Long ago, when my husband and I travelled to Thailand, we spent a few days on a beautiful island called Kho Phi Phi, where we stayed in a modest resort run by a lovely Thai couple. The little bungalows were terribly uncomfortable and the lack of AC kept us awake most nights under our mosquito-net-covered bed. But all that was forgotten as soon as we sat at the dining table. Although everything on the menu was fresh and succulent, our favorite dish was local deep-fried fish served with pineapple, red peppers and a ton of spices. Upon our return, I tried recreating the experience in our little Parisian apartment, and though I ended up almost putting fire to the kitchen while dropping the fish into our oil-filled Ikea wok, the end result came close to the original. These days, I’ve laid off deep frying, but I make a version of it that is just as tasty…and that won’t make your house smell like a fish & chip shop.
Note: The recipe calls for sea bream but feel free to use sea bass or another tender white fish.
Ingredients
- 8 seabream fillets, skin on (see note above)
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chilli
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp coconut oil or groundut oil
- 2 cups pineapple, diced into small chunks
- 1 bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced into 1cm pieces
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- Juice and zest of one lime
- 3 tbsp green onion, minced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the pineapple, red pepper, cilantro, ginger, green onion, lime zest and juice. Set aside.
- On a large plate, mix flour, turmeric, ginger powder, cumin, chilli and salt
- Lightly dip the skin side of the fillets in the flour mixture and set aside
- Place a large pan on the stove over medium heat. Add 3 tbsp of coconut oil. When the oil starts sizzling, Place 4 fillets skin side down and let them cook for 2 minutes. When they are golden at the bottom, flip them and cook for another 2 minutes. Repeat with the rest of the oil and fillets. Serve immediately.
- To serve: place two sizzling hot fish fillets on a plate and a few tbps of the fresh chutney on the side.
