How to Make Thai Crispy Fish and Apple Salad

I was inspired to attempt this dish after sampling Fresh Crispy Snapper + Mango Salad at Lao-Thai eatery Holy Basil in Canley Heights recently. The footnote in the menu said that when out of season, they substitute green mango with apple, which I thought was a brilliant idea since not many greengrocers outside of postcode 2166 (Cabramatta, Canley Vale and Canley Heights) sell Thai green mango even when it is in season.

I also used barramundi fillets (frozen ones from Aldi) instead of a whole snapper, because it’s a lower bar to set for the average Aussie cook (not many home kitchens have the setup to deep-fry a whole fish).

By the way, in hindsight I think it would have worked better had I used a 1:1 ratio of green mango and green apple – just to mix up the texture a bit.

 

 

 

Thai Crispy Fish and Apple Salad

INGREDIENTS:

3 pieces frozen fish fillets, skin on (about 2-3 inch lengths each)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp white pepper

2 Tbsps tapioca starch

1 egg white

Oil for deep-frying

 

3 cups green apple, coarsely grated with mandolin or cut into thin strips with knife

2 Tbsps grated carrot

4 cherry tomatoes, halved

3 cloves garlic

4 thin slices Spanish onion

2 bird’s eye chillies

1 snake bean, cut into 2-inch lengths

1 Tbsp roasted peanuts, skin off

2 Tbsps dried shrimp, rinsed and toasted

3 Tbsps honey or dissolved Thai palm sugar

3 Tbsps lemon juice

2 Tbsps fish sauce

Coriander and Mint leaves for garnishing

METHOD:

  1. Heat oil in wok to 180C.
  2. Sprinkle salt and white pepper on fish pieces.
  3. Drench with egg white, coat with tapioca starch, and deep-fry until crispy.
  4. Remove and set aside.
  5. If using a mortar and pestle, lightly pound garlic, chillies, dried shrimp and peanuts; add sauce ingredients and mix well. Alternatively blend sauce ingredients in food processor, then add the garlic, chillies, dried shrimp and peanuts and chop coarsely.
  6. Transfer into a mixing bowl and add grated apple, carrot, snake beans and tomatoes. Mix well, then serve topped with crispy fish fillets, coriander and mint.

 

 

 

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