I’m more than a little addicted to this salty, spicy, crunchy side dish. It’s simultaneously the perfect bar food and lunch. You hallow-fry fried anchovies or some other small dried fish and then toss them with sautéed garlic, beansprouts, chili and fish sauce. Then serve with steamed rice and a papaya smoothie and you’re (back) in Thailand or Malaysia. The beansprouts make it feel healthy and the fried fish makes it feel like a treat.
The recipe is from Heavenly Fragrance: Cooking with Aromatic Asian Herbs, Fruits, Spices and Seasonings by Carol Selva Rajah. The photos are beautiful, the recipes authentic and this one in particular is worthy of a medal.
You can browse some of the books recipes here, but not this one. You’ll find the small dried fish in packages at Asian grocery stores. Sometimes they’re called things like “threadfin” or “mergul.” Heat a quarter cup of oil over high heat in a large skillet and add a 1/2 cup of them, cooking for 2-3 minutes until they’re golden brown. Drain them on paper towel. Pour off the excess oil and add some minced garlic and chili pepper flakes or crushed dried chili peppers to the pan. 30 seconds later, add a couple cups of beansprouts. Toss for 30 seconds. Add the fish back in. Add a few tsp of soy sauce. Pour into a large bowl. Top with mint. Serve with white rice. That’s the gist of it. If you need more direction, do buy the book. Well, buy it anyway.
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