Catfish stir-fry

• serves

  2-3

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• ¼ cup vegetable oil, for shallow frying
• 500 g catfish fillets, cut into cubes
• 2 lemongrass stalk, white part only, finely chopped
• 8 ginger roots, peeled, finely sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 5 cm galangal, finely sliced
• 1 onion, cut into wedges
• 6 makrut limes, finely sliced
• 2 long red chillies, finely sliced
• 10 whole fresh green peppercorns
• ½ tbsp white sugar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• ½ tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• handful fresh Asian basil leaves, to garnish

Instructions

Add oil to a wok and bring to 180°C. Shallow fry the fish, in two batches, for 3-4 minutes or until crisp and golden. Remove from oil and drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the oil.

Heat the reserved oil in a wok. Add the lemongrass, ginger root, garlic and galangal. Cook for 2 minutes or until aromatic. Add the onion and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.

Return the fish to the wok. Add the makrut lime leaves, red chillies and green peppercorns. Season with the sugar, fish sauce and oyster sauce.

Stir-fry for a further 3 minutes. Squeeze with lime juice and transfer to a serving plate.

Garnish with Asian basil to serve.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.