Baked Fish with Sticky Sauce
Wednesday, 2 September 2009 | 
Pair this with a Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Magnum for a perfect Father's Day lunch.
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 1 large (about 1 1/2kg) whole fish (such as snapper or ocean trout)
- 80ml (1/3 cup) vegetable oil
- 2 tbs sesame seeds
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 small piece fresh ginger, peeled, cut into thin strips
- 2 long red chillies, seeded, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup grated palm sugar*
- 120ml (6 tbs) fish sauce
- 4 tbs tamarind concentrate*
- 100ml (5 tbs) lime juice
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves
- 2 tbs fried Asian shallots*
- Fresh coriander leaves, to garnish
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°C.
- Make 3 deep slashes in one side of the fish, brush with oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place in a greased baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok over high heat. Add garlic and cook until golden (don't burn or it will taste bitter). Transfer to paper towel to drain. Add ginger and chilli to wok and stir-fry for 1 minute, then add sugar, fish sauce, tamarind and lime juice. Cook for 1-2 minutes until syrupy. Transfer to a jug and set aside. Clean and dry wok. Add remaining oil over high heat. When hot, add Thai basil (ensure basil is completely dry) and fry for 1-2 minutes until crisp.
- To serve, place fish on a platter, pour sauce over and garnish with garlic, basil, shallots and coriander
Source: Delicious Magazine, August 2002, pg 59