serves
6-8
prep
15 minutes
cook
25 minutes
difficulty
Mid
serves
6-8
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
25
minutes
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg whole barramundi, scaled and gutted
- 1 cup cornstarch
- Oil, for deep frying
- 50 g tamarind purée
- 50 g coconut sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 5 okra, whole
- 2 tomatoes, sliced into quarters
- 300 g pineapple, cut into chunks
Nyonya sauce base
- 5 fresh chillies
- 1 young torch ginger flower (see note)
- 4 cm galangal
- 4 cm turmeric
- 4 cm ginger
- 1 stalk lemongrass, finely sliced
- 2 makrut lime leaves
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 whole garlic, peeled and separated
Marinating time: 30 mins
Instructions
- Butterfly the barramundi from the belly, leaving the head and tail intact. Season both sides with salt and pepper and let sit for half an hour.
- Add all nyonya sauce base ingredients into a food processor and blend to a purée, adding water to help with the blending as you go. Aim for a slightly watery consistency as you will cook this over heat later.
- After the barramundi has marinated, heat oil in a large wok over high heat to about 180ºC. Coat all sides of the barramundi with cornstarch. Carefully lower the barramundi into the oil, holding the head and tail out of the oil in order to give the fish a bowed shape. Ladle hot oil over the head and tail to help it set in shape. Once the centre of the fish has set, you can move the fish around carefully to ensure the whole fish is cooked. Fry for a further 5-10 minutes, or until the fish is completely golden and crispy.
- Remove the fish onto a wire rack to drain briefly.
- In a different wok/or wide saucepan, add in the blended nyonya sauce and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the tamarind puree, coconut sugar and the salt while stirring. Add in the okra, tomatoes and pineapple and bring the sauce back to a simmer.
- Lay your fried fish onto a platter and pour over the nyonya sauce. Garnish with coriander and serve immediately.
Note:
• Torch ginger flowers are available at select Asian grocers. You can also purchase dried torch ginger slices online. If using dried, rehydrate the slices in boiling water for this recipe.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
