Crisp Snapper, Chilli, Tamarind and Lime - Chef Recipe by Chaowarat Assavakavinvong

Ingredients

800g whole, cleaned baby snapper
100mL fish sauce
200g tapioca flour
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Dressing:

50mL sweet chilli
100mL tamarind
100g palm sugar
50mL fish sauce
2 green Thai scud chillies
1 tsp ground roasted rice
1 tsp diced lime
1 tsp round chopped bird's eye chilli

Garnish:

1 Tbs fried shallot
1 Tbs fried garlic
1/4 cup fresh coriander
1 red banana chilli, julienned

Method

Dressing:

Pound Thai green scud chilli with a mortar and pestle.

Caramelise palm sugar with 2 tablespoons of water in a saucepan. Add pounded Thai green scud chilli to it. Add tamarind when palm sugar dissolves and is bubbling.

Season with fish sauce and add sweet chilli. Check consistency and flavour – adjust seasoning if necessary.

Cool dressing and place in a ramekin, garnish with diced lime, round chopped bird’s eye chilli and ground roasted rice.

Crisp snapper:

Heat vegetable oil to fry fish in a deep fry pan. Dip snapper in fish sauce and then coat in tapioca flour.
Fry fish on a medium heat until cooked and crispy.

Plating:

Put cooked snapper on a serving plate, sprinkle with fresh coriander, crispy shallots and garlic and top with julienned red chilli.

Serve with dressing and lime wedges.