Fried Sardine with Thai Sweet & Sour Chili Sauce

When thinking of fish, most people like to use large fish with less bones, like salmon, tuna or cod. But I actually prefer cooking with smaller fish that has richer tastes and softer textures. 

Sardine or herring are a common local fish that is caught in this part of the world. And right now it is a season that you could easily get the fresh ones in a supermarket or fishmonger. 

I really love cooking herrings or sardine in tasty dishes because the fish has this special taste that goes very well and compliment with spices. You would still taste the fish. It won’t get overwhelmed with tasty seasonings.

Ingredients:

~ Sardines / or fresh fish of your choice 

~ Cooking oil to fry the fish and 1 tsp of salt

Sweet & Sour Chili sauce (for 300 g. of fish)

~ 3 tbsp tamarind paste

~ 3 tbsp fish sauce

~ 2 tbsp palm sugar / sugar

~ 1 whole garlic, minced

~ 2 large chili pepper minced

~ 3 coriander roots (or a handful of coriander stems), minced

~ 1/2 cup water

~ 2 tbsp cooking oil

How to:     

✔️ Add cooking oil to the pan and spread the salt around in the pan. Heat up the oil in high heat. Fry the fish in the cooking oil, in medium high heat, until golden brown or crispy skin and set aside.

Preparing the sauce

✔️ Add cooking oil to a pan. Then add garlic, coriander and chili pepper to the pan. Stir for about 2 minute.

✔️ Add tamarin paste, fish sauce, palm sugar  and water to the pan.  Stir until the sugar is melted and the sauce is thicken up, then turn off the heat.

Tips and Tricks:

🤓 Coriander roots are the secret ingredient to make this sauce outstanding from other type of sweet and sour sauce. If you can’t get the root, then use the coriander stems. 

🤓 The sauce can be used as a dipping sauce (like the sweet chili sauce) by double or tripple fish sauce, sugar and tamarin paste up. And make it a bit thicker like dipping sauce consistency. It can be stored in the fridge for weeks.