Entree: Cambodia – Coastal Cambodia – ត្រីឆៀន ➤ trey chhien (Whole fried fish crisped until golden, served with a sour-sweet garlic and lime dipping sauce)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 15 min

Total 30 min

Ingredients

4 whole white-fleshed fish such as snapper or barramundi, scaled and gutted, head on, approx. 10 oz (280 g) each (estimate: The stated 280 g per fish is treated as gross whole-fish weight. Estimated cooked edible flesh is 450 g total (about 40% of gross weight); this is a practical yield assumption, not a measured amount.)
5 g salt, plus additional salt to taste if desired
60 g rice flour for dredging
30 g cornstarch, optional
720 ml neutral vegetable oil for deep frying
9 g garlic, minced
1 g ground white pepper
30 ml fish sauce for seasoning
30 ml lime juice for the marinade
2 scallions (green onions), thinly sliced (estimated 30 g)
15 g fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Dipping sauce (section label; no ingredient quantity)
45 ml fish sauce for the dipping sauce
30 ml lime juice for the dipping sauce
30 g palm sugar or light brown sugar
15 ml water
1 small red chili, thinly sliced (estimated 10 g)
3 g garlic, minced

Instructions

1. Pat the fish dry. Make 2–3 diagonal slashes on each side of each fish. Rub the fish inside and out with the stated 5 g salt and 30 ml marinade lime juice; rest for 10 minutes.
2. Whisk together the dipping-sauce fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, water, sliced chili, and minced garlic until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
3. Mix the rice flour, optional cornstarch, and white pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge each fish evenly and shake off excess coating.
4. Heat the 720 ml oil in a large, deep pan or wok to 175°C. Fry the fish in batches, about 5–7 minutes per side, until golden and crisp and the flesh flakes easily near the bone. Maintain the oil temperature between batches.
5. Transfer the fish to a rack or paper-towel-lined platter to drain briefly. Add optional extra salt to taste.
6. Serve the whole fish garnished with sliced scallions and cilantro, with the dipping sauce alongside.