Ingredients

Serves 5

Fish
600 g mulloway fillet, skin on, sliced into 5 even pieces
Sea salt
2 sheets banana leaf (40cm in length), softened
2 tablespoons nuoc cham dressing (below)
 
Marinade
½ tablespoon pounded galangal (2cm piece)
1 tablespoon pounded turmeric (4cm piece)
1 tablespoon pounded lemongrass
¼ tablespoon pounded garlic
½ teaspoon red curry powder (Ayam brand)
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoon fish sauce
 

Salad
30 g green papaya, julienned
2 tablespoons segmented grapefruit
2 perilla leaves, sliced
2 Vietnamese mint, sliced
5 dried goji berries, rehydrated
½ teaspoon roasted sliced almonds
¼ teaspoon roasted black rice powder
 

Nuoc Cham Dressing
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons white vinegar
125 ml young coconut juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bird’s eye chilli, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons lime juice
 

Roasted Black Rice Powder
200 g (1 cup) Black rice

 
 

 

Method

Marinade
Combine pounded galangal, turmeric, lemongrass & garlic in a mortar and make a fine paste.
 
Nuoc Cham Dressing
Combine the fish sauce, white vinegar, sugar and coconut juice in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir well and cook until just before boiling point is reached, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. To serve, add the garlic and chilli, then stir in the lime juice.
 
Roasted Black Rice Powder
In a dry wok stir-fry the rice over medium heat until it is fragrant & toasted. Allow to cool and place in a mortar and pound to a fine powder.
 

Fish
1. In a mixing bowl, combine all marinate ingredients, mix well then allow the ingredients to infuse for 10 minutes.
2. Season the fish with sea salt then add to the marinate mix and marinate for 2 hours. Turn it after an hour.
3. Wrap the fish in banana leaf and steam in a bamboo steamer on rapid boil for 7-8 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, combine all salad ingredients except for the almonds to a bowl and toss.
5. Lay a banana leaf on a long platter then transfer the fish fillets to the plate, skin side up.
6. Place the salad on top of the fish, dress with 2 tablespoons of nuoc cham then garnish with roasted almonds.