Fish and Shellfish Recipes - Trout with Tamarind Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 trout, cleaned

• 6 spring onions (scallions), sliced

• 60ml/4 tbsp soy sauce

• 15ml/1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 30ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) and strips of fresh red chili, to garnish

For the sauce:

• 50g/2oz tamarind pulp

• 105ml/7 tbsp boiling water

• 2 shallots, coarsely chopped

• 1 fresh red chili, seeded and chopped

• 1 cm/1/2in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped

• 5ml/1 tsp soft light brown sugar

• 45ml/3 tbsp fish sauce

Serves 4

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Method:

1. Slash the trout diagonally four or five times on each side. Place them in a shallow dish that is large enough to hold them all in a single layer.

2. Fill the cavity in each trout with spring onions and douse each fish with soy sauce. Carefully turn the fish over to coat both sides with the sauce. Sprinkle any remaining spring onions over the top.

3. To make the sauce, put the tamarind pulp in a small bowl and pour on the boiling water. Mash it well with a fork until it has softened.

4. Tip the tamarind mixture into a food processor or blender, and add the shallots, fresh chili, ginger, sugar and fish sauce. Process to a coarse pulp. Scrape into a bowl.

5. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and cook the trout, one at a time if necessary. for about 5 minutes on each side, until the skin is crisp and browned and the flesh cooked.

6. If cooking in batches, keep the cooked trout hot until all four fish have been fried. Serve the trout on warmed plates and spoon over some of the sauce. Sprinkle with the coriander and chili and offer the remaining sauce separately.

Note: Sometimes trout can taste rather bland, but this spicy sauce really gives it a zing.