Ingredients
| SPICE PASTE | |
| 6 candlenuts (macadamias can be substituted if unavailable) | |
| 5cm piece fresh turmeric, peeled or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric | |
| 2 x 5cm pieces galangal or ginger, peeled | |
| 2 stalks lemongrass (white part only), finely sliced | |
| 200g shallots, peeled | |
| 3 long red chillies, de-seeded (if you like a light sauce), chopped | |
| 20g blachan or shrimp paste | |
| a pinch of salt | |
| 6 tablespoons cooking oil | |
| 750ml water or stock (chicken or prawn stock would work well) | |
| ½ cup tamarind concentrate (available in Asian food stores) | |
| 10 okra (ladies fingers ) trimmed at both ends (choose young and tender ones, or use green beans if preferred) | |
| 2 Asian eggplants, cut into pieces to match the okra (choose the light purple, long, thin variety of eggplants) | |
| 1 tablespoon sugar | |
| 2 teaspoons salt | |
| 1kg fish fillets or prawns or a combination of both | |
| 4-5 stalks Vietnamese mint | |
| 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges |
Translated from Malay, this means ‘hot and sour fish’ and just hearing it makes my tastebuds tingle. The sauce is spicy and unctuous, a little sour, a little sweet, a little salty and perfectly frames a lovely piece of firm white fish such as Chatham Island blue cod either in steaks or fillets. I also add some prawns, too – I love the ethically and sustainably farmed New Caledonia Blue Prawns. The alchemy happens once the seafood goes into the pot and those flavours of the sea mingle with the sweet and sour gravy with a hint of Vietnamese mint. The trick is to add the fish and prawns as close to the point of serving as possible so as not to overcook the seafood.
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Instructions
| 1. | Add the candlenuts, turmeric, galangal or ginger and lemongrass to a food processor or spice grinder and process until fine – these are the toughest ingredients and need the longest processing time, hence putting them in first. |
| 2. | Then add shallots, chillies, shrimp paste and salt and continue to blend to a smooth, fine and well-mixed paste. |
| 3. | Set aside in a small bowl until required. |
| 4. | Heat the oil in a large pot until you see a shimmer. |
| 5. | Add all the spice paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the mixture dries and darkens and is cooked throughout, about 15-30 minutes. |
| 6. | It is important that you don’t hurry the frying of the spice paste before adding the rest of the ingredients, as this step is essential for developing flavour, improving texture and removing the harsh taste of raw shallots and chilli. This process transforms the individual ingredients into a blended, aromatic base. |
| 7. | Add the water or stock and tamarind concentrate to the fried spice paste and stir until combined. |
| 8. | Add the okra and eggplant and bring to a simmer for approximately 5 minutes or until just cooked. |
| 9. | Season with the sugar and salt. |
| 10. | Add the seafood and simmer for a further 5-8 minutes or until the prawns are nicely pink and opaque and the fish is white and firm. Don’t overcook the prawns or they will become tough. |
| 11. | Stir gently, taking care not to break up the fish in the process. |
| 12. | Finally, add the Vietnamese mint and tomatoes and continue to simmer until the seafood is just cooked. |
| 13. | Adjust the seasoning if required. |
| 14. | Perfect with yellow or white rice. |
Recipes & food styling Connie Clarkson / Photography Manja Wachsmuth