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Meaty with a dash of veggies

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Seafood Lunch / Dinner Main Courses

Whole fish with lemongrass and ginger sauce

Published: 08.16.2015 » Last updated: 02.04.2023

The fish is twice cooked. First, it is deep fried to give it texture. Next, it is braised in the spicy sauce just long enough to allow the flesh to soak up the flavors. The result is both comfortably homey and mysteriously exotic.

Whole fish with lemongrass and ginger sauce

The appearance is similar to many humble fish dishes that can be prepared in a short time with very inexpensive ingredients. Deceptively simple in looks, yes, but the total experience is anything but simple.

The first wave of delight is the wonderful deep fried texture that immediately hits the tongue and palate.

The second wave which playfully overlaps with the first is the burst of citrusy, spicy, earthy and salty flavors tinged with oh, so subtle sweetness. The sweetness is from a meagre amount of sugar, the heat is provided by chilies and ginger, and citrusy notes come from the lemongrass.

Lemongrass

How to grow and propagate lemongrass, and how to use it for cooking

There are several kinds of lemongrass and they do look very similar to each other. But only Cymbopogon citratus (and Cymbopogon flexuosus to a lesser extent) is used as food.

I can write an ode each time I cook this Southeast Asian delight and each will probably be more passionate than the last. But I won’t. I’ll leave it up to you to sing praises.

Whole fish with lemongrass and ginger sauce

Connie Veneracion
The flavors of Southeast Asian in one superb dish. Don't skip the frying part to give the fish the perfect texture.
Whole fish with lemongrass and ginger sauce
Print Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 12 minutes mins
Total Time 22 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Southeast Asian
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole fish - about 600 grams, scaled and gutted
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 2 stalks lemongrass
  • 1 one-inch knob ginger - peeled and sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic - peeled and lightly pounded
  • 2 bird’s eye chilies
  • cooking oil - to deep fry the fish in (the amount really depends on the size and shape of your frying pan)
  • fish sauce - to taste
  • sugar - to taste
  • fresh mint leaves - to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Score the fish and rub lightly with salt and pepper.
  • Grind the lemongrass, ginger, garlic and chilies into a coarse paste.
  • Heat the cooking oil and deep fry the fish, turning if not completely submerged in oil, about four minutes per side or until deep golden and crisp on the outside.
  • Drain the fish and keep warm.
  • Pour off the oil from the pan leaving only about two tablespoonfuls.
  • Over medium heat, sauté the ground spices until fragrant, about a minute.
  • Pour in about two tablespoonfuls of fish sauce and two tablespoonfuls of water.
  • Add a generous pinch of sugar.
  • Stir. Taste and adjust the seasonings until you’re happy with the balance.
  • Return the fish to the pan. Lower the heat, cover and cook for one minute per side.
  • Scoop out the fish and move to a serving plate.
  • Pour the ground spices and any remaining liquid over the fish.
  • Thinly slice the mint leaves and sprinkle over the fish.
  • Serve hot with rice.
Print Pin Recipe
Keyword Whole Fish

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Connie Veneracion, Chiang Mai, 2020

Hi, I’m Connie!

Welcome to Umami Days, a blog that advocates innovative home cooking for pleasurable everyday dining. No trendy diets, no food fads and definitely no ludicrous recipe names like crustless quiche, noodleless pho or chocolate lasagna.

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