Whole Crispy Fish with Mango Salad

Whole Crispy Fish with Mango Salad © kvalifood.com

Cá chiên sốt xoài — I love Vietnam. The country, the people and the food. One of the dishes that really made an impact on me the first time I visited was this from Morning Glory in Hoi An.

It is a deep fried whole fish which can be a really heavy dish. But the sour sweet mango salad and the magic sauce really lift it up.

Ingredients

Serves 2 as a main

  • 800 g whole red tilapia (or another scaled fish), gutted and cleaned
  • 80 g rice flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Oil, for deep frying

For serving

  • 3 tbsp magic sauce
  • 1 tbsp mild chilli and garlic, pounded
  • 2 tbsp Vietnamese nuoc cham
  • 1 tbsp yellow curry paste
  • 50 g onion, finely sliced and rinsed in a vinegar bath
  • ½ green mango, julienned
  • ½ cup mint leaves and Vietnamese mint leaves
  • ¼ cup spring onion curls
  • 1 tbsp red chilli, julienned

Directions

Frying the fish

  1. Score the fish by making a few shallow cuts along the body beneath the dorsal fin.
  2. Season the fish inside and out with salt and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
  3. Pat the fish completely dry, then lightly coat it with rice flour so the surface is evenly covered.
  4. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the fish until golden and crisp.
  5. Remove from the oil and carefully open the fins so the fish sits nicely on a serving plate.

Assembly

  1. Combine the pounded chilli and garlic with the magic sauce and mix well.
  2. Spoon a little of the sauce over the fish, then add another spoonful of magic sauce on top.
  3. Mix the remaining sauce with the curry paste and keep it on the side for serving.
  4. Arrange the onion, green mango, herbs, spring onions, and chilli over and around the fish.
  5. Serve immediately.

Notes

I most often use a Sea Bream for this dish, as it is the closest I can get to the tillapia here in Denmark.

You can prepare the dressing with:

  • 1 tbsp yellow curry powder
  • 1 tsp palm sugar
  • 2 tbsp thick coconut cream

Stir in a saucepan over low heat until combined.

Image from the first time I had this fish. Taken at the restaurant.

The image at the top of the recipe is from one of the time I have made it myself at home.

My favourite restaurant in Hoi An is Morning Glory