A great classic of Thailand's coastal tables: a whole barramundi steamed on a bed of lemongrass, drenched straight from the steamer with a piping hot, tart broth bursting with fresh lime juice, minced raw garlic and vibrant bird's eye chilies.
Ingredients
- 2 pieces fresh whole barramundi, gutted and scaled
- 3 pieces fresh lemongrass stalk
- 6 slices sliced fresh galangal
- 6 leaves fresh makrut lime leaf
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro with roots and stems
- 120 ml freshly squeezed lime juice
- 6 tbsp Thai nam pla fish sauce
- 30 g grated pure palm sugar
- 150 ml unsalted clear chicken broth
- 12 cloves peeled fresh garlic clove
- 8 pieces red and green Thai bird's eye chilies
- 4 sprigs fresh khuehn chai Chinese celery
Method
- Prepare the aromatics: smash the lemongrass stalks with the flat of a knife to break the fibers and release their juices, separate the cilantro roots from the stems while keeping both, then lightly slit the makrut lime leaves along the vein.
- Prepare the fish: thoroughly rinse each barramundi under cold water to remove any residual traces of blood or scales, then pat the skin dry with paper towels. Score each side diagonally with three or four clean incisions down to the bone, which will ensure even and rapid cooking.
- Stuff the fish: insert pieces of lemongrass, slices of galangal and cilantro roots into the belly cavity of each fish. Place the remaining aromatics on a heatproof deep dish that fits inside your steamer, then arrange the fish on this bed of herbs so the steam circulates evenly underneath.
- Make the nueng manao sauce: very finely mince the garlic cloves with a knife and thinly slice the bird's eye chilies. In a bowl, dissolve the palm sugar in the warm chicken broth, then add the fish sauce, fresh lime juice, minced garlic and chilies.
- Steam: bring the water in your steamer to a rolling boil until you see abundant, steady steam. Place the dish containing the barramundi into the basket, tightly close the lid and steam over high heat for twelve to fifteen minutes, until the flesh turns an opaque white and flakes easily with a knife.
- Season while hot: carefully remove the dish from the steamer. If necessary, drain off some of the clear liquid that pooled at the bottom of the dish to avoid drowning the seasoning, then generously pour the lime, garlic and chili sauce over the still-steaming fish.
- Finish plating: immediately scatter the roughly chopped Chinese celery sprigs and fresh cilantro leaves over the top so they barely wilt on contact with the heat, then serve immediately with a bowl of jasmine rice.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 150.3 kcal
- Protein
- 8.66 g
- Carbohydrate
- 26.01 g
- Fat
- 1.94 g
- Fibre
- 4.33 g
- Calcium
- 11.52 mg
- Iron
- 0.27 mg
- Magnesium
- 8.47 mg
