Snapper sandwich with red curry, dill and ginger
Melbourne's Magic Mountain Saloon executive chef Karen Batson marries Thai flavours with a healthy, wholefood philosophy. The snapper sandwich with red curry, dill and gingerbased dish is based on a traditional dish from North-East Thailand (ngob pla). Here's an even simpler version you can make at home. You can use shop-bought curry paste (see note below) and grill or bake the fish in your oven.
Ingredients
6 baby snapper fillets, scaled and pin boned (ask your fishmonger to do this)
3 tbs red curry paste (recipe below)*
1 banana leaf (or use baking paper and foil)
coconut cream
¼ bunch fresh dill for garnishing
Magic Mountain Saloon's red curry paste
*If you're in a hurry you can use a good-quality red curry paste and add finely diced lemongrass, shallots, the krachai (or ginger) and a pinch of tumeric.
2 sticks lemongrass (white part only, finely sliced)
10 lime leaves (finely sliced)
4cm tumeric, peeled and sliced (or use dry tumeric, to taste)
5 shallots, peeled and sliced
10 garlic cloves (peeled and sliced)
10 birdseye chilli
4 krachai* fingers (or use about 2cm normal ginger) peeled and sliced
2 tbsp roasted rice powder **
1 tbsp fish sauce
½ tbsp castor sugar
pinch of white pepper and salt
*Krachai is the Thai name for lesser galangal (a type of ginger). If you cannot get it fresh, you can buy it in a jar from an Asian grocer. You may need to add more than the specified amount as it does not have the same strength.
**Roasted rice powder is jasmine rice toasted in a dry pan with makrut lime leaves for 10–15 minutes. Grind in a spice or coffee grinder (it adds a nutty flavour to the dish).
Tamarind sauce
100ml tamarind water
30ml Asian seasoning sauce (similar to soy sauce - Karen uses Green Label brand) check gluten-free if required
45ml fish sauce
100g castor sugar
Method
1. Make the curry paste (use a mortar and pestle , or put everything in a food processor and blitz).
2. Place one snapper fillet, skin-side-down on a piece of baking paper. Smear with curry paste and top with fresh dill.
3. Place the second fillet on top, skin-side-up. Fold the baking paper (or banana leaf) to make a parcel and then wrap in foil.
4. Repeat with remaining snapper fillets to make three 'sandwiches' in total.
5. Either grill or bake the snapper
To grill: Cook over a barbecue with coals (or on a hot griddle pan on stove) for six minutes each side.
To bake: Bake in oven at 180C for 20-25 minutes until fish cooked through.
To serve: peel open the paper and foil parcels, drizzle with some coconut cream and garnish with a sprig of fresh dill.
Serve with a green papaya salad and tamarind sauce (below).
Tamarind sauce
1. Stir all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
2. Spoon over snapper sandwiches to taste.
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