Ingredients
| 4 John Dory fillets, skin on | |
| vegetable oil for frying | |
| knob of butter | |
| 1 tablespoon lemon juice | |
| jasmine rice, to serve | |
| pickles, to serve | |
| FOR THE SPICY SOYBEAN GLAZE | |
| 50g peeled garlic | |
| 50g wholegrain mustard | |
| 50ml vegetable oil | |
| 1⁄4 teaspoon salt | |
| 250g soy bean paste (at Nanam they use Healthy Boy brand) | |
| 100ml white vinegar | |
| 100g brown sugar | |
| 2 bird’s eye chillies | |
| FOR THE PICKLES | |
| 200g sugar | |
| 400g white vinegar | |
| 20g garlic, sliced | |
| 10g ginger, sliced | |
| 20g salt | |
| seasonal vegetables, cut into small chunks |
This dish is traditionally served using whole fish, and if you choose to do so then stuff the cavity with lemongrass, ginger, garlic and Chinese chives. Score the fish skin on the diagonal two or three times and season with salt before frying or roasting. The sauce makes more than you will need but it is hard to make it in smaller amounts. It should keep well in the fridge for at least a month.
Instructions
| 1. | Pat the fillets dry with paper towels, making sure they are thoroughly dry to ensure crisp skin. |
| 2. | Heat the pan, add some vegetable oil and the butter and when the butter foams add the fish, skin side down, and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden and crisp. |
| 3. | Then turn over and finish cooking until cooked through. |
| 4. | Serve with some jasmine rice cooked (by the absorption method) with coconut milk, water and pandan leaves. |
| 5. | Top with the soybean glaze and serve with some pickles. |
| 6. | FOR THE SPICY SOYBEAN GLAZE |
| 7. | In a blender, blitz the garlic, mustard, vegetable oil and salt until smooth. |
| 8. | Add a splash of water if you are having trouble getting a smooth paste. |
| 9. | Put into a saucepan with the remaining ingredients and simmer over very low heat for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent it catching and burning at the bottom. |
| 10. | Keep in the fridge and warm gently before using. |
| 11. | FOR THE PICKLES |
| 12. | Combine the sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger and salt in a saucepan and bring to the boil. |
| 13. | Pour over the prepared vegetables and leave to cool. |
Recipes & food styling Andrew Soriano & Jessabel Granada / Photography Tony Nyberg
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