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Singapore style sambal fish


KennethT

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Those who've read my Singapore (and other) food blogs might know how much I love (Old) Lai Huat's sambal pomfret.  They take the whole fish and fry it, then cover it with this crazy savory sambal.  The fish is basically just a sambal delivery mechanism.  I'd be happy eating their sambal with just some rice, or even just licking it straight from the plate like a dog.  Needless to say, I've been trying to recreate it at home for years and never really been happy with it.  This is the closest I've come - it's pretty close.

 

Makes 2 meals for 2 people

 

100g medium size dried shrimp

10-15 (depending on size) dried puya or prik chee faa chillies - or other mildly spicy chilli

160g shallots, chopped

1 head of garlic, deskinned and crushed

200g spur chillies - mildly spicy long red chillies, deseeded

2-3 Thai chillies

30g belacan (shrimp paste), toasted then crumbled

Rice bran oil or other high heat oil for frying

 

1) Soak the dried shrimp for about 20 minutes, then drain

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2) chop then pound them in a mortar and pestle - you don't want it too fine

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3) Destem the dried chilli and snip into short lengths removing the seeds and soak for about 20 minutes, then drain discarding the soaking water

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4) In a food processor or blender, grind the shallot and garlic together to make a paste

 

5) Separately, grind the drained dried chillies and fresh chillies together to make a paste

 

6) In a wok, heat about 1/4 - 1/3 C oil, then fry the shallot/garlic paste until quite fragrant - about 3-4 minutes

 

7) Add the chilli paste and stir to combine, fry for a minute or two

 

8 ) Add the pounded dried shrimp and crumbled belacan, stir to combine

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9) Keep frying over medium heat, stirring to prevent scorching

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10) When the oil first starts to come out of the paste, turn the heat to medium low and keep going until the sambal is quite dry

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It should look kind of like this - or maybe even a little drier....

 

 

Try not to splatter your wall like I did...

 

11) Season - it should only need a little salt (both the belacan and dried shrimp are salty) and maybe a little sugar, then reserve and keep warm

 

12) season your fish (I used mahi mahi which worked well) with some salt, then coat in 50/50 cornstarch/rice flour... or all rice flour... or wondra flour....

 

13) Heat some oil in the wok and shallow fry the fish until done

 

14) Drain the fish, then top with a generous coating of sambal.  Serve with rice/stir fried veggies

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Edit: increased the amount of dried shrimp

Edited by KennethT (log)
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1 hour ago, weinoo said:

Have you ever made popcorn in that wok after making your fish dish?  Seems to be a thing these days.

I've only made popcorn once in that wok - it was a complete disaster.  The wok is thin carbon steel and it burnt (or I did rather) the crap out of the popcorn.

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