Note: For this dish you can use any firm flesh local fish. Tallwood usually uses South Coast favourites like snapper, mahi mahi or kingfish.
To make the broth– place all the ingredients into a pot over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer then take off the heat and let steep for at least an hour. Strain and set aside.
For the nahm jim – heat a barbeque or a grill to a medium-high heat and roast the garlic, chilli, eschallots, ginger and tomato until fragrant. Peel the garlic, eschallots and ginger and de-seed the chilli. Place all the ingredients into a blender and puree on a high speed. Season to taste with the palm sugar and fish sauce. Your nahm jim should be sweet, sour and spicy.
To finish – have a large pot of salted water boiling, ready to blanch the vegetables. Also have your broth hot and ready to serve. To cook the fish, place a large pan or grill onto a high heat. Rub the fish with some oil and place a little oil in the pan. Add the fish and cook on each side for 2-4 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish. Just before the fish is cooked, blanch the vegetables.
To serve – place some of the cooked greens and some cherry tomatoes and enoki mushrooms into the bottom of 6 bowls. Place a portion of fish on top, coat with a generous amount of the nahm jim and pour over the broth. Garnish with mint and coriander leaves and serve.
6 portions of firm flesh fish
1 bunch of broccolini
1 bunch Chinese broccoli
1 bunch asparagus
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
250g enoki mushrooms
coriander and mint leaves to garnish
vegetable oil
sea salt
fragrant broth
500ml chicken stock
100ml Chinese cooking wine
75ml fish sauce
60g palm sugar
40g tamarind pulp
½ a knob ginger
1 stick lemon grass, bruised
½ a knob galangal
1 chilli (optional)
roasted nahm jim
½ a bulb garlic, skin on
1 long red chilli
2 golden eschallots, skin on
½ knob ginger
1 tomato
1 stick lemongrass, chopped
2 coriander roots washed
½ tablespoons galangal, grated
juice of 4 limes
palm sugar, grated
fish sauce
tamarind pulp