Crispy Fried Sea Bass with Red Curry Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 whole sea bass (About 500–600 g, cleaned, scaled, gutted, and scored; alternatively use 2 sea-bass fillets)
• salt (To season the fish)
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil (For shallow-frying the curry sauce)
• 500 ml vegetable oil (For deep-frying the fish; not all of the oil will be absorbed)
• 2 tbsp red curry paste (Use Thai red curry paste; adjust to taste)
• 0.5 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (Adjust according to the saltiness of the curry paste)
• 1 tsp palm sugar (Brown sugar may be substituted)
• 4 makrut lime leaves (Finely sliced)
• 1 long red chili (Thinly sliced for garnish)
• 0.25 cup Thai basil leaves (For garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Clean and dry the sea bass thoroughly. Score the flesh on both sides, then season lightly with salt. Pat the surface very dry so the fish will brown and the oil will not splatter excessively.

2. 2

   Heat the deep-frying oil in a wok or deep skillet to about 180°C/350°F. The oil should shimmer, and a small piece of fish skin should sizzle immediately when added.

3. 3

   Carefully lower the fish into the hot oil, keeping your hands and face away from the pan. Fry until the skin is deeply golden and crisp and the thickest part of the fish reaches 63°C/145°F, about 5–7 minutes per side depending on size.

4. 4

   Lift the fish from the oil and drain it on a wire rack or paper towels. Keep it warm while preparing the sauce.

5. 5

   Heat 3 tablespoons of fresh vegetable oil in a clean wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the red curry paste and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant and the oil begins to separate from the paste.

6. 6

   Pour in the coconut milk gradually while stirring, then simmer for 2–3 minutes until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened.

7. 7

   Add the fish sauce and palm sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then taste and adjust the balance of salt, sweetness, and spiciness.

8. 8

   Stir in the sliced makrut lime leaves and half of the sliced red chili. Simmer briefly, about 30 seconds, taking care not to boil the sauce aggressively.

9. 9

   Transfer the crispy fried sea bass to a serving platter. Spoon the curry sauce over the fish, leaving some crisp skin exposed if desired.

10. 10

    Garnish with the remaining red chili and Thai basil leaves. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.

Notes

The available source provides only the Thai dish title and no written quantities or cooking instructions. The ingredient amounts and method are therefore a conventional reconstruction and should be adjusted to taste. For a less oily result, pan-fry or air-fry scored fillets instead of deep-frying the whole fish.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Thai
• fried
• seafood
• spicy
• curry
• quick meal