Deep fried baby snapper with green papaw salad
15 November 2022This dish is inspired by a similar dish I had at Red Lantern on Riley. In a lot of Asian cultures, it is good luck to serve fish whole. And out of respect for the elders, the head of the fish should always point in their direction on the dinner table.
A tip I learnt from Sydney Fish Market – always make sure you measure the size of your wok so you get the right size fish that fits.
INGREDIENTS:
Peanut oil for deep frying1 small whole snapper (to fit a large wok), scaled and scored deeply on both sides
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp sea salt flakes
½ tsp turmeric
1 green papaw peeled and shredded
5 spring onions (scallions), sliced finely
1 large red chilli, deseeded and sliced finely
½ zucchini, julienned
½ carrot, julienned
¼ cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped
¼ cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
3 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
Fried shallots for garnish
METHOD:
Heat oil in the wok until it reaches 180C.
In a bowl, mix flour, sea salt and turmeric. Coat snapper with flour mix then gently lower snapper into hot oil. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until golden. Remove from hot oil and set aside on a paper towel to drain.
In a large mixing bowl, combine green papaw, spring onions, chilli, zucchini, carrot, coriander and mint leaves.
To make the dressing, combine lime juice, palm sugar, fish sauce and sesame oil in a mixing bowl. Dress the salad then pour over fish and garnish with fried shallots.
