CRISPY FRIED BABY BARRAMUNDI WITH SWEET & SOUR TAMARIND SAUCE

ingredients

For the fish
4 x 500g baby barramundi

100g rice flour

Pinch table salt

For the salad
100g bean sprouts

1 x Lebanese cucumber, deseeded
and julienned

Sliced red chilli to taste

1 large carrot, julienned

Eschalot or spring onion, sliced

For the dressing
50g palm sugar, grated

40g brown sugar

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved

1 thumb fresh ginger, minced

100ml water

50g tamarind paste

1 stalk lemongrass

3 kaffir lime leaves

2 tbsp fish sauce

Juice of one lime

ΒΌ bunch of coriander, pick leaves &
roughly chop

1 star anise

3 cloves

1 cinnamon quill

method

Salad

  1. Mix salad ingredients together.

Dressing

  1. Tie the hard spices in a muslin cloth or spice bag.
  2. Add all the ingredients except the fish sauce, coriander and the lime juice to a pan and heat to melt and dissolve the sugar. Do not boil or reduce.
  3. Chill and infuse overnight in the fridge.
  4. Discard hard spices.
  5. Add the fish sauce, coriander and lime juice to dressing mix.
  6. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Handy hint: In Thai food, it is important to adjust the seasoning so that the sweet, salty, umami and spicy flavours balance.

Baby barramundi

  1. Slash the sides of the barramundi three or four times on each side.
  2. Flour the inside and outside of the barramundi with rice flour.
  3. Deep fry until golden and crispy and internal temp of 75 degrees is reached.

To serve
Place a small handful of well-drained salad on the plate with the rice.

Arrange the fish on the plate and ladle over some of the dressing.

Scatter the tomatoes on and around the fish.

Garnish with Spring onions, coriander, sliced chilli, crispy shallots and lime wedge.

This recipe is courtesy of Maroochy RSL.

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