Name: Crispy Fish in Sweet Chili Sambal Sauce Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 7 oz snapper; ¼ cup cornstarch; 1 tsp baking soda; vegetable oil; salt and ground black pepper; 2 tsp fresh red chillies; 4 oz red onions; 4 garlic cloves; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 oz tomatoes; 2 tbsp fish sauce; 2 kaffir lime leaves; 3 tbsp honey; 1 stalk lemongrass; 2 spring onions; 1 kaffir lime leave

Crispy Fish in Sweet Chili Sambal Sauce Recipe

Enjoy a delicious fried fish any time with this tasty crispy fish dish, served with an Indonesian-inspired chili sambal sauce.

How To Make Crispy Fish in Sweet Chili Sambal Sauce

Crispy fish is pan-fried then slathered with a thick and rich sweet chili sauce for a mouthwatering dinner meal.

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 25 mins

Total: 35 mins

Serves:

Ingredients

For the Fried Fish:

7 oz snapper, (4 pieces), or seabass, mahi-mahi fillets, skin on
¼ cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
vegetable oil, for shallow frying
salt and ground black pepper, to taste

For the Sweet Chili Sambal:

2 tsp fresh red chillies, roughly chopped
4 oz red onions, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 oz tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 kaffir lime leaves
3 tbsp honey
1 stalk lemongrass, tender, lightly crushed and cut into 1-inch long

To Serve:

2 spring onions, (scallions), finely sliced
1 kaffir lime leave

Instructions

Sweet Chili Sambal:

Place chilies, shallots and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Alternatively, you could also do this by hand.
Heat the 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the chili mixture for 5 minutes until soft.
Add the tomatoes, fish sauce, lemongrass, lime leaves, and honey. Simmer for about 10 minutes until tomatoes become pulpy and the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to serve (can be served warm or at room temperature).

For Fried Fish:

Pour in enough vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan to cover the base. Place over medium-high heat.
Combine the cornstarch with the baking soda on a large plate.
Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper, then lightly coat the skin side with the cornstarch mixture. Pat off any excess flour and place skin side down into the oil.
Cook each side for 2 to 3 minutes. Then remove the pan and paper and turn the fillets over. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to paper towels to drain off the excess oil.
Spoon generous amounts of sweet chili sambal onto serving plates. Top with a fillet of fish. Garnish with spring onions and kaffir leaf.