Thai Crispy Sea Bass with Chili Fish Sauce Pla Tod Nam Pla 🐟🌶️

Description

Pla Tod Nam Pla is a beloved Thai fish dish where whole sea bass is fried until deeply crisp, then served with a bold sauce of fish sauce, garlic, lime, and chili. The skin turns golden and crackling while the flesh stays tender and juicy, creating one of the most dramatic and satisfying Thai seafood plates. 🌿
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Hook ✨
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Golden crispy fish, sharp lime, fiery chili, and savory fish sauce create a Thai seafood dish that feels loud, fresh, and unforgettable. 🌶️

Ingredients

• Fish
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• 🐟 1 whole sea bass, about 800 g (1.75 lb), cleaned and scored
• 🧂 4 g salt (¾ tsp / 0.14 oz)
• 🌾 30 g cornstarch or rice flour (3 tbsp / 1 oz)
• 🫒 700 ml vegetable oil for frying (3 cups / 24 fl oz)
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• Chili fish sauce
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• 🥣 30 ml fish sauce (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🍋 30 ml lime juice (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🍬 10 g palm sugar (2 tsp / 0.35 oz)
• 🧄 12 g garlic, finely minced (4 cloves / 0.4 oz)
• 🌶️ 8 g red chili, thin sliced (2 chilies / 0.28 oz)
• 🧅 30 g shallot, finely sliced (¼ cup / 1 oz)
• 🌿 10 g cilantro leaves (2 tbsp / 0.35 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Prepare the fish
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3. Pat the sea bass very dry, rub lightly with salt, and dust with cornstarch so the skin fries extra crisp. 🐟
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5. 2️⃣ Heat the oil
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7. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan or wok to about 180°C (356°F). 🔥
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9. 3️⃣ Fry the fish
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11. Carefully fry the whole fish for about 8–10 min, turning once, until golden brown and crisp all over. 🍳
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13. 4️⃣ Drain the fish
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15. Transfer the fried fish to a rack or paper towels so excess oil drains away. 🧻
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17. 5️⃣ Make the sauce
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19. Mix fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, garlic, chili, and shallot until the sugar dissolves. 🥣
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21. 6️⃣ Add the herbs
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23. Stir cilantro into the sauce at the end so it stays fresh and aromatic. 🌿
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25. 7️⃣ Plate the fish
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27. Place the crispy fish on a serving plate while still hot and crackling. 🍽️
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29. 8️⃣ Finish and serve
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31. Spoon the chili fish sauce over the top or serve it on the side for dipping. 🌶️

Total Time

🕒 Prep: 15 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 12 min
🛋 Rest: 3 min
⏰ Total: 30 min

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