One of my favorite ways to cook this particular fish is in soup form, as I love the whole fish, including the skin, liver, heart, roe, etc. So I find soup is the best way to enjoy all the parts of this amazing creature. If I'm willing to take a life, and am privileged enough to get the whole thing, I will respect that life by eating all of it.
Please keep in mind, this recipe is not for the faint of heart.
Here's what you'll need:
1 whole black cod (2.5-3 pounds), or large chunks if a whole fish is not available
6 cups hot water, plus 6 cups hot water
1 cup rice wine
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 dashes fish sauce
3 tbsp. minced ginger
1 4-ounce can of thai red curry paste
2 stalks green onion, diced into 1-cm length pieces
1 kaffir lime cut in half or half of a regular lime, reserve the other half lime
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
Here's what you'll do:
- If using a whole fish, descale, clean the fish, then chop it into 3-inch pieces. I usually just cut through the bone. Bones provide a lot of flavor. If you don't know how to clean a fish, there are many web sites available that provide these instructions. Just remember: practice makes perfect.
- If using fish fillet, cut up into 3-inch chunks.
- Place fish pieces in a large pot or dutch oven, pour over with 6 cups of hot water, swirl around a few times and pour out this water. This removes some of the excess fat and oils or any leftover blood from butchering.
- Pour in 6 new cups of hot water and the rice wine with the fish and place pot on high heat until it comes to a boil, then turn heat down to medium-low.
- Add in the curry paste and, carefully, using a spoon or fork, break up the curry paste in the water.
- Then add all the other ingredients: soy sauce, sugar, ginger, lime, fish sauce, and coconut milk.
- Let the fish cook until it is flaky and falls away from the bones easily. This happens fairly quickly, about 5-10 minutes. Since fish pieces are usually different sizes, I usually remove the smaller pieces once cooked, and set them aside in a bowl or plate to prevent over cooking.
- Once all the fish is cooked through, taste the broth and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with fresh cilantro, fresh lime juice and serve hot. Be sure to warn your family or guests about the bones or you can remove the bones before serving.
- Feel free to add pieces of cooked potato, carrot, turnip, bean sprouts and/or thai basil.
- Enjoy!
