The result is quite delicious! Scott said that it tasted just like Jia Tella's catfish amok. To my taste buds, my food processor didn't do quite as good a job of mincing everything together, so the result was "chunkier" than I would perhaps like it to be. It still had a great flavor. But it took way way way long than the "30 minute" prep time. Just skinning and boning the catfish alone took over an hour (this coming from someone who had never skinned a fish before). I think next time I'll just buy skinless white fish meat.
The other difficult part came in putting the banana leaf together (not very clear instructions given) and then steaming the whole darn thing. I kind of just made up how to fold the banana leaves (which, by the way, were huge!). We only have a rice cooker (with no steamer basket), so I did my best to fit these two huge amok things in the pot with a little bit of water on the bottom. It did the trick but it took cooking it twice in a row and emptying the water out of the final result. Still, it was fun and worth it!
Catfish amok (from http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/tv-show-recipes/gordons-great-escape-recipes/amok-cambodian-steamed-fish-curry-recipe)
Note: Takes 30 minutes to prepare, plus 20 minutes steaming time
Ingredients:
For the curry paste (kroeung)
- 3 dried chillies, soaked
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 shallots or 1 red onion, diced
- 2 inch piece fresh turmeric root or 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 4 sticks of lemongrass, trimmed of woody bits
- 2 inch piece of galangal, peeled
- 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled
- 6 kaffir lime leaves or the zest of a citron fruit (look in Asian shops)
- 1 tbsp shrimp paste
For the curry (amok)
- 400g of meaty fish (with skin if possible) eg hake, pollock, cod
- 400ml coconut milk (a standard can)
- 1 tbsp palm or brown sugar
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 eggs
- 2 large banana leaves, washed (look in Asian or Caribbean shops)
To garnish
- 1 fresh red chilli, seeds removed
- 2 kaffir lime leaves
Procedure:
- Make the curry paste by blitzing in a blender.
- Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a saucepan and then add the curry paste and fry till fragrant (about a minute). Then add the coconut milk, sugar and fish sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Leave to cool.
- Remove the fish skin, slice it into small strips and keep to one side. Dice the fish into bite sized chunks.
- Beat the eggs gently into the cooled coconut milk mixture and add the chunks of fish. This is your amok. Set the amok to one side.
- Take one banana leaf and fold in half so it makes a square. Overlap two corners of the square and secure with a cocktail stick. Overlap the other two corners and do the same. You should get a rough bowl or cup shape with no gaps. Repeat with the other banana leaf to get two bowls.
- Place the banana leaf bowls in a steamer and divide the amok into them equally. Steam the amok for 20 minutes. It should form a lightly set custard.
- Meanwhile, dust the fish skin strips with flour, salt and pepper and then fry in a little vegetable oil till crisp. Drain and set to one side.
- Sliver the fresh red chilli and the kaffir lime leaves for the garnish.
- When the amok is ready, just before serving, scatter the fried fish skin, slivered chilli and slivered lime leaves on top. Eat with steamed rice.
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| Amok in its banana leaf wrapping |
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| Peaking inside the wrapping. In the foreground, you can see the steam arising from the amok. In the foreground, you can see the Thai Iced Tea I also made for this meal. |
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| Here's what the amok looks like sans banana leaf |
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