Fast Recipes

Crisp fish with sambal and snake beans

Australian Gourmet Traveller fast recipe for crisp fish with sambal and snake beans.

By Lisa Featherby
  • Serves 4
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Crisp fish with sambal and snake beans

Ingredients

  • 600 gm coconut oil
  • 750 gm barramundi (about a side), skin on
  • For dusting: cornflour
  • 2 bunches snake beans, cut into 6cm lengths
  • To serve: coriander sprigs, lime wedges, chunks of cucumber and steamed rice (optional)
Sambal
  • 20 gm shrimp paste
  • 50 gm freshly grated coconut
  • 7 long red chillies, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tsp roasted chilli flakes
  • 3 small golden shallots, coarsely chopped
  • 7 gm ginger, coarsely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
  • 50 gm dark palm sugar

Method

Main
  • 1
    Heat coconut oil in a deep wok over medium-high heat until starting to smoke. Place cornflour in a bowl, season to taste, score skin of fish well and dust in flour, shaking off excess. Gently slide fish into oil (be careful, hot oil will bubble up; if necessary, turn heat off briefly until the bubbles subside). Cook until golden and crisp on the outside (15 minutes). Drain fish on paper towels and keep warm. Reserve oil.
  • 2
    For sambal, process ingredients except sugar in a small food processor until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan with 100ml of the reserved oil and stir occasionally over medium-high heat until toasted and fragrant (5-7 minutes). Add palm sugar and stir until caramelised (3-5 minutes). Set aside.
  • 3
    Heat 1 tbsp reserved oil in a frying pan, add beans and stir occasionally over high heat until tender and golden (3-5 minutes).
  • 4
    Place fish on a platter, spoon sambal over and scatter with beans. Serve hot with steamed rice (optional), lime wedges, cucumber and coriander to the side.