Crispy fried fish with ginger and fermented soybeans (trey chien chuon)

1. Fry the ginger in plenty of oil until golden and slightly crisp, then lift it out and set aside.
2. Cut the fish into strips and dredge them in a very thin layer of tempura flour. Fry in the same oil until golden brown and crisp.
3. Crush and finely chop the garlic, and chop the spring onion.
4. Drain the fermented soybeans in a colander, rinsing them first if they came in a salty brine.
5. Add a tablespoon of oil to a deep pan and cook the garlic until just golden, then tip in the soybeans and stir-fry for a few minutes. If they taste very salty, add a quarter to half a tablespoon of sugar to balance them.
6. Pour in the water and cook for a minute.
7. Right before serving, fold in the fried ginger, spring onion and crisp fish. Serve with steamed rice.

Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen

• Fry the ginger first, on its own, until it turns golden and crisp. That aromatic crunch is half the point.
• Keep the flour coating thin. You want a light shell on the fish, not a thick batter.
• Fermented soybeans vary a lot in saltiness, so taste them first. If they're fierce, rinse them and lean on a little sugar to even things out.
• Combine the crisp bits only at the very end so nothing turns soggy.