- 1
- 30 mins
- 40 mins
Ingredients
- For the Fish 1 1/4 pounds firm, mild flavored white fish fillets (I used Ling Cod) cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons fermented sticky rice or see my substitution above
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pineapple Fish Sauce 3 1/2 ounces fresh peeled ripe pineapple, cut into small chunks (about 1/2 cup)
- 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fermented fish sauce (naam plaa raa, a thicker fish sauce available in Asian markets, or use 1 extra tablespoon fish sauce)
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 thinly slice red Thai chile or jalapeno chili,
- Turmeric Oil 1/3 cup neutral oil ( I use grapeseed oil)
- 1 inch piece of fresh or frozen turmeric, thinly sliced
- The Noodles8 ounces dried rice vermicelli, cooked according to package directions, rinsed and well drained
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion tops
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill weed
- 1/4 cup coarsley chopped roasted peanuts
- For the Rest 2 cups green onions, sliced on the diagonal into 1 1/2 slices
- 1/2 cup dill weed fronds, without large stems
- Pineapple Salsa1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple
- 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh red chile
- 1 tablespoon chopped green onion
- 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
- Dash salt
Preparation
Step 1
which is also fermented rice. But it’s not at all like Sake. Fermented sticky rice is rice, that ferments with the addition of yeast and sugar, then left on the counter to ferment for 8 to 12 days. After this amount of time, the rice looks like rice pudding, very soft, with a pungent vinegary smell. There are a few recipes out there for fermented sticky rice, but as it does take 8 -12 days, and I’m not that great of a future planner, I was lucky to find some in the refrigerator section of my Asian market. Using the fermented sticky rice, along with the turmeric to marinate the fish, gave it a slightly crunchy outside once it was fried in the flavored oil.
I would use two tablespoons of rice flour, mixed with a bit of water and about 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar or sake, to mimimic the glutenous rice. Mix that with the turmeric and then marinate your fish pieces. It won’t be perfect, but it will get the job done.
So don’t be wearing any light clothing, and wear gloves or use a spoon when mixing the fish into the marinade. Unless, of course, you like yellow hands.
is being found more often in the aisles of some of the finer grocery stores and health food stores as it is touted for its medicinal and digestive properties. If you can’t find fresh turmeric, I would use some thinly sliced ginger in its place; ginger being a close cousin will impart good flavor, if not exactly the same flavor. And flavor is good.
Most of the modifications I made to the recipe are minor, and procedural. I used less oil in the preparation, I guess the original idea was to have you serve the fish table side, with the oil to pour over the fish pieces once you put them on the herbed rice noodles. I didn’t see the need for extra oil on my food, so I didn’t use it. Secondly, I mixed the noodles with the Pineapple Fish Sauce and added the herbs to it, tossing it so everything was nice and mixed in rather then serve them all separate. And last, but not least, we came up with a pineapple salsa to put on the top which was really refreshingly good; a perfect complement.
8 ounces dried rice vermicelli, cooked according to package directions, rinsed and well drained
Combine the fermented rice, tumeric powder and salt in a large bowl; add the fish and mix well to coat all the pieces of fish (
). Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least an hour, or overnight.
Place all the ingredients except the chiles into a food processor or blender, blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl (
may be kept at room temperature for a few hours; if keeping longer, place in the refrigerator. Remove at least an hour before serving.
) Stir in the chiles right before using.
Make the Turmeric Oil
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set-aside.
In a large bowl combine the rice noodles with the pineapple fish sauce; add the fresh herbs, reserving some for the top. Toss well to combine.
Heat the turmeric oil in a large skillet over medium high heat; add the fish and cook, turning until brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and dill fronds, toss until combined and the onions start to wilt.
. Place the herbed noodles into a bowl; top with the fish and spoon the onions and dill over the top (
Nutritional information is provided so you can make good choices, but may not be 100% accurate