When you first step foot into a Cambodian market, the first thing you’ll notice is the smell. Within that complex and fertile aroma, there is always the warm earthy scent of dried salted fish. In the markets, the dried fish is completely inescapable, and in Cambodian food, even more so. While most dishes use it sparingly, this simple omelette recipe is a great way to show that you have bought salted sun-dried fish (trey ngiet) and you’re not afraid to use it brazenly. You can even omit the pork and increase the fish content for a halal/kosher variant.
What you’ll need
3 chicken eggs (porng moan)
60gms of trey ngiet (or trey prama, a slightly better grade of semi-fermented, semi-dried fish)
100gms of boneless pork meat (sach chrouk sot)
Method:
Mince the pork and finely chop the dried fish. Beat the eggs. Fry the pork with the dried fish. Once the pork is cooked, pour the egg mix over the top. Fry to your heart’s content and flip into omelette-shape. Serve with a few slices of cucumber and green tomato.
I have tried salted fish with stir-fried bean sprouts and some curries and soup, but never with eggs…interesting recipe.
aH, Phil, I love those pork omelettes, you get some really good ones on the North East corner of Olympic Market – I used to live around there and they were seriously addictive to a lazy bachelor.
I haven’t seen this type of dried fish at any of the Asian stores here. Would you happen to have any other suggestions?