作法
- 魚塊以 1 小匙薑黃粉與 1 小匙鹽抹勻，靜置 15 分鐘——能讓魚肉緊實並去腥。
- 泡好的芥末籽瀝乾，與綠辣椒、半小匙鹽和少許水打成濃稠滑順的醬。醬色應深黃發亮、辛嗆刺鼻。喜歡的話可過篩去除外殼。
- 寬底厚鍋熱芥末油至剛冒煙——除去生嗆味。魚塊下鍋每面煎 30 秒後盛出。
- 轉中火，下黑種草籽爆香 15 秒。
- 倒入芥末醬、第二小匙薑黃粉、喀什米爾紅椒粉與半小匙鹽，拌炒 60 秒——醬要釋香但不可焦苦（芥末很容易燒焦）。
- 加水、綠辣椒與糖，小火煮滾。把煎好的魚輕輕放回醬裡，蓋鍋燉 8 分鐘——魚剛熟即可，醬汁濃稠呈深黃，表面浮著芥末油。西鯡魚不能久煮，肉質細嫩。立即配白飯享用；西鯡魚多刺，孟加拉人對骨頭分布瞭若指掌。
Common questions
Can 芥末黃魚 be made ahead?
芥末黃魚 is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 20 minutes.
Is 芥末黃魚 spicy?
芥末黃魚 as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is 芥末黃魚 vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is 芥末黃魚 to make at home?
芥末黃魚 sits at intermediate difficulty — total time about 40 minutes. The ingredients are not unusual but the timing requires attention.
Can 芥末黃魚 be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 4 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
文化背景
西鯡魚（ilish）是孟加拉魚類之王——銀亮、油脂豐厚、可在淡鹹水間洄游，孟加拉人與西孟加拉人都將牠視為文化象徵。芥末黃魚是定義整個菜系的料理；在達卡魚飯店點上一份，是對國家身份的確認。芥末醬一定要當天現做——市售瓶裝芥末醬會氧化發苦。常見於孟加拉新年（Pohela Boishakh）、雨季（西鯡魚溯帕德瑪河洄游時）以及週日家宴。帕德瑪河出產的西鯡魚被認為是世界第一。
