Thai Deep Fried Whole Fish with Sweet Chili Sauce
Whole fish fried until golden and crispy, finished with a tangy-sweet Thai sauce of garlic, ginger, chili, soy, fish sauce, and palm sugar. The fish is scored before frying to ensure even cooking, then topped with fresh coriander and bean sprouts. Served immediately with steamed rice.
Ingredients
- 1 whole fish cleaned, gutted and scaled
- oil, for deep frying
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 1 long red chilli, finely chopped
- 2 green onions, scallions, finely sliced
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing, Chinese cooking winedry sherry1
Chinese cooking wine substitute
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons palm sugar syruphoney or light brown sugar syrup1
sweetness adjustment may be needed
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon white pepper, ground
- coriander, cilantro to garnish
- bean sprouts, to garnish
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the fish to remove loose scales, running your fingers over the skin to ensure all scales are removed.
- 2
Pat the fish thoroughly dry with kitchen towel to prevent oil splattering.
- 3
Make a couple of deep slits into the flesh on both sides with a sharp knife, cutting into but not through to the bone.
- 4
Heat oil in a wok to 350°F, using enough to cover the fish. If parts stick out, spoon hot oil over the fish while cooking. Wiggle the head into the oil for a few minutes.
- 5
Deep fry until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and drain on kitchen towel.
- 6
In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the frying oil. Add garlic, ginger, chili, and green onion, frying until fragrant.
- 7
Add shaoxing, soy sauce, fish sauce, palm sugar syrup, rice vinegar, and white pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil, then remove immediately from heat.
- 8
Place fried fish on a serving platter. Scatter half the coriander and bean sprouts over it. Pour the sauce over the fish and garnish with remaining coriander and bean sprouts.
- 9
Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Tips
Score the fish on both sides before frying to promote even cooking and help heat penetrate to the center.
Pat the fish completely dry to minimize oil splashing during frying.
Use enough oil to nearly cover the fish; spoon hot oil over any exposed areas while cooking.
Remove the sauce from heat immediately after it reaches a boil to preserve the brightness of the flavors.
Good to Know
Leftover cooked fish can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; reheat gently. Sauce does not store well due to the fresh chili and vinegar elements.
Prepare all ingredients (mince garlic, ginger, chili; slice onions) up to 4 hours ahead. Scale and gut fish up to 2 hours ahead. Do not score or fry until ready to serve.
Serve immediately with steamed rice to enjoy the crispy exterior of the fish. The sauce should be poured over the fish just before serving.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip drying the fish to avoid oil splattering violently and burns.
Do not cut the scores all the way through the bone to avoid the fish falling apart during frying.
Do not overheat or continue cooking the sauce after boiling to avoid reducing the bright, tangy flavors.
Do not let the fried fish sit before saucing to avoid loss of crispiness.
Substitutions
sweetness adjustment may be needed