Crispy-Skin Salmon Teriyaki

One of the best cooking tips that I picked up from watching Take Home Chef was that when cooking salmon, you should always start with a cold pan, and never hot. That will give you perfectly crispy salmon skin. I tried this method and it totally worked! Crispy skin everytime, which is the main reason why we love to eat salmon, especially with sweet, salty and sticky teriyaki sauce. I usually make extra sauce and store it in the fridge, which comes in handy not only for grilled meats/seafood, but also for quick stir-fries, noodles or as a tasty drizzling sauce. Served with rice and some steamed vegetables, teriyaki salmon is a sure fire hit with the kids (and adults too)! We especially love the sauce on our rice!


Crispy-Skin Salmon Teriyaki

Ingredients

2 x 200g (7oz) salmon fillets, skin-on (preferably a thick and long rectangular piece)
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Teriyaki Sauce:
5 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
5 tbsp sake
5 tbsp mirin
1/4 tsp dashi stock powder (dashinomoto)
1 1/2 tbsp sugar

Method

Prepare the sauce by combining all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat until the sauce is reduced by almost half and starts to turn syrupy. Transfer to a small bowl. It will thicken slightly upon cooling.

Wash the salmon, then pat dry. Rub a litle salt all over the skin. Place a non-stick frying pan on the stove and add the oil to the pan.  Place the salmon fillets skin side down into the cold pan, and then turn on the heat to medium-high. Cook the salmon for about 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the salmon) until the bottom half of the salmon turns pink and cooked. Check the skin to ensure it has crisped evenly, slightly browned or charred. If not, turn up the heat to high. Once the skin is firm and crisp, brush some teriyaki sauce over the top and sides of the fillets, and flip the salmon over to cook the other side. It should cook fairly quickly in about a minute, depending on whether you like it medium or well done. Turn the heat down to medium if it's too hot. Take care not to overcook the salmon. If the teriyaki glaze on the salmon starts to burn in the pan, add a splash of water to the pan. When it's cooked to your liking, transfer the salmon to a serving plate and drizzle the extra teriyaki sauce over. Serve immediately with hot white rice and steamed vegetables.

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Ebi Fry Curry Don (Fried Shrimp with Curry on Rice)

I posted a recipe for Ebi Fry back in February last year (has it been that long??) and I mentioned something about serving the shrimp (or prawn, depending on which country you're from) with thick Japanese curry. Well, it sort of slipped my mind because I was busy trying out other recipes at the time. One year and a bit later, here's the post, and it's still one of my favourite comfort foods, especially now that we're in the middle of winter (Down Under). Crispy and golden panko-crumbed prawns, coated in a thick curry sauce and served with rice, how can anyone resist?

Ebi Fry Curry Don
Serves 4

You will need:
12 large Ebi Fry (fried shrimp) - click here for recipe
4 serves of cooked short-grained rice
4 serves of Japanese curry (see below for recipe)

Japanese curry recipe

I used S&B Golden Curry mix and added chicken, carrots and potatoes. I also added a little honey for a hint of sweetness.

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil or butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
700g chicken thigh fillets, cubed
1/2 grated apple (optional)
3 cups water
2 medium potatoes, cut into 1.5 inch cubes
1 large carrot, cut into chunks
120g S&B Golden Curry mix (4 cubes of curry roux)
1 tbsp honey

Method

Heat up oil/butter in a medium pot and fry the onions until soft. Add the chicken and fry for 3 minutes. Add apple if used. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 40 minutes until cooked. Add carrots and potatoes and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until potatoes are just tender. Stir in the curry mix until dissolved, and bring the gravy to a simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Stir in the honey. Turn off heat and keep warm until ready to serve.

Assembly:

Dish out rice onto 4 serving plates. Place 3 pieces of Ebi Fry on each plate and ladle some of the hot curry over the rice. Enjoy immediately!

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Ebi Fry (Fried Shrimp)

 

I honestly think that Australia might have the highest consumption of laksa per capita compared to other countries. There's probably more laksa varieties in Sydney than there is in Singapore, and IMHO, they taste better too. But let's not go there. What fascinates me is that many Australians have come to embrace Asian food as part of their regular dining and grocery options. Take panko crumbs for example. The word panko doesn't sound the least like it's something edible, though it is an ingredient that is commonly available and used here. Why go for regular breadcrumbs when you can have super light and crunchy panko?



Don't these crunchy crumbed deep-fried prawns look lovely? That's the beauty of panko crumbs. Looks good, tastes great and sounds earth-shattering (okay, maybe that's a little too much). They are quite simple and easy to prepare, though I won't lie - I took a while to peel, devein and prep the prawns. But it's all worth it in the end, and I even saved some leftovers and popped them into the air-fryer the next day. My favourite way of serving these are with rice topped with a generous helping of thick Japanese curry. I will show you those in my next post. For now, have a go at making these Japanese fried shrimp (Ebi Fry) and serve them with tartare sauce or mayonnaise if you like. You can also use them as a topping for sushi, or in a sandwich. An Ebi Fry on a hot bread roll sounds good too, perhaps with some coleslaw and tartare sauce? Read on to get the recipe.

Ebi Fry (Fried Shrimp) Recipe
Adapted from Just One Cookbook

Ingredients

500g (1 lb) large whole prawns (about 15)

Salt and black pepper

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs + 2 tbsp water

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Oil for deep frying

Tartare sauce and lemon wedge, to serve (optional)

 

Method

 

1. Rinse the prawns, remove the heads, and shell the prawns, leaving the tail intact. Devein the prawn. Rinse the prawns again and pat dry with paper towel. Using a pair of scissors, snip off part of the sharp end of the tail. Place the prawn on a chopping board, belly-side up. Use a sharp knife to make 3 diagonal scores on the belly where it's closer to the tail. Don't score the fat part close to the head so that it retains its shape. Turn the prawn over onto its belly and lightly press down on to flatten.  You should be able to feel it "crack" under pressure. Repeat this with the rest of the prawns.
2. Season the prawns with salt and pepper.
3. Prepare three small dishes. Place flour in one, panko in another, and in the third, beat the eggs lightly with 1 tbsp water.
4. Dredge the prawns in the flour, followed by egg. Shake off excess, then dredge in flour again, followed by egg, and lastly coat in panko. Set aside on a plate and repeat with the other prawns.
5. In a pan/wok, heat sufficient oil (about 2 inches or enough to cover the prawns). Deep fry the prawns in batches for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Serve with lemon wedges and tartare sauce if desired.

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Malaysian Fish Head Curry

This is a Malaysian-Chinese style fish head curry, as opposed to the Indian-style which uses fish curry powder, curry leaves, fenugreek and mustard seeds. I think most commercial fish curry powders are meant for Indian style curries, and so I made my own from scratch using ground coriander, chilli and turmeric. After three attempts, I was happy with how this final one turned out. Cod fish head was fantastic, although snapper head works perfectly well too. Some of you may cringe at the thought of having a fish head served at the dining table. If that's the case, you can always substitute with fish tail or fish cutlets. I love having lots of okra, eggplant and tofu puffs in my curry, making it pretty much a one pot wonder. Find the recipe after the jump.

Some handy tips before you start cooking this.

1. Ask your fishmonger to scale your fish head properly. Trust me, it's not pleasant having fish scales in the curry while you're eating.
2. Don't overcook the okra. 10-15 minutes is fine.
3. Don't let the coconut boil in the curry for too long, otherwise it will start to split.
4. Don't overcook the fish either.
5. Cook plenty of white rice as you will need it.
6. And finally, the fish cheek is the best part, so get to it first before anyone else does, but politely offer it to others before you land it on your plate.

Fish Head Curry Recipe

Ingredients

1 kg fish head (snapper or cod), cleaned and scaled
4 tbsp oil
2 stalks lemongrass, lightly bruised 
3-4 cups water
1 1/4 cup (300ml) coconut milk (I used Kara canned coconut milk)
10 tofu puffs (Soya King brand)
2-3 tomatoes, quartered
10 okra (or add eggplant if desired)
Coriander leaves for garnish

Blend finely:
120g (4oz) shallots
4 cloves garlic
1 inch galangal
1 inch ginger
2 candlenuts
1/2 tbsp toasted belacan
3 tbsp chilli paste (dried chillies that have been soaked until softened, and finely blended)

Curry powder (mixed with 4 tbsp water to form a paste):
2 tbsp ground coriander
2 tbsp chilli powder
1/2 tbsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Seasoning:
2 tsp chicken/ikan bilis stock powder
1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1-2 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
Salt to taste

Method

1. Rub some salt over the fish head and set aside for 1/2 hour before rinsing it off. Ensure there is no blood left on the fish as it may cause bitterness in the curry.
2. In the meantime, heat up 4 tbsp oil in a large pan/pot. Fry the blended ingredients (shallots, garlic etc) for 3-5 minutes. Then add curry powder mixture continue frying for 2 minutes until the chilli oil starts to release into the pan. Add the lemongrass.
3. Add water, cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1/2 hour. Then add seasoning and coconut milk. Once it starts to simmer, quickly add the tofu puffs and okra. Simmer for 5 minutes before adding tomatoes and the fish. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the fish is cooked. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 3 minutes so that the oil rises to the top. Dish out
4. immediately, garnish with coriander and serve hot with steamed white rice.

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Salted Egg Yolk Crispy Squid

 

I had the pleasure of dining at one of Sydney's most popular Roti Canai establishments on Friday. Mamak specialises in Malaysian cuisine, in particular its famed roti canai, which are freshly made on the spot and served on a silver-coloured platter with two curries. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that it was my "inaugural" visit to Mamak, since almost everyone I know has been there at least once. I didn't set any expectations for this place, and was pleasantly surprised by how authentic (both in flavour and heat from the chillies) the food was. One dish I just had to try was the Sambal Sotong - stir-fried brown cuttlefish in fiery (indeed!) sambal sauce. I grew up enjoying nasi lemak, lontong and roti canai served with sambal sotong and it's one of my favourite Malaysian dishes! Typically, it uses dried brown cuttlefish which is soaked in alkaline water to rehydrate, tenderise and give it a springy texture when cooked.

 

In Malaysia, we use the term "sotong" loosely, regardless of whether they are cuttlefish, squid or calamari. In a different context, namely Singlish, "sotong" can also refer to a person who is "blur like sotong". Anyway, I picked up a book from the library today - Sydney Seafood School Cookbook - and learnt a new word: Cephalopods. It comes from the Greek word, meaning "head-feet", which sums up the appearance of squid, cuttlefish and octopuses. Squids have long cylindrical heads and a thin, translucent feather-shaped internal shell, called a quill. Cuttlefish is similar to squid, but have a broader, thicker head, shorter arms and a thick, calcified internal shell. Octopuses are different in that they have round heads instead of cylindrical, and lack the two longer tentacles, side fins and internal shells that the other two species have. Calamari (flashbacks of Kellie Pickler in her Southern drawl) is just the Italian word for squid, though it also refers to another species of squid.



 

So, I wanted to make these crispy deep-fried squid tossed in salted duck's egg yolk and curry leaves. During my recent trip to Malaysia, I tried these at a local restaurant and it was absolutely heavenly! The smells were so amazing, I could have sworn I was on a high for a while. Back in Sydney, I searched high and low for squid that was just the right size, in order to replicate this at home. Most of the seafood shops sell large squids and octopuses. I finally found frozen ones from the Asian supermarket which were the perfect size! Surprisingly, they turned out tender and crispy after deep-frying. The salted egg yolk sauce, which lightly coats the squid, was fabulously melt-on-your-tongue and leaves a lingering umami taste that is totally addictive. Mmm....craving satisfied. Mission complete.

Salted Egg Yolk Squid

Ingredients

300g squid, cleaned and cut into bite-sized segments
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Marinade:
1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Batter (combine in a bowl to form a smooth paste):
2 tbsp self-raising flour
3 tbsp water
1 tsp oil

Flour coating (mix together in a bowl):
4 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp potato starch (or substitute with corn flour)
1 tbsp rice flour
1 tsp curry powder (optional)
1/4 tsp salt

Sauce:
Yolks from 3 salted duck's eggs*, steamed for 5 minutes and mashed with a fork
1/2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3-4 bird's eye chillies, thinly sliced
2 sprigs curry leaves
1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
Salt, sugar and pepper to taste
1 tbsp milk (optional)

* You can find salted (preserved) duck's eggs from major Asian supermarkets. They are made by soaking ducks' eggs in brine or packing them in damp, salted charcoal. The ones I bought were wrapped in plastic and vacuum packed. See picture below.

Method

Combine squid with marinade and mix well. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Heat up oil for deep-frying. Dip squid pieces in the batter, remove and toss it in the flour coating mixture until evenly coated all over. Deep-fry for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove and transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Set aside.

In a clean wok,  heat up oil and butter, then add garlic, chillies and curry leaves. Fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the mashed egg yolk and chicken stock powder, and swirl it around the wok with a ladle until it turns foamy. Add milk and bring to a boil. Season with salt, sugar and pepper.

Add the squid and briskly toss in the sauce until evenly coated. Dish out immediately and serve hot with steamed white rice.

 

 

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Oysters with Thai Lime and Ginger Dressing

 

My father-in-law used to tell us (over and over) that his record for eating oysters was forty in one sitting. Look out Adam Richman! You may have a contender here. I guess if it's a buffet and oysters are the most expensive item on the table, then of course you'd want to get your money's worth. I just remembered that my father used to think along the same lines. When I was a kid, we used to make short family trips to Singapore. He said that whenever we have one of those pricey buffet lunches at the hotels, he usually tries to eat more oysters because they were the most expensive item. The thing is, he didn't even like eating raw oysters, though I think he's grown to enjoy them a bit more over time.

As for me, I love oysters, whether they are crumbed and deep-fried, in an omelette, or just served natural. When we had guests over for our Wining and Thai-ning lunch party, I made a quick and simple Thai style dressing to go with the oysters. It turned out wonderful and paired well with the Prosecco we served. Serve these at your next lunch or dinner party, and don't forget the bubbly!

Oysters with Thai Lime and Ginger Dressing

Ingredients

1 dozen fresh oysters, in half shell
2 tbsp chopped scallions/shallots

Dressing:

2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp palm sugar (or to taste)
1/2 tbsp grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp chopped bird's eye chillies

Method

Combine ingredients to make the dressing.

Place the oysters on a serving plate. Drizzle over the dressing and sprinkle with the chopped scallions. Serve immediately with a glass of sparkling white wine.

 

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Salmon with Black Bean Sauce

 

 

Have you ever tried salmon with black bean sauce before? Honestly, I never knew salmon could be prepared this way until I found out from some friends that it is a common Chinese dish. I uusally cook salmon with either miso or teriyaki sauce, but with black beans? It actually turned out really good - sweet, salty, smoky (from the beans), with a hit of chilli in there. These flavours are just perfect with a bowl of steamed white rice, and it's all you really need for a satisfying meal. Of course, to make it complete, serve it with a plate of stir-fried asian greens like bok choy or snow pea sprouts.

I used fermented black beans that came in a jar, and not the dried ones that come in a packet. You should be able to find them at the Asian supermarket at the aisle where all the sauces and jars of pastes are. I've never tried the dried version before, so I'm not sure if they are any different. The flavours should be similar though. If salmon with black bean sauce is new to you too, why not try making this at home? It's pretty quick and easy, and most importantly, it's delicious served with white rice. I pan-fried the salmon, but you could easily steam of bake it in the oven for a healthier alternative.

 

Salmon with Black Bean Sauce

Ingredients

2x salmon fillets - about 450g / 1 lb
Salt
Vegetable oil

Sauce:
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 inch ginger, grated
2 tbsp fermented black beans, chopped
1-2 bird's eye chillies, chopped (optional)
1 tbsp chinese cooking wine
2-3 tsp sugar
Dash of pepper
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp Cheong Chan brand thick caramel
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup water

Cornflour solution:
1 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water

Garnish:
Chopped spring onions
Sliced red chillies

Method

1. Prepare the sauce first. Heat up a small frying pan with 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil. Add garlic, ginger, black beans and chillies. Fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
2. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, then add cornflour solution to thicken the sauce. Stir until it comes back to the boil. Turn off heat and keep warm.
3. Clean the salmon fillets and pat dry with paper towel. Rub a little salt over the fillets. Heat up vegetable oil in a clean non-stick pan and fry for about 3 minutes each side or until just cooked. Transfer onto a serving plate and pour the black bean sauce over it. Garnish with chopped spring onions and chillies if desired. Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice.

Note: For the salmon fillets, you can choose to steam or bake them instead. Place the fish in aluminium foil and top with the cooked black bean sauce. Wrap in the foil, then bake in preheated oven at 200C/400F for 12-15 minutes until just cooked.

 

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Penang Assam Laksa

It took me this long to finally attempt making Assam Laksa, and if mum says it's easy to prepare, she's quite right there. Just steam (or boil) the fish, add the blended ingredients to the stock and simmer before adding the flaked fish. Then serve with noodles and garnishing. Sounds easy doesn't it? In fact, I think I took more time preparing all the ingredients then the actual process of cooking it (man, those shallots sure took forever to peel, and they brought buckets of tears to my eyes).

In Sydney, mention laksa to anyone and his or her eyes will light up. But if you say "Assam Laksa", chances are you'll be met with a quizzical look. It's not a dish commonly found in Malaysian restaurants around Sydney, perhaps because it's an acquired taste for the local palate, with its sour and spicy tamarind-based fish gravy served with a dollop of black prawn paste (used in Chinese rojak). There is no coconut milk in it, and the flavours in the soup come from heaps of shallots, laksa leaves (or Vietnamese mint - see picture below), lemongrass, lots of chillies, turmeric and mackerel. Mackerel is an oily fish with strong flavours, and when added to the rich stock gives it a complex and intense flavour.

Notice the thick, round and white noodles used in this dish? That's what you have to use. Not vermicelli, not kuay teow, not egg noodles. And then, there are the garnishes (just as important as all the other ingredients I mentioned!): cucumber for  texture and its cooling properties; chillies for extra heat; mint for its sweet and fresh taste; red onions for sweetness and flavour; juicy pineapple pieces are refreshing; and most importantly, the Malaysian prawn paste ("petis udang") which gives this dish its authenticity.

I invited EL and KL to try out my assam laksa, and KL, being a Penangite, gave it a thumbs up (not literally though since he had a pair of chopsticks in one hand and a spoon in the other). That will do it for me. I've passed the taste-test with flying colours and I'm certainly going to make this again soon, perhaps for our next party? :-)

Assam Laksa
(Serves 6)

Ingredients

1kg (2 pounds) thick round laksa noodles (or substitute with thick round tapioca starch noodles)
1.2kg ( 2 1/2 pounds) mackerel, cleaned
2.5 litres (10 cups) water
1/2 tsp salt

14 stalks Vietnamese mint (a.k.a. polygonum or laksa leaves)
2-3 stalks lemongrass, white part only, smashed
4 pieces dried tamarind skin

4-6 tbsp dried tamarind, soaked in 1 cup hot water and strained (repeat a few times)
3 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
Salt
Pinch of Ajinomoto

Blended together finely:
20 cloves of shallots
6 cloves garlic
1 inch galangal
1 inch fresh turmeric (or 3/4 tsp ground turmeric)
6 candlenuts
6-8 (large) fresh long red chillies
5-8 dried (long) red chillies, seeded and soaked in warm water to soften (use more if the chillies are small)
4-5 bird's eye chillies (optional, for extra heat)
1 tbsp roasted belacan (shrimp paste)

Garnish:
4 red chillies, sliced
1/2 pineapple, diced
1 cucumber, shredded
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 torch ginger flower bud, thinly sliced  (optional)
Mint leaves
5-6 tbsp black prawn paste (hae-ko), to serve

Method

Bring the water to the boil. Add the fish and salt, bring to a boil again and let it simmer for 15 minutes until fish is just cooked. Don't overcook it. Remove the fish and reserve the stock. Flake the fish and set aside.

Add the Vietnamese mint, lemongrass and dried tamarind skin into the stock. Add the blended ingredients. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Add the strained tamarind pulp/juice, sugar, salt and ajinomoto. Bring to a boil. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary More tamarind pulp can be added if you prefer it more sour. Put the flaked fish in the into the stock and bring to a gentle simmer on low heat until ready to serve.

Blanch or cook the noodles in boiling water. Drain and place in individual serving bowls. Ladle the hot gravy onto the noodles. Sprinkle with garnishings. Stir in a little prawn paste into the gravy and enjoy!

Mmmm....smells and tastes so good!

Mackerel, ready to be flaked

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Asparagus and Prawn Stir-fry

 

 

Asparagus and Prawn Stir-fry

 

Ingredients

 

1 tbsp vegetable/peanut oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced/chopped

200g prawns, peeled, deveined and tails intact

2 bundles asparagus, woody ends snapped off, halved crossways

2-3 bird's eye chillies, sliced

 

Sauce:

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp palm sugar (or to taste)

1 tbsp Thai sweet chilli sauce

3 tbsp water

 

Method

 

Heat oil in a wok on high heat. Add the garlic, followed by the prawns. Let the prawns cook on one side, then flip them over to cook the other side. When the prawns are almost cooked, remove and transfer them to a plate and leave the oil in the wok. Next, add the asparagus to the wok and fry for 30 seconds, then push them aside. Add the chillies and pour the sauce ingredients down the side of the wok into the centre and bring to a boil. Toss the prawns in with the asparagus and sauce, and stir-fry briefly until everything is well coated, and sauce is slightly reduced. Turn off the heat and transfer to a serving plate. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

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Deep-fried Snapper with 3 Flavour Sauce (Thai-style)

 

 

If you've been following my recent posts, you'll know that I've been coming up with "copycat" recipes for some of dishes served at Sailors Thai. This time, I attempted to prepare the deep-fried snapper with three flavour sauce that everyone at our table of ten was raving about. As we ordered only one of each item from the menu, by the time it was passed down to our end of the table, the fish was almost mangled beyond recognition. Okay, perhaps that's an overstatement. Fortunately though, the fish head appeared to be intact, and surprisingly, nobody took the best part - the cheek! If I was having fish with my family (or relatives), the cheek would definitely be the first thing to disappear.

This is actually quite simple and easy to prepare, given that there aren't many ingredients required. The sweet, sour and spicy sauce is briefly simmered in a pan and then poured over the deep-fried fish. I've used a whole snapper here, although you could always substitute with pan-fried fish fillets if preferred. If you're using fresh long red chillies, depending on how hot they are, you may want to consider throwing in a few bird's eye chillies for some extra kick.

Deep-fried Snapper with 3 Flavour Sauce
(Serves 2-3)

Ingredients

800g whole snapper (or other firm white fish)
Cornflour
100g (3oz) fresh long red chillies, seeded and finely ground *
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 sprig coriander leaves
1/2 cup Thai basil leaves

Sauce:
3 tbsp tamarind pulp concentrate (bottled kind or equivalent)
3 tbsp palm sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp vinegar *
1/2 tsp chicken stock granules (optional)

Method

Heat up sufficient oil in a wok and deep fry the basil leaves for 10 seconds or until translucent and crispy. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Set aside.

Make two or three diagonal slashes across both sides of the fish. Season with salt and pepper. Coat with cornflour and shake off excess. Deep fry in hot oil until crispy and golden. Remove and drain off excess oil, and place the fish on a serving plate.

In a clean pan, heat up 1 tbsp vegetable oil and fry the garlic, followed by the ground chillies and sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer briefly (about half a minute). Pour the sauce over the fish, garnish with crispy basil and coriander leaves. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.

* Note: Instead of using fresh chillies and vinegar for the sauce, you may choose to substitute with Thai sambal oelek instead, which are sold in jars. Sambal oelek can be rather hot though, which is perfect if you like it hot!



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