Crispy fish tempura with sweet and sour sambal

Historically, the dish’s origins are Spanish and Chinese; during colonial rule, sweet and sour fish served in Chinese restaurants was renamed in the Spanish tongue, a tribute or perhaps mistaken identity with their own citrus-fish escabeche.

Credit: Under Coconut Skies

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  35 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• vegetable oil, for shallow-frying
• 100 g (⅔ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 30 g (¼ cup) cornflour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 185 ml (¾ cup) chilled soda water
• sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) skinless dory fillets, cut into 60–80 g (2–2¾ oz) pieces
• ¼ each red, yellow and green capsicums (bell peppers), cut into 5-mm (¼ in) dice

Sweet and sour sambal

• 1 large red capsicum (bell pepper)
• 2 large tomatoes
• 2 Asian shallots, unpeeled
• 2 bird’s eye chillies, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp sukang tuba (coconut vinegar)
• 2 tbsp grated palm sugar
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 makrut lime leaves
• sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the grill (broiler) to high. To make the sweet and sour sambal, line a baking tray with foil. Place the capsicum, tomatoes and shallots on the prepared tray and grill, turning every 5 minutes, for 15–20 minutes, until charred and blistered. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes, then remove the skins. Transfer the vegetables and chillies to a food processor and process until almost smooth.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sautè for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the puréed vegetables and the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes or until thickened.
3. Fill a deep frying pan with 1 cm (½ in) vegetable oil and set over high heat. Place the flour, cornflour, egg and soda water in a large bowl and stir until just combined (you want chunks of flour remaining). Season the fish generously, then, working in batches, dip the fish in the batter and cook in the oil for 2 minutes each side or until crisp and cooked through. Drain on paper towel.
4. Place the tempura fish on a serving platter and pour over the sweet and sour sambal. Scatter with the mixed capsicum and serve.

 

Recipe and image from Under Coconut Skies by Yasmin Newman, Smith Street Books, RRP $55.00.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.