Recipe - Pla Jian (Fish In Ginger Sauce) (Revised)

MARINADE
1 tablespoon Kratiem (garlic), minced
3 ounce Minced pork (optional, see
above)
1 small Carrot, julienned
1 tablespoon Grated ginger
2 tablespoon Sliced mushroom (preferably
the black, dried Chinese
mushroom, soaked for 15
minutes before slicing)
1 teaspoon Yellow bean sauce (up to 2)
1 tablespoon Light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Fish sauce
1 teaspoon Kapi (shrimp paste)
1 teaspoon Nam tan paep (palm sugar)
1 cup Stock
2 tablespoon Hom daeng (shallot/purple
onion), chopped
2 tablespoon Prik chi fa daeng (red Thai
jalapeno), cut or sliced up very
finely
1 tablespoon Nam makham piag (tamarind
juice)
1 teaspoon Prikthai (ground black
pepper)

This is a slightly revised version of the recipe, which has been sent to
USENET previously.

This is another simple traditional treatment for fish: this time it is deep
fried.

The recipe includes some minced pork: this can easily be omitted. It is
included in this case only to reproduce the traditional taste, as in the
past this dish was deep fried in pork fat, which transferred the pork
flavour to the fish. Today it would more typically be fried in vegetable
oil, hence the small quantity of pork.

Equally traditionally this dish is deep fried in a wok: the tiny shallow
woks foisted on western buyers by namebrand suppliers are frankly border
line dangerous for this, so unless you have a traditional fairly deep wok,
preferably a 20" wok or larger, I would recommend that you follow the
dictates of caution and fry it in a deep sided skillet.

Note also that the dish is usually prepared with chicken stock. You can if
you wish use a fish stock, but the chicken stock adds to the complexity of
flavour in the dish.

Finally the fish is normally fried with the head on: this does, I believe,
contribute to the flavour, but if you can't bear the fish staring
accusingly at you as you cook it, feel free to behead it first.

You need a smalltomedium (about a pound in weight or a little larger)
flat fish (pomfret, flounder, ...), cleaned, and with the sides slashed for
the marinade to penetrate.

Method: Mix the marinade, and then in a small saucepan bring to a boil, and
simmer for about 5 minutes; taste, and if needed adhust the flavour
balance. Cool, and rub into both sides of the fish, and leave it to stand,
covered, in a cool place, in the marinade for at least an hour.

Remove the fish from the marinade, and allow it to drain. Transfer the
remaining marinade to a small saucepan, and add 2 tablespoons of fish
sauce, two tablespoons of cut or sliced up prik chi fa daeng, and two tablespoons of
julienned ginger, and then simmer to reduce to a sauce like consistency. If
desired one tablespoon of brandy may be added to the sauce (optional).

Heat enough oil to deep fry the fish in a suitable pan over medium heat,
and slide the fish into the hot oil, turn once, and cook until the fish is
cooked through.

In the oil the fish was fried in saute 2 tablespoons of shallots until
crispy, and then one tablespoon each of bai manglaek (sweet basil leaves)
and mint leaves, and use the fried shallots, mint and basil as a garnish.

Serving & Storage: Server on a platter: pour the reduced sauce over the
fish.
Posted to CHILEHEADS DIGEST V3 #186

From: "Col. I.F. KhuntilanontPhilpott" colonel@korat1.vukorat.ac.th

Date: Sat, 14 Dec 1996 11:00:27 +0700