Poached fish usually has a really bad reputation because bland, tasteless fish usually comes to mind. This recipe is anything but flavourless. The fish is cooked two ways - seared in a hot pan to give it a golden crust and finished by being poached in a super punchy coconut chilli lime sauce.
This sauce is really something else. Usually one would expect that you would need to add some Thai red curry paste to attain that level of flavour in the given time frame. Shockingly this doesn't need any of that. The key here is to caramelise the ginger, garlic, brown sugar and lemon grass at the beginning stages. You shouldn't burn it but you kind of need to stop the process juuuuuust before that. If you are not able to brown it well then it just won't have the same flavour profile. So keep a close eye on it at this stage.
You can use any kind of fish to make this. I have used salmon but literally any white fish will taste amazing. I have also used Posh Nosh chilli-garlic sauce in this recipe but you can use any chilli-garlic sauce that you have in your fridge or any kind that you find in your supermarket.
Telling you that it tastes exactly like Thai red curry is a bit of a stretch but it requires only half the time and half the ingredients! Other than that, the entire recipe is super easy and very easy to follow. You can also make it really quickly. It is pretty impressive to get this much of flavour with such few ingredients.
Flakey fish which is seared and then poached in a flavoursome coconut chilli lime sauce. Super simple to make and jam packed with flavour.
Sprinkle over some salt, pepper and paprika on both sides of the fish.
Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil in the saucepan. Wait for the pan to get hot and give the fish a good sear on either side. Cook for approximately 45 seconds to a minute per side. Once done, remove the fish onto some kitchen paper.
Now add the oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, lemongrass and brown sugar. Make sure that the mixture caramelises really well. Let it almost become a nice dark brown in colour. Put in the paprika, chilli flakes and chilli garlic sauce and cook for another minute.
Now pour the coconut milk and soya sauce into the saucepan.
Once it starts to heat up, put your fish back in and let it bubble away and finish cooking for a couple of minutes. Remove your fish fillets from the pan and let them rest on the side. Just before removing from the heat, add in the fish sauce, zest and juice of 1/2 a lime along with the chopped basil. Leave a few to scatter on top before serving. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice and some crunchy greens.
Ingredients
Directions
Sprinkle over some salt, pepper and paprika on both sides of the fish.
Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil in the saucepan. Wait for the pan to get hot and give the fish a good sear on either side. Cook for approximately 45 seconds to a minute per side. Once done, remove the fish onto some kitchen paper.
Now add the oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, lemongrass and brown sugar. Make sure that the mixture caramelises really well. Let it almost become a nice dark brown in colour. Put in the paprika, chilli flakes and chilli garlic sauce and cook for another minute.
Now pour the coconut milk and soya sauce into the saucepan.
Once it starts to heat up, put your fish back in and let it bubble away and finish cooking for a couple of minutes. Remove your fish fillets from the pan and let them rest on the side. Just before removing from the heat, add in the fish sauce, zest and juice of 1/2 a lime along with the chopped basil. Leave a few to scatter on top before serving. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice and some crunchy greens.
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