Fried Fish with Sweet Chili and Garlic Sauce

This crispy pan-fried fish has a sweet and spicy sauce made with lots of hot chili and garlic. Known as Plah Tub Tim Rad Prik, it is a very popular dish in Thailand that is often ordered as part of a large family-style meal for special occasions. Most Thais would not make it at home, as it can be a little messy to cook, but it is really quite easy to do. The fish we used here is the Nile Talapia, which is known in Thailand as Tub Tim. It is a farm-raised freshwater fish that fries up nicely and has solid juicy meat. You can do this recipe with any kind of fish that you would normally fry, such as Bass, Bluegill, Crappie, or other perch-type fish. The sauce is simple. It's just sugar, hot and mild chilies, garlic, and fish sauce.

Yield: 2 - 4 servings

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cooking time: 10 Minutes

Ready in: 15 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 large Nile Tilapia
1 Thai Long Chili
2 Thai Hot Chilies
4 - 5 large cloves Garlic
2 Tablespoons Coconut Sugar
2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Tablespoons All purpose flour

Basic Directions:

1) Coat the fish in flour and fry it in deep oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side, then remove it to a wire rack to drain the oil.

2) Pour the oil from the pan, leaving just a little to coat the pan, then add the chilies, garlic, sugar, and fish sauce. Fry until it make a rich and sticky sauce.

3) Arrange the fish on a nice plate, then pour the sauce over it. Serve with steamed rice and other foods for a complete meal.