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Snapper sandwich with red curry, dill and ginger

Karen Batson

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Magic Mountain Saloon's snapper sandwich with red curry, dill and ginger.
Magic Mountain Saloon's snapper sandwich with red curry, dill and ginger.Chris Hopkins

Melbourne's Magic Mountain Saloon executive chef Karen Batson marries Thai flavours with a healthy, wholefood philosophy. The snapper sandwich with red curry, dill and gingerbased dish is based on a traditional dish from North-East Thailand (ngob pla). Here's an even simpler version you can make at home. You can use shop-bought curry paste (see note below) and grill or bake the fish in your oven.

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Ingredients

  • 6 baby snapper fillets, scaled and pin boned (ask your fishmonger to do this)

  • 3 tbs red curry paste (recipe below)*

  • 1 banana leaf (or use baking paper and foil)

  • coconut cream

  • ¼ bunch fresh dill for garnishing

Magic Mountain Saloon's red curry paste

  • *If you're in a hurry you can use a good-quality red curry paste and add finely diced lemongrass, shallots, the krachai (or ginger) and a pinch of tumeric. 

  • 2 sticks lemongrass (white part only, finely sliced)

  • 10 lime leaves (finely sliced)

  • 4cm tumeric, peeled and sliced (or use dry tumeric, to taste)

  • 5 shallots, peeled and sliced

  • 10 garlic cloves (peeled and sliced)

  • 10 birdseye chilli

  • 4 krachai* fingers (or use about 2cm normal ginger) peeled and sliced

  • 2 tbsp roasted rice powder **

  • 1 tbsp fish sauce 

  • ½ tbsp castor sugar

  • pinch of white pepper and salt

  • *Krachai is the Thai name for lesser galangal (a type of ginger). If you cannot get it fresh, you can buy it in a jar from an Asian grocer. You may need to add more than the specified amount as it does not have the same strength. 

  • **Roasted rice powder is jasmine rice toasted in a dry pan with makrut lime leaves for 10–15 minutes. Grind in a spice or coffee grinder (it adds a nutty flavour to the dish).

Tamarind sauce

  • 100ml tamarind water

  • 30ml Asian seasoning sauce (similar to soy sauce - Karen uses Green Label brand) check gluten-free if required

  • 45ml fish sauce

  • 100g castor sugar

Method

  1. 1. Make the curry paste (use a mortar and pestle , or put everything in a food processor and blitz). 

    2. Place one snapper fillet, skin-side-down on a piece of baking paper. Smear with curry paste and top with fresh dill.

    3. Place the second fillet on top, skin-side-up. Fold the baking paper (or banana leaf) to make a parcel and then wrap in foil. 

    4. Repeat with remaining snapper fillets to make three 'sandwiches' in total.

    5. Either grill or bake the snapper

    To grill: Cook over a barbecue with coals (or on a hot griddle pan on stove) for six minutes each side. 

    To bake: Bake in oven at 180C for 20-25 minutes until fish cooked through.

    To serve: peel open the paper and foil parcels, drizzle with some coconut cream and garnish with a sprig of fresh dill.

    Serve with a green papaya salad and tamarind sauce (below).

    Tamarind sauce

    1. Stir all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

    2. Spoon over snapper sandwiches to taste.

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Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/recipes/snapper-sandwich-with-red-curry-dill-and-ginger-20160715-gq6d4h.html