Vietnamese Fish Rice Paper Rolls with Branzino (Shortcut Ca Nuong)

I’m usually pretty good with mindful eating. I slow down, enjoy my food, and can tell when I’ve had enough.

But put a platter of fish, herbs, noodles, and rice paper in front of me, and suddenly I’m making just one more goi cuon.

There’s still a little fish left. A few cucumber sticks. And obviously I can’t leave those peanuts behind. Somehow, there’s always a reason for another roll.

This is one of those meals I love just as much for the eating as the cooking. You put everything on the table, everyone makes their own rolls, and dinner gets to last a little longer.

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All the flavor without the labor

I love Vietnamese roasted fish served with scallion oil, peanuts, and a platter of fresh herbs for wrapping in rice paper. But cooking a whole fish isn’t always what I feel like doing on a weeknight.

For this shortcut version, I use Trader Joe’s branzino fillets and pan-sear them with just a pinch of salt and pepper. They’re delicate, so they don’t need much.

Once the skin is crisp, I spoon on scallion oil and add crushed roasted peanuts. Fried shallots are optional, but if you have a jar sitting in the pantry, this is a good time to use it.

This is my shortcut ca nuong for weeknights, inspired by ca nuong cuon banh trang. I still get the scallion oil, peanuts, fresh herbs, and nuoc cham I love, with a lot less cooking involved.

What I serve with the fish

Salt and pepper are enough for the fish here. I want scallion oil and peanuts in every roll, along with plenty of herbs and a good dip in nuoc cham.

I serve mine with lettuce, cucumber, cilantro, mint, and vermicelli. Pickled carrots or daikon are optional. I like the extra tang and crunch, but you don’t need to make a batch just to make this dinner. The dipping sauce already brings some acidity.

I used Flying Horse 16 cm rice paper here. The small sheets make snack-sized rolls, which probably explains why I keep going back for another.

My easy nuoc cham ratio

For this recipe, the base is 2 parts water : 1 part fish sauce : 1 part sugar. The lime juice or white vinegar goes in separately, so you can adjust the tang to your liking.

Start with 1 tablespoon of lime juice or 2 teaspoons of white vinegar. Taste before adding more. You can bring the lime juice up to 2 tablespoons if you like a tangier sauce; I start lower with white vinegar because it tastes sharper.

That ratio is a starting point. If your fish sauce makes the mixture stronger than you like, add a splash of water. The sauce should taste good to you before it goes on the table.

Shortcut Ca Nuong Recipe Card

Print Recipe

Pan-Seared Branzino Rice Paper Rolls

Author: phuongle19 Cooking Method: Stovetop Cuisine: Vietnamese Courses: Main

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time 10 mins Total Time 30 mins

Servings: 2

Fish

Servings

• 3 skin-on branzino fillets (thawed if frozen)
• salt (small pinch, for fish)
• black pepper (small pinch, for flesh side)
• 1-2 Tbsp neutral oil (for searing)

Scallion oil + toppings

• 4 green onions (thinly sliced)
• 3 tbsp neutral oil, for scallion oil
• salt (small pinch, for scallion oil)
• ¹⁄₄ cup roasted peanuts, crushed
• 2 tbsp fried shallots, optional

Nuoc cham

• ¹⁄₄ cup warm water
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice OR 2 tsp distilled white vinegar, plus more to taste
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 Thai chili (sliced, optional)

For serving

• 10-12 rice paper sheets
• 4 oz dried rice vermicelli
• 1 small cucumber (cut into sticks)
• 1 small head butter lettuce or green leaf lettuce (leaves separated)
• ¹⁄₂ cup cilantro sprigs
• ¹⁄₂ cup mint leaves
• ¹⁄₂ cup pickled carrots or daikon, optional

Instructions

1. Cook vermicelli according to the package. Rinse with cool water and drain well. Wash and dry the lettuce and herbs, then slice the cucumber.
2. Dissolve sugar in warm water. Stir in fish sauce and either lime juice or white vinegar, plus garlic and optional chili. Taste and adjust with a little more acid or water.
3. Heat 3 Tbsp neutral oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced green onions and a small pinch of salt. Stir for 15 to 30 seconds, until wilted but still bright green, then remove from heat.
4. Check the branzino for pin bones and pat very dry. Season both sides with just a small pinch of salt and the flesh side with a small pinch of pepper.
5. Heat 1 to 2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the fish skin-side down, pressing gently for the first 15 to 20 seconds. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes until the skin is crisp and the flesh is mostly opaque. Flip and cook 30 seconds to 2 minutes more, depending on thickness, until cooked through.
6. Transfer fish skin-side up. Spoon on scallion oil, then add crushed peanuts and optional fried shallots. Serve with vermicelli, rice paper, vegetables, herbs, and nuoc cham.
7. Briefly wet each rice paper sheet. Add lettuce, noodles, cucumber, herbs, optional pickles, and fish. Roll snugly and dip in nuoc cham.

A few things that help

– Dry the fish well. Especially the skin, so it can crisp in the pan.
– Keep the seasoning light. The toppings and dipping sauce bring plenty of flavor.
– Don’t overcrowd the skillet. Cook in batches if the fillets won’t fit comfortably.
– Don’t soak the rice paper until it’s completely soft. A quick dip is enough; it keeps softening on the plate.
– Keep the fillings manageable. It’s tempting to squeeze everything into one roll, but a little room makes rolling easier.

I like putting the whole platter in the middle of the table and letting everyone take it from there. Some rolls have more herbs, some have more noodles, and mine usually need a few extra peanuts.

And then I start looking at what’s left for just one more.

If you want another shortcut Vietnamese dinner, try my weeknight bun bo hue with thinly sliced ribeye.