Fish & Seafood
Pla Pad Cha Thai Fried Fish with Spicy Chile Sauce
Description
White peppercorns and brined green peppercorns add pungency to crisp, tender snapper fillets in this quick recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 to 3 fresh green Thai chiles, stemmed
- 1 fresh red Thai chile, stemmed, plus additional sliced chile for garnish
- 1 small Thai shallot, roughly chopped (about 2 tablespoons) (see Note)
- 2 teaspoons white peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for frying (about 5 quarts)
- 12 ounces skin-on fish fillets (such as snapper, tilapia, catfish), cut with the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce (such as Lucky)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons white soy sauce (see Note)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 5 makrut lime leaves (see Note)
- 1/4 cup loosely packed Thai basil leaves, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons drained brined green peppercorns (see Note)
- 2 tablespoons sliced fresh or thawed frozen fingerroot (see Note)
- Hot cooked long-grain white rice
Directions
- Pound garlic, green and red chiles, shallot, and white peppercorns into a paste using a mortar and pestle, about 2 minutes. (Alternatively, process in a food processor until mixture is roughly chopped, about 30 seconds.)
- Pour oil into a large high-sided skillet to a depth of 1 inch; heat over medium until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°F. Add fish; cook until light golden brown, about 2 minutes, gently flipping once halfway through cooking time. Carefully remove fish using a slotted spatula; transfer to a paper towel–lined plate.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large wok or cast-iron skillet over high. Add chile paste mixture; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add oyster sauce, fish sauce, white soy sauce, and sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 30 seconds. Add fried fish, lime leaves, basil, green peppercorns, and fingerroot; gently stir to coat fish with sauce, about 15 seconds. Transfer to a plate. Garnish with sliced chile and basil. Serve with rice.
