Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

Stephen Ceideburg
1 1/2 lb Whole Snapper, Rockfish,
-Porgy, or similar fish
Salt
1 md Onion or 1/4 pound shallots,
-chopped
2 Cloves garlic, chopped
1 Stalk lemongrass, thinly
-sliced
1/2 ts Shrimp paste (optional)
3 Fresh red or green chiles,
-seeds and veins removed,
-chopped, or:
1/2 ts Chili powder
2 sl Fresh galangal or 1 teaspoon
-ground
1/3 c (approximately) cornstarch
Oil, for deep frying
2 tb Yellow bean sauce, mashed
1/3 c Tamarind Water
1 pn Sugar
Fresh Basil for garnish

1. Prepare fish as directed below. Pat dry with paper towels, sprinkle
lightly with salt, and set aside.

2. In a mortar, food processor, or blender, combine onion, garlic,
lemongrass, shrimp paste (if used), chiles, and galangal and process
to a paste.

3. Pat fish dry again and dust liberally with cornstarch, rubbing it
into cuts in sides.

4. Fill a wok or deep skillet with oil to a depth of at least 2 inches
(allow room for oil to rise when fish is added). Heat oil to 375
degrees F. Carefully add fish to oil, placing it on its side. Ladle
oil over any exposed part of fish. Fry fish on both sides, turning
once with slotted spoons or Chinese wire skimmer, until a skewer
easily penetrates thickest part. Lift fish out of oil and let drain
over pan, then transfer to warm serving platter.

5. Turn off heat under frying oil, allow to cool, and reserve for
frying fish another time. in another skillet or wok, heat 2
tablespoons oil over medium heat (some of the frying oil can be used
for this step). Add seasoning paste and cook, stirring, until quite
fragrant. Add yellow bean sauce, cook another few seconds, and add
Tamarind Water and sugar. Cook sauce until slightly thickened.

6. Blot away any accumulated oil from fish platter and pour sauce over
fish. Garnish with sprigs of coriander, if desired.

Serves 4 with other dishes.

Like poultry, fish retains its flavor and moisture better if cooked
whole with the bones. To prepare a whole fish for frying or
steaming, follow these steps.

1. Have fish cleaned and scaled, with head and tail left on. Cut open
bell cavity, if this was not done in cleaning. Pull away any bits of
gills and internal organs. Look for two strips of red tissue lying
alongside backbone; if present, cut them open wit tip of knife. Rinse
cavity well under running water until no trace of bloody tissue
remains.

2. Score both sides of fish with diagonal cuts almost to the bone, 1
to 2 inches apart. This speeds the cooking time and allows the
seasonings to penetrate the fish faster. if you want to serve a
steamed or fried fish #(swimming" on the platter (belly side down),
cut back from cavity toward tail on one side of bones, extending the
cavity toward the tail. Spread the rib cage open and arrange the fish
upright on the steaming plate, bending the tail to fit, if necessary.

From the California Culinary Academy's "Southeast Asian Cooking", Jay
Harlow, published by the Chevron Chemical Company, 1987. ISBN
0-89721-098-0.

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