← Nouns Cooking · Thai

Ingredients

• 1 kg whole white fish (tilapia, snapper or sea bass), gutted, scales left on
• 3 Lemongrass, bruised and cut into lengths
• 6 Makrut (kaffir) lime leaves
• 2 pandan leaves, knotted (optional)
• 150 g coarse sea salt
• 3 tbsp Rice flour
• 4 Bird's eye chilli
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 2 coriander roots (or a handful of stems)
• 2 limes, juiced (about 4 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp Fish sauce
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 200 g rice vermicelli, cooked (optional)
• 1 soft lettuce leaves
• 1 handful Thai basil, mint and coriander

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F) or get a charcoal grill hot. Rinse the fish and pat it dry, then stuff the belly with the lemongrass, lime leaves and pandan.
2. Mix the salt and rice flour with 3–4 tbsp water into a thick, damp paste. Pack it all over both sides of the fish, leaving the head and tail bare.
3. Bake on a lined tray, or grill over medium coals turning once, for 30–35 min, until the crust is hard and the flesh at the thickest part flakes easily from the bone (63°C / 145°F).
4. Meanwhile, pound the chillies, garlic and coriander roots together, then stir in the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar until dissolved. It should be sour, hot and salty.
5. Crack off the salt crust and peel back the skin. Wrap flakes of fish in lettuce with noodles and herbs, and dip in the sauce.

Tips

• Leaving the scales on keeps the salt out of the flesh and makes the skin lift off in one piece.
• Contains fish.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Hungry in Thailand Rachel Cooks Thai