Thai Steamed Fish with a Citrus Marinade (Pla Chien) Recipes

Ingredients :

1.3kg parrot fish, pomfret, plaice or sea bream, gutted with heads on

2 small red chilies, seeded and finely chopped

1 tbsp sugar

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 spring onions (scallions), white part only, chopped

1 piece fresh galangal or fresh ginger, 2.5cm or 1 in long, peeled and finely chopped

juice of 1 mandarin orange

zest of 1 mandarin orange, finely chopped

1 tbsp tamarind sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp light soy sauce

juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 limes, quartered to garnish

4 spring onion (scallion) curls, to garnish

Method :

Wash the fish thoroughly and slash 3-4 times with a sharp knife on each side to allow the marinade to penetrate deeply. Place the fish in a shallow dish that will fit in the base of a steamer. You can also wrap the fish loosely in foil. Grind the chili and sugar together using a pestle and mortar or food processor, add the garlic, spring onion (scallion), galangal or ginger and the zest of the mandarin orange. Combine well. Lastly add the tamarind, fish and soy sauces, the lime juice and vegetable oil, then spread over the fish. Leave to marinate for at least 1 hour. Cook the fish in a covered steamer for 25-30 minutes. Lift the fish onto a serving plate and decorate with wedges of lime and spring onion (scallion).

Serve Thai rice or fine rice noodles as an accompaniment to this dish.

Serves 4 - 6

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