Thai Dinner Menu, Keo’s Honolulu-Style
A whole snapper fried crisp and crowned with tamarind-glazed noodles, built for a table full of hands.
By Steven Russell
Thai
A whole snapper fried crisp and crowned with tamarind-glazed noodles, built for a table full of hands.
This menu comes out of Keo’s, the Honolulu restaurant that introduced a generation of islanders to bright, herb-forward Thai cooking. The whole fried fish is the centerpiece, and for good reason: a crackling snapper on a platter turns any dinner into an occasion.
The technique looks intimidating and really is not. You dredge the fish in cornstarch for that shatter-crisp skin, fry it until it is cooked through, then build a fast tamarind and fish sauce glaze in a second wok. The noodles get tossed in that sauce and piled over and around the fish so everything eats together.
What makes this dish sing is the finish. The bean sprouts and scallions go in at the very end so they stay bright and crunchy, a fresh contrast to the deep-fried fish underneath. Serve it family style, let everyone pull pieces off the bone, and let the fish do the talking.
Pat the scored fish completely dry, then dredge it all over in cornstarch and shake off the excess.
Why A dry surface and a thin cornstarch coat are what give you shatter-crisp skin instead of a soggy, oil-logged crust.Heat 2 inches of oil in a wok to 350F. Carefully lower in the fish and fry 6 to 8 minutes per side until crisp and cooked through, then drain it on a rack.
Why Holding a steady 350F cooks the fish through before the outside burns, and a rack keeps the underside crisp while the rest fries.
Soak the rice noodles per the package instructions until pliable, then drain them well.
Why Pre-soaking softens the noodles so they finish quickly in the wok without absorbing all the sauce and turning gummy.In a separate wok, saute the minced garlic until fragrant, then add the fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and tamarind paste to build the sauce.
Why Blooming the garlic first sets the aromatic base, and the tamarind and sugar balance the salty fish sauce into that signature sweet, sour, savory glaze.Add the julienned carrots and drained noodles, tossing constantly to coat them in the sauce and heat them through.
Why Constant tossing coats every strand evenly and keeps the noodles from sticking to the hot wok.Stir in the bean sprouts and scallions at the very end, just until they begin to wilt.
Why Adding them last preserves their fresh crunch and color, the bright contrast against the rich fried fish.Pile the noodles over and around the whole fried fish on a large platter and bring it to the table.
Why Serving it family style keeps the fish crisp until the moment everyone digs in and makes the dish the centerpiece it is meant to be.
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