Chili 1 fruit according to taste
- Fish sauce 2 tbsp + Sugar 1 tbsp
- Caramel sauce: 1 teaspoon
- Ground pepper: half a teaspoon
- Cooking oil: 1 tablespoon
- Filtered water: 200 to 250 ml
Instructions
- Clean the goby fish slime with salt or lemon, wash multiple times, and let drain.
- Marinate the fish with fish sauce, sugar, pepper, and chili for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Sauté the shallots and garlic with oil in a claypot until fragrant.
- Arrange the fish neatly in the pot, stir gently to firm the fish.
- Add caramel sauce and filtered water.
- Braise over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Re-season to taste, sprinkle with more pepper, then turn off the heat.
Some notes:
- Braise over low heat so the fish absorbs the flavors evenly without breaking.
- You can add a bit of lard or pork fat cracklings to make the braised dish richer and more aromatic.
- Serve hot with white rice; it’s very delicious.
Lightly braised goby fish
Lightly braised goby fish is a rustic dish deeply imbued with the Western style, featuring a mild salty taste and natural sweetness from the fish, perfect for eating with white rice and boiled vegetables. This dish does not use too many spices, thus preserving the full characteristic flavor of goby fish.
Ingredients:
- Goby fish: 500–600g
- Fish sauce: 2 tablespoons
- Salt: 1/4 teaspoon
- Shallots: 2 bulbs, crushed
- Fresh chili: 1–2 fruits (to taste)
- Filtered water or fresh coconut water: 200–250ml
- Ground pepper: 1/4 teaspoon
Instructions:
- Clean the goby fish, wash with diluted salt water, then drain.
- Put the fish in a pot, add shallots, chili, fish sauce, and salt, then mix gently.
- Pour filtered water or coconut water over the surface of the fish.
- Place the pot on the stove, braise over medium heat until the water boils, then lower the heat.
- Braise for about 15–20 minutes until the fish is cooked and the liquid reduces slightly; re-season to taste.
- Sprinkle with ground pepper, turn off the heat, and serve hot with white rice.
Fried goby fish with fish sauce
Fried goby fish with fish sauce is a rich dish with a lightly crispy outer layer, soft sweet meat inside, and is evenly coated in a savory fish sauce glaze, making it very appetizing.
Ingredients
- Goby fish: 500 grams
- Crispy frying flour: 80 grams
- Cooking oil: enough for frying
- Minced garlic: 1 tablespoon
- Fish sauce: 2 tablespoons
- Sugar: 1.5 tablespoons
- Minced chili: half a teaspoon according to taste
Instructions
- Clean the goby fish slime with salt or lemon, wash well, and let drain.
- Roll the fish in a thin layer of crispy frying flour.
- Heat the oil, add the fish and fry over medium heat until golden and crispy.
- Remove the fish and let drain the oil.
- Sauté the garlic with a little oil.
- Add fish sauce, sugar, and chili, simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens.
- Add the goby fish and toss gently so the sauce coats the fish evenly.
- Turn off the heat when the fish has absorbed the sauce.
Fried goby fish with fish sauce has a balanced salty and sweet taste, very suitable for family meals or as a drinking snack.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the benefits of eating goby fish?
Goby fish is a highly nutritious type of fish with soft meat that is easy to digest, suitable for many people.
- Provides high-quality protein to help nourish the body.
- Rich in calcium and minerals, good for bones and joints.
- Low fat content, suitable for people who eat healthily.
- Easy to prepare, suitable for both the elderly and children.
How much is 1kg of goby fish?
The price of goby fish on the market can change depending on the time, size, and source of supply.
- Live fresh goby fish usually range from about 180,000 to 300.000 VND per kg.
- Large, uniform goby fish have a higher price.
- Frozen or pre-processed goby fish usually have a lower price than live fish.
Where is goby fish a specialty?
Goby fish is a famous specialty of the Southern river region, living mainly in brackish water areas.
- Common in Western provinces such as Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, and Soc Trang.
- Most abundant in estuary areas and mangrove forests.
- Natural goby fish are often highly regarded for their sweetness and firm meat.
Through the suggestions in this article, the delicious goby fish dishes have been fully summarized, helping you easily know what to make with goby fish and what is delicious to cook with goby fish to apply to your daily meals. Depending on your taste and cooking method, goby fish always brings a characteristic flavor, is easy to eat, and is rich in nutrients. If you are interested in seafood and want to find more quality squid products, you can visit the Culinary Corner of Ola Squid to refer to many more recipes and choices suitable for Vietnamese tastes. In addition, you can also explore our high-quality whole dried squid products to enrich your family menu.
