Brown fish recipes: Must-try delicious dishes

Spotted scat is a familiar fish in brackish waters and estuaries, loved by many for its firm meat, natural sweetness, and few small bones. Spotted scat can also be combined with various ingredients to create delicious and flavorful recipes that carry the essence of home. So, what is good to cook with spotted scat? Let’s explore the attractive dishes made from spotted scat with Ola Squid in the article below!

1. What is good to cook with spotted scat?

Spotted scat can be processed into many different delicious dishes, from rich braised dishes to fragrant grilled ones, making it very popular in family meals. Here is a summary of 14 simple and nutritious spotted scat processing recipes for your reference:

1.1. Spotted scat braised with pineapple

Ingredients:

• 2-3 spotted scat fish
• Green chili, red chili
• 1/4 pineapple
• Fish sauce, sugar, cooking oil, salt, pepper

How to make spotted scat braised with pineapple:

• Clean the spotted scat and marinate with fish sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, chili, and the washed and chopped pineapple for about 10 minutes, adding a little cooking oil.
• Then boil a little water, put the fish in and braise over low heat for about 10 minutes, then flip the fish to absorb the seasonings.
• Finally, season to taste, turn off the heat, and serve on a plate.

1.2. Lightly braised spotted scat

Ingredients:

• 1 spotted scat fish
• 3 cloves of garlic, 4 chilies
• 3 sprigs of green onion, a little white wine
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons caramel sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1/3 tablespoon MSG, 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon seasoning powder, 1/2 tablespoon salt

How to cook lightly braised spotted scat:

• After buying the spotted scat, clean the scales, remove the entrails, wash thoroughly (can be washed with white wine to deodorize), and make a few cuts on the body. Then marinate the fish with seasonings, fish sauce, and caramel sauce for 15-20 minutes to absorb.
• Wash the green onions and chop finely. Peel and mince the garlic, and wash the chilies, removing the stems.
• Sauté the garlic with cooking oil until fragrant, add the fish to braise and flip gently to coat with seasonings. Continue to add water, braise over low heat until the fish is cooked, add chilies to cook together, and skim off the foam for a clear broth. Finally, add green onions, turn off the heat, and serve hot.

1.3. Spotted scat braised with white radish

Ingredients:

• 1 large spotted scat fish (or 2 small ones)
• 4 chilies, 1 white radish
• 1 bulb of garlic, a few stalks of green onion
• 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons caramel sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons cooking wine, 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons cooking wine

How to prepare spotted scat braised with radish:

• Clean the spotted scat with salt water, drain, then cut into chunks and make light cuts on the fish body, marinating with a little salt to firm up the meat.
• Next, crush the garlic and chili then mix with sugar, fish sauce, mirin, filtered water, cooking wine, caramel sauce, and cooking oil to create the braising mixture.
• Then boil the braising liquid and add the fish to cook over medium heat, flipping the fish to absorb evenly. When the fish is cooked, add the radish cubes and braise to the desired tenderness. Finally, turn off the heat and add green onions, cover for a few minutes then serve on a plate, sprinkle with pepper, and serve hot.

>> See more: What is good to cook with Indian mackerel? Revealing simple cooking recipes

1.4. Spotted scat braised with onion and chili

Ingredients:

• 500g spotted scat
• Chilies, pepper
• Shallots, green onions
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon MSG
• 2 teaspoons seasoning powder, a little cooking oil

How to make spotted scat braised with onion and chili:

• First, you need to clean the spotted scat, rub it with salt, wash it, and drain. Then marinate the fish with fish sauce, seasoning powder, MSG, chili, and chopped green onions to absorb the seasonings.
• Next, sauté the shallots with cooking oil until fragrant, add the fish to braise over low heat, then flip gently so the fish absorbs evenly. Add a little water and let braise for about 15 minutes until the fish is cooked, season to taste and turn off the heat.
• Finally, place the fish on a plate, sprinkle with pepper and add more green onions, then serve hot with rice—very attractive.

1.5. Spotted scat braised with Cayratia trifolia fruit

Ingredients:

• 2 spotted scat fish
• 100g Cayratia trifolia fruit (trái giác)
• 1 bulb of garlic, 2-3 chilies
• 3 sprigs of green onion, a little white wine
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil, 3 tablespoons sugar
• 300ml filtered water, 2 teaspoons MSG
• 1/2 tablespoon salt, 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning powder

How to prepare spotted scat braised with Cayratia fruit:

• Clean the spotted scat of slime, remove entrails, wash with white wine or vinegar to deodorize then wash again and drain. Cut green onions into chunks, crush chilies and garlic. Wash the Cayratia fruit and discard damaged ones.
• Next, proceed to sauté the garlic with cooking oil, add sugar to melt into a light caramel color then add filtered water and fried garlic, boiling to create the braising liquid.
• Then add the fish to the pot, season with salt and MSG, when it boils again add the Cayratia fruit and braise over medium heat until the fish is tender and the sauce thickens. Season again with seasoning powder, sugar, and fish sauce to taste.
• Finally add green onions and chili, turn off the heat. You should serve hot with white rice, can dip vegetables with the braising sauce.

1.6. Grilled spotted scat with chili salt

Ingredients:

• 1 spotted scat fish (about 500g)
• 2 chilies, 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil, 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon caramel sauce
• 1/3 teaspoon salt

How to make:

• The purchased spotted scat needs to be cleaned, rubbing salt on the body to deodorize. Then wash again and make light cuts on the fish body for seasonings to penetrate easily. Mince the garlic and chili.
• Then mix garlic and chili with cooking oil, caramel sauce, salt, seasoning powder, and honey, brush the mixture evenly on the fish, and marinate for about 15 minutes.
• Next, grill the fish in an air fryer at 180°C for 10 minutes, flip the fish then increase to 200°C and grill for another 15 minutes until the fish is golden brown and fragrant.
• Finally, arrange the fish on a plate, serve hot, and can be eaten with raw vegetables to enhance the flavor.

See more: What is good to cook with scad fish? Suggested standard flavored recipes, easy to make

1.7. Spotted scat cooked with pickled mustard greens

Required ingredients:

• 1kg spotted scat
• 2 bunches of pickled mustard greens
• Green onions, chili, 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil, 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons MSG, 2 cups water

Instructions for cooking spotted scat with pickled mustard greens:

• First, clean the spotted scat entrails, rub with salt then wash again and drain. Separate the mustard leaves, soak in diluted salt water for 20 minutes to reduce saltiness and sourness, then wash again, squeeze dry, and cut into chunks.
• Next, sauté the garlic with cooking oil and lightly stir-fry the fish. Add water and season with salt and MSG, then cook until the fish is done and remove it.
• Put the pickled greens in to cook over medium heat until soft, add sugar for a balanced taste. Then put the fish back in and cook over low heat to absorb flavor.
• Finally, add green onions and chili, then turn off the heat. To fully experience the flavor, you should serve hot with rice and chili fish sauce.

1.8. Spotted scat braised with tomato

Ingredients:

• 1 spotted scat fish
• 1-2 tomatoes
• Minced garlic, fish sauce, sugar, pepper, green onions

How to make:

• Wash the tomatoes and dice them. Clean the spotted scat entrails and scales, then rub with salt to deodorize, wash again, and drain.
• Next, sauté minced garlic with a little oil until golden and fragrant, add tomatoes and stir-fry until soft, season with fish sauce and sugar, add water and boil.
• Then, put the fish in the pot, boil again then flip the fish and re-season to taste. Braise over low heat so the fish absorbs evenly, sprinkle with pepper and green onions before turning off the heat.

See more: What is good to cook with flounder? List of 10 flavorful dishes from flounder

1.9. Spotted scat cooked with fermented rice

Ingredients:

• 700-800g spotted scat
• 2 chilies, 2 tomatoes
• 3-4 tablespoons fermented rice (mẻ), 2-3 chilies
• 2 shallots, 3 cloves of garlic
• 100g pickled greens (optional)
• Green onions, cilantro
• Fish sauce, sugar, salt, MSG, cooking oil

How to make:

• Clean the spotted scat, remove entrails, wash thoroughly with water, can rub lightly with salt to remove the fishy smell. Make several diagonal cuts on the body so the fish absorbs flavor evenly when cooking.
• Wash tomatoes and cut into wedges, peel and mince shallots and garlic. Wash green onions and cilantro, then cut into chunks. If using pickled greens, rinse with water, squeeze dry, and cut into bite-sized pieces; mince the chili.
• Sauté shallots and garlic with cooking oil, add tomatoes and stir-fry until soft. Continue adding fermented rice, a little sugar, and filtered water, then stir well so the fermented rice dissolves and blends with the water. Season with more salt and fish sauce to taste, boil over medium heat.
• When the broth boils, drop the fish into the pot, simmer on low heat so the fish cooks slowly and absorbs flavors. If eating pickled greens, add them to the pot at this time to cook together. Then season again to taste, avoiding over-salting as fermented rice already has a distinct sour taste.
• When the fish is tender and the liquid is slightly thickened, add green onions, cilantro, and chili, stir gently, and turn off the heat. Ladle the dish into a bowl and serve hot with white rice.

1.10. Spotted scat braised with tamarind

Ingredients:

• 400g spotted scat
• 3-4 sour tamarinds
• 4 cloves of garlic, 5 chilies
• ½ lemon, a few sprigs of green onion
• 1.5 tablespoons caramel sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/3 teaspoon MSG, 1/3 tablespoon ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon seasoning powder, 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar

How to make simple spotted scat braised with tamarind:

• Clean the spotted scat fins, gills, remove entrails, wash with salt and lemon to deodorize, then rinse with clean water and drain. Next, use a knife to make a few cuts on the body. Cut off the stems of the sour tamarinds, mince the garlic, chop green onions into chunks, and chop the chilies.
• Then marinate the fish with salt, MSG, seasoning powder, sugar, fish sauce, caramel sauce, and pepper, mix well, and leave for about 20 minutes.
• Sauté minced garlic with cooking oil, add green onions and fish to braise together, then add filtered water and sour tamarind. Continue braising on medium heat until the fish is tender and the sauce is thickened and rich.
• Finally, place the fish on a plate to enjoy. This dish has a very eye-catching brown color along with a harmonious sweet and sour flavor.

1.11. Spotted scat “nấu ngót” (Sweet and sour soup)

Ingredients:

• 3 spotted scat fish
• 3 tomatoes, 3 green onion stalks
• 1 bunch of celery
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil, 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon MSG

How to make spotted scat soup:

• Clean the spotted scat by scraping scales, removing entrails then washing thoroughly with water. You can rub with salt and blanch briefly in hot water to remove slime before scraping the skin clean. Wash green onions and celery, cut into bite-sized pieces. Wash tomatoes and cut into wedges.
• Then place a pot on the stove, sauté minced garlic with oil then add filtered water and boil. Add fish and tomatoes to cook over medium heat, season with fish sauce, sugar, salt, and MSG, stirring gently.
• When the fish and tomatoes are just cooked, continue adding green onions and celery then stir well and turn off the heat. The soup has the natural sweetness of fish, a light sourness of tomatoes, and the aroma of vegetables.

>> Reference: What is good to cook with bighead carp? Top 10 simple and delicious cooking recipes

1.12. Crispy fried spotted scat

Required ingredients to prepare:

• 700g spotted scat
• Cooking oil, salt

How to make:

• After buying spotted scat, you need to clean the entrails, scrape the scales then wash with vinegar and salt, and drain. Then lightly toss a little salt on the fish so it doesn’t splatter oil when frying.
• Next, place a pan on the stove and heat the oil, fry the fish until golden and crispy on all sides. Finally, put the fish on a plate and serve hot with garlic chili fish sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.

1.13. Spotted scat fried with lemongrass chili salt

Ingredients:

• 700g spotted scat
• 4 stalks of lemongrass, 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 4 fresh chilies
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil, 1 teaspoon salt
• Ground pepper, sugar

Instructions for spotted scat fried with lemongrass chili salt:

• Clean the spotted scat, remove entrails, scrape off slime and wash thoroughly with water. Then use a knife to make several diagonal cuts on the body so the fish absorbs seasoning more evenly when fried.
• Wash lemongrass, mince or crush it. Mince the chili, peel and mince the garlic. Mix lemongrass, garlic, chili with salt, pepper and a little sugar if desired, creating a fragrant spice mixture.
• Then brush the lemongrass chili salt mixture evenly on both sides of the fish, marinating for at least 15-20 minutes to let the spices penetrate deeply.
• Next, heat cooking oil in a pan then add the fish to fry on medium heat, frying evenly on both sides until the fish is golden crispy and the meat is cooked through inside. During the frying process, you can sprinkle a little more of the remaining lemongrass garlic chili mixture to enhance flavor.
• Finally, place the fish on a plate, garnish with a little minced lemongrass and sliced fresh chili for an attractive look. The spotted scat fried with lemongrass chili salt is served hot, eaten with white rice or raw vegetables, it will be very delicious, rich in flavor and spicy.

1.14 Spotted scat sour soup

Ingredients:

• 500g spotted scat
• ¼ pineapple, 2 shallots
• 2 chilies, 3 cloves of garlic
• 2-3 tomatoes, sour tamarind or pickled greens
• Green onions, rice paddy herb, sawtooth coriander
• Fish sauce, salt, sugar, MSG, cooking oil

Instructions for cooking spotted scat sour soup:

• Wash pickled greens or sour tamarind and squeeze dry. Peel shallots and garlic then mince. Wash green onions and herbs, cut into chunks, and mince the chili.
• Clean the spotted scat by removing entrails, scraping slime and washing thoroughly with water. Then use a knife to make several diagonal cuts on the body. Cut tomatoes into wedges, and peel the pineapple, slicing into bite-sized pieces.
• Sauté shallots and garlic with cooking oil, add tomatoes and pineapple for a light stir-fry. Add a little sugar to soften them and create a natural sweetness. Continue adding filtered water to the pot and boil. If using tamarind or pickled greens, add them now to create the characteristic sour taste.
• When the water boils, drop the fish in, lower to medium heat then season with fish sauce, salt, sugar, and MSG to taste. After about 5-7 minutes when the fish is cooked through, skim off the foam.
• Finally, add green onions, rice paddy herb and sawtooth coriander, stir gently and turn off the heat. Ladle the soup into a bowl, sprinkle with a little sliced chili if you like it spicy. Spotted scat sour soup is refreshing, with sweet tender fish meat, rich broth, and fragrant herbs, making it perfect with hot rice or vermicelli.

>> List of similar delicious dishes:

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If you enjoy the natural sweetness of fresh fish, don’t forget that whole dried squid also offers a wonderful and concentrated umami flavor. You can find high-quality products at the Ola Squid store to prepare delicious meals for your loved ones.

2. Benefits of eating spotted scat

Spotted scat is a highly nutritious food, providing plenty of protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and essential minerals for the body. Especially, spotted scat contains many Omega-3 fatty acids, which help improve cardiovascular function, stabilize blood pressure, strengthen the immune system, and support brain activity.

Additionally, spotted scat supplements important minerals like iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and iodine, helping the body develop healthily and protecting overall health. Thanks to its low levels of saturated fat and cholesterol, spotted scat is a recommended food for a healthy diet.

3. Tips for choosing good spotted scat

When buying spotted scat, you should prioritize those that are still alive or newly caught to ensure freshness and the natural sweet taste of the meat. Fresh fish usually swim actively, have clear eyes, red-pink gills, smooth shiny skin, and no scratches. If the fish has been cleaned, you can press lightly on the body; seeing firm, elastic meat is a sign of good fish. Avoid choosing those with mushy or overly hard meat. Besides, to ensure quality, you should buy fish at reputable seafood markets, traditional markets, or large supermarkets.

After exploring the attractive suggestions above, it surely has helped you no longer worry about the question “what is good to cook with spotted scat”. Wishing you success in preparing these dishes, and to discover more unique cooking recipes or useful culinary knowledge, visit Ola Squid’s Culinary Corner right away!