White Fish Recipes

Serves 6 as part of a meal

• 200g squid
• 4 red shallots, peeled and sliced
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Large pinch roasted chilli powder, to taste (see notes)
• White sugar, to taste
• 1-2 tbsp tamarind water, to taste
• 1 tbsp fish sauce, or to taste
• A little chicken stock (optional)
• Coriander leaves
• Optional: A few ‘scuds’ (the hottest, smallest chillis you can find, see notes)

• Clean and score the squid. Keep the ink sac. Pound the shallots with the salt, garlic, lemongrass and scuds to make a coarse paste. Heat the oil and fry the paste until golden, add the squid, the ink and the roasted chilli powder.
• Reduce the heat and season with sugar, tamarind water and fish sauce – it may be necessary to moisten with a little stock. Serve sprinkled with the coriander.

  Notes: To make roasted chilli powder (prik bon): roast a cup of dried bird’s eye or dried long red chillies in a wok or pan over a medium heat, stirring regularly to prevent scorching, until they have changed colour and are beginning to toast. Cool, then grind to coarse or fine powder, as preferred, in a pestle and mortar or a clean coffee grinder. Store in an airtight container.

  NB: ‘Scud’ is a word coined by David Thompson for extremely small, hot Thai chillies because they work like a Scud Missile through the digestive system!