1 large or 2 medium firm fish like bass or
grouper, scaled and cleaned
1 fresh banana leaf
2 tbsp rice wine
3 red chilies, seeded and finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 inch piece fresh root ginger, finely
shredded
2 stalks lemon grass, crushed and finely
chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce
juice of 1 lime
For the chili sauce:
10 red chilies, seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp lime juice
Method :
Rinse the fish under cold running water.
Pat dry with kitchen paper. With a sharp knife, slash the skin of the
fish a few times on both sides. Place the
fish on a banana leaf. Mix together all the remaining ingredients and
spread over the fish.
Place a small
upturned plate in the bottom of a wok and add 2 inch boiling water;
place a banana leaf on top. Lift the banana leaf, together with the
fish, and place on the plate or rack. Cover with a lid and steam for
about 10-15 minutes or until the fish is cooked.
Place all the
chili sauce ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
You may need to add a little cold water. Serve with fish hot, on the
banana leaf if liked, with the sweet chili sauce to spoon over the top.
Serves 4
In this red-hot dish from Thailand, whole
fish is cooked with red chilies, ginger and lemon grass, then served
with a mouth-tingling chili sauce.
