Crispy Thai Fried Fish (Pla Thot)
ปลาทอด Pla thotSay it: plah TAWT
Pla thot is Thailand's crisp-skinned fried fish: a whole fish cooked hard in hot oil until the skin blisters and crackles while the flesh inside stays moist. It is everyday food, sold at street stalls and served at home with steamed jasmine rice, and it also appears as a shareable centerpiece at Thai restaurants. The fish needs only salt, pepper and a thin starch dusting; the sharp, sour-salty dressing of fish sauce, lime, garlic and bird's-eye chili is what makes it special.
Crispy Thai Fried Fish (Pla Thot)
ปลาทอด, Pla thot
Pronounced plah TAWT
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains fish. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Fish
Dressing and garnish
Method
Pat the fish very dry inside and out with paper towels. Make 2–3 shallow diagonal slashes on each side through the thickest part of the flesh, then rub salt and white pepper all over, including the cavity.
Dust the fish lightly with the cornstarch, patting it into the skin and into the slashes, and shake off any excess so only a thin film remains.
For the dressing, stir the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, water, minced garlic and sliced chilies in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Taste: it should be sharply sour, salty and just slightly sweet.
Heat the oil in a wide wok or deep frying pan to 350°F (175°C). Fry the sliced garlic for the garnish in a small strainer in the hot oil until pale golden, 20–30 seconds, then drain on paper towels.
Carefully lower the fish into the oil, holding it with tongs or a slotted spoon. Fry 7–9 minutes on the first side, until deeply golden and the edges of the slashes curl, then turn and fry 6–8 minutes more.
The fish is done when the skin is blistered and crisp all over and a thin knife slid in at the backbone meets no resistance. Lift it onto a rack over a tray to drain.
Set the fish on a platter, spoon the dressing over or serve it alongside, and scatter with the fried garlic and cilantro.
Regional variant: Pla Thot Kamin (Turmeric Fried Fish) ปลาทอดขมิ้น
Pound 1 tsp (3 g) ground turmeric with 2 garlic cloves and the salt into a rough paste and rub it over the fish before dusting with cornstarch. The fish fries up deep golden with an earthy, garlicky aroma; serve it with the same lime-fish sauce dressing or simply with nam pla prik.
Cook's notes
- Dry the fish thoroughly and keep the oil at 350°F (175°C); damp skin and cool oil make it stick and tear.
- Ask the fishmonger to clean and scale it but leave the head and tail on — that is the traditional shape.
- Fry in a wok wide enough that the oil comes only a third of the way up the side; the fish spits and bubbles hard at first.
Serve with
Steamed jasmine rice, cucumber slices and extra nam pla prik (fish sauce with sliced chilies).
Make ahead and storage
The dressing keeps 1 day refrigerated; fry the fish just before serving. Leftovers keep 1 day and re-crisp best in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 8–10 minutes.
