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Friday, May 24, 2013

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp)

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 1

I love when squash blossoms are in season. I meant to update the photos for my recipe for Bong Bi Nhoi Tom Chien (Vietnamese Shrimp-Stuffed Deep-fried Squash Blossoms) when I decided to tweak it a little bit instead.

I added minced fish to make it a little healthier, and added chopped cilantro for a bit of freshness. Otherwise, the recipe is pretty similar to what I originally made long ago, fresh squash blossoms stuffed with shrimp, lightly dusted in rice flour, and fried crispy.

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 2

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp)

For about 18 appetizers, you'll need:
18 squash blossoms
About a dozen shrimp, peeled, deveined and minced
Small fillet, about 4 oz of white fish such as tilapia, sole, or catfish
A few sprigs cilantro, minced
1/2 tsp Nuoc Mam (Vietnamese Fish Sauce)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup rice or wheat flour
Oil for deep-frying

I buy individual packets of frozen fish from Albertson's for $1 or even less from the Asian grocery store. They make great meals in a jiffy, but also for dishes such as this when I only need about 4 ounces of fish.

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 3

After peeling and deveining the shrimp, chop the shrimp and fish.

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 4

Then mash the fish and shrimp together and chop again.

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 5

Angle the knife 90 degrees and do another quick chop across the mixture.

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 6

By this time, the fish and shrimp should be pretty small minced. Fold over with your knife, and chop it once more.

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 7

That should be enough to give you a rough small mince.

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 8

Add some chopped cilantro, 1/2 tsp fish sauce, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp sugar, and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper. Mix thoroughly and set aside in the refrigerator to firm up a bit.

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 9

Meanwhile, wash and rinse the squash blossoms. I bought a small bag of squash blossoms from the Farmers' Market - Alhambra for $1.

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 10

You'll want to remove the stamens from the center of each blossom.

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 11

Once the squash blossoms are all rinsed and stamens removed, remove the shrimp and fish mixture from the refrigerator. Prepare the oil for deep-frying. I prefer to fry on medium-high heat, but that might vary with your cooktop.

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 12

I find it easiest to use chopsticks to get the mixture deep into each blossom.

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 13

Once the squash blossoms are all stuffed, beat an egg with 1 tblsp of water in a bowl. Drop the stuffed squash blossom in the egg mixture.

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 14

Then roll it in rice flour. Shake off excess flour.

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 15

Deep-fry until the outside turns golden.

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 16

Drain.

Plate and serve.

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 17

A close-up of the inside of each squash blossom.

Bong Bi Nhoi Ca Tom Chien (Vietnamese Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fish and Shrimp) 18

They taste almost like a dumpling with a light, crispy outside and juicy inside.

Drizzle Sriracha chili sauce on top, but you can also eat them plain or dipped in sweetened Nuoc Mam Cham (Vietnamese Fish Dipping Sauce).

Enjoy!

My squash blossoms recipes:
Bong Bi Nhoi Tom Chien (Vietnamese Shrimp-Stuffed Deep-fried Squash Blossoms)
Crostinis with Arugula Pesto, Bruschetta al Pomodoro, and Squash Blossom Ricotta
Deep-fried Squash Blossoms
Deep-fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Basil and Cottage Cheese
Ravioli with Basil, Squash Blossoms, and Ricotta
Sauteed Squash Blossoms
Squash Blossom Omelet
Squash Blossom and Prosciutto Pizza
Squash Blossom Quesadilla

*****
1 year ago today,
2 years ago today,
3 years ago today, Pink Night-Blooming Cereuses, Amaryllis, and Tomatoes
4 years ago today, a homemade edible arrangement at a Memorial Day barbecue.
5 years ago today, Tacos al Pastor (Mexican Sheperd-style Tacos).
6 years ago today, the first appearance of geraniums in flowerpots.

5 comments:

  1. What a lovely recipe! I like that you use fish and shrimp for the filling. I usually see this stuffed with cheese (at the Mexican restaurants), so this is a nice alternative. The rice flour coating is light too. I will have to try making this while squash blossoms are still available. Thank you for sharing this! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. This looks so good and You explain it so well .

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gorgeous! Looks delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks yummie! I cannot find squash blossoms. What are the easy substitutes ?
    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  5. CC,
    Yeah, stuffed with cheese is more what I find in Mexican or Italian versions of squash blossoms. But more likely I find squash blossoms used as a filling for tacos and quesadillas in Mexican restaurants. I like those too. I try to blog when I'm cooking seasonally in case people want to try making the recipe right then too. Doesn't always happen since my blogging is so behind, but I try!

    Eufemia,
    Thanks!

    Nikki,
    Thanks!

    Pepsi,
    Umm, there aren't? Squash blossoms are squash blossoms. If you like the filling, you could use them in dumplings, but the particular texture and flavor of squash blossoms are pretty unique.

    ReplyDelete

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