Fried Red Coral Reef Garoupa with sweet and salty chili sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 700 g of fish (Red Reef Garoupa) or other fish
• 1 ½ liters vegetable oil, for frying
• Salt and black pepper, crushed
• Tapioca flour, or starch flour
• 3 coriander roots, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 small red chili peppers, crushed
• 2 tbsp palm sugar
• 8 garlic cloves, pickled
• 3 tbsp chicken stock
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp tamarind paste
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 120 g cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 tbsp shallot(s), sliced, fried crispy
• 1 tbsp garlic clove(s), sliced, fried until crispy
• 8 small chili peppers, dried, fried until crispy
• some coriander leaves

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Pla Gao Gub Prik Sam Ros

For the chili sauce, grind the coriander root, garlic, red chilies, palm sugar, pickled garlic, and chicken stock in a stone mortar and pestle until a smooth, but not too fine, paste forms. Heat the oil in a saucepan, stir the paste from the mortar and stir over low heat until fragrant. Add the tamarind pulp and cook until the paste reaches the consistency of syrup. Season with fish sauce, add the tomatoes, and simmer until the tomatoes are soft. Cover and keep warm. Clean the fish and pat dry with kitchen paper. You can also use fish fillets. Season the fish with salt and pepper and coat it in tapioca flour. Heat the oil in a sufficiently large pot or pan and deep-fry the fish until crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside (fish fillets will cook faster). Drain the fish on kitchen paper and keep warm. To serve, bring the chili sauce to a boil, season with more fish sauce if desired, and arrange on a warmed serving platter. Place the fish in the middle and garnish with the fried shallots, garlic, chili and coriander leaves.