Thai cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Pla Sam Rod

Whole fried fish under a sauce that balances tamarind, palm sugar and chili in equal parts.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 2 sea bream (approx. 500 g each, cleaned)
• 4 tbsp rice flour
• 800 ml frying oil
• 3 tbsp tamarind paste
• 3 tbsp palm sugar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 5 cloves garlic
• 4 shallots
• 4 Thai chilies
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 bunch cilantro

Instructions

1. Pat the sea bream dry, score both sides three times down to the bone, and dust thinly all over with rice flour.
2. Deep-fry in 180 °C oil for 7–8 min. each until the skin is crispy all over, then drain on a rack and keep warm.
3. Finely chop the garlic, shallots and chilies, cut the bell pepper into small dice, and coarsely pluck the cilantro.
4. Heat 2 tbsp of the frying oil in a pan and fry the garlic, shallots and chilies over medium heat for 2–3 min. until golden and sweetly fragrant.
5. Add the tamarind paste, palm sugar, fish sauce and 100 ml water and simmer uncovered for 5–6 min. until the sauce runs thick off the spoon and tastes equally sweet, sour and salty.
6. Stir in the bell pepper cubes briefly, pour the sauce over the fish, sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately with jasmine rice.