Thai Salt Baked Barramundi

I still can’t over this fish that we had for dinner! It was so incredibly good that i am still craving for it. The fish is insanely juicy and moist, and when paired with the highly addictive dipping sauce and some rice, my rice was gone before i knew it! You might be tempted to just make this dish without the sauce, please don’t! The sauce is extremely addictive and it was so good that i was just eating it with rice, it’s that good (partly because we ran out of the fish too hahaha!). Benny was complaining that the fish was too small as we finished it so quickly! This is a sure proof that he loves this dish!

Note: you may make this dish fish with its scales on or off. For barramundi, i recommend scaling it for the salt to permeate into the flesh, and give it a nice, slightly salty taste.

Ingredients:

1. 1 barramundi/ seabass, about 500g gutted and scaled
2. Stuffings: 2 lemongrass, bruised, whites only
3. Pandan leaves, trimmed in short lengths
4. About 5 kaffir lime leaves
5. Generous amount of coarse rock salt

•  Dipping Sauce

1. 1 – 3 chilli padi to taste
2. 2 cloves garlic, chopped
   
3. 1 tbsp gula melaka syrup
   
4. 2 tbsp coarsely grounded peanuts
   
5. Juice from 1 large lime
   
6. 2 tbsp tamarind sauce
7. 2.5 tbsp fish sauce
8. Small bunch of coriander, chopped
   
9. Handful of mint leaves
   

Method:

1.  Stuff fish with stuffing ingredients in its cavity.
2. Rub salt all over the fish generously, on both sides.
3. Bake in a preheated oven, at 175 deg for about 20 – 30 minutes depending to size. I baked mine for about 22 minutes.
4. While the fish is baking, mix all ingredients for the dipping sauce.
5. When fish is done, brush off the salt and peel off the skin.
6. Best served with dipping sauce and steamed rice.