Salt-and-Pepper Cod with Turmeric Noodles

When I visited Hanoi, I only scratched the surface of all the foods I wanted to try. Chả cá lã vọng was high on my list. Its flavors sounded so similar to ones used in Iran—fish with turmeric and dill—that I wondered how different the Vietnamese dish would taste. At one famous restaurant, this dish is all they serve. I sat down in a dark mahogany chair from where I could see the chefs at work, searing white fish on a tiered metal skillet, adding spices, and finishing it off with scallion greens and dill. But what took it to another place was the nuoc cham, rice noodles, so many herbs, fresh chiles, and ice-cold beer that went with it. My mind was blown. This is a slight riff on that dish. I still cook the cod with ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper, and the noodles still get flavored with the turmeric (but bloomed in butter). The ginger and ground pepper almost make a crust, so you will cook the first side hard to get it to caramelize.

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Step 1

In a medium bowl, combine the chile, crushed garlic, water, fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. (The garlic is only meant to flavor the sauce, so don’t let anybody bite into it when you serve.) Taste the sauce—this is your nuoc cham; it should hit on multiple senses. Set aside.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons of the neutral oil, the ginger, pepper, and grated garlic. Slice the cod into about 2-inch pieces, then add to the bowl and season with salt. Using a spoon, toss until each piece is evenly coated. Set aside.

Step 3

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Turn off the heat and drop in the noodles. Give them a stir every minute or so until they’ve become soft and silky, 4 to 5 minutes but follow the times on the package. Drain and set the noodles aside on a plate. I typically give the noodles a few snips with a pair of shears to tame their wild strands and make them easier to eat. Hold on to the pot for later.

Step 4

Set a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon neutral oil, and, when the oil is hot, lay the pieces of cod in the pan and fry the fish until lightly golden underneath, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fish and then scatter the scallions and dill over and watch them sizzle and wilt rapidly. Don’t stir, so that the fish doesn’t fall apart, can brown underneath, and cooks through, another 2 minutes.

Step 5

In the reserved medium pot over medium heat, melt the butter and then add the turmeric. Once the turmeric begins to sizzle, add the drained noodles and toss with tongs until each strand is stained gold and warmed through, about 1 minute.

Step 6

Set everything out on separate serving plates if you’re going family style. Alternatively, divide the noodles among bowls and spoon some fish into each bowl. Tear some of the herbs into pieces and sprinkle over the fish. Spoon the nuoc cham over the fish. Squeeze lime juice over the top. Eat a fistful of herbs between each bite.