Crispy Wok-Fried Whole Fish with Crying Tiger Sauce

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

For the Crispy Wok-Fried Fish

1 whole fish (e.g., snapper, barramundi, or whiting), cleaned and gutted

½ cup cornflour 

Salt and pepper, to taste

Neutral oil, for frying (e.g., vegetable or sunflower oil)

For the Crying Tiger Sauce

2 tbsp tamarind paste

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp palm sugar (adjust to taste)

1-2 fresh red chillies, chopped (adjust based on your spice preference)

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp ground toasted glutinous rice (short grain also works)

1 small shallot, finely chopped

2 stalks spring onion, chopped

1-2 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

1 tbsp lime juice, to taste

Water (to adjust consistency and intensity, if needed)

Method

In a dry pan, toast 2 tbsp of rice over low heat, stirring occasionally until golden brown and fragrant (about 3-4 minutes). Grind in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder until finely ground.

In a bowl, combine tamarind paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, garlic and chopped fresh red chillies. Stir to dissolve the sugar and blend the flavours. Add the ground toasted rice, shallot, spring onion and chopped coriander to the sauce mixture. Stir until well combined.

Taste the sauce. If it needs more acidity, add a little extra lime juice. If it’s too tangy, reduce the tamarind paste and balance with a touch more palm sugar. If the sauce is too thick or intense, add a small splash of water at a time. The sauce should be pourable but not too runny. Set aside.

Pat the fish dry with paper towels and score the fish on both sides. Season the fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Dust with cornflour, shaking off any excess.

Heat a wok or deep pan over medium-high heat and add enough neutral oil to submerge the fish. Once the oil is hot (around 180°C), carefully add the fish to the pan (you can test this with a bamboo skewer or chopstick, it should bubble immediately).

Fry for about 5-10 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy, consistently spooning the hot oil over the exposed side if required. Carefully flip the fish halfway through.

Once the fish is crispy and cooked through, remove it from the oil and place it on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.

To serve, place the crispy fish on a serving platter and drizzle the crying tiger sauce generously over the fish, making sure it coats the fish evenly. Garnish with additional chopped coriander, spring onions for freshness, a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve with a side of steamed jasmine rice.