David Thompson

Pla bon dtaeng mor - powdered fish with melon

Serves 6 - 8 as an accompaniment

Ingredients

200g trout fillet
1 teaspoon salt
fish sauce
pinch white sugar
1 tablespoon hot smoked trout
salt
oil or pork fat
5 red shallots, sliced (for frying)
few slices galangal
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon salt
5 red shallots, sliced
handful of coriander leaves
trout roe
betel leaves
watermelon or rockmelon

Method

Clean the trout and marinate it, for at least 4 hours, in salt, fish sauce and sugar.

Dry trout in medium oven for approximately 30 minutes.

Grind trout in food processor with smoked trout and salt until quite fine.

Heat oil.

Deep fry half the sliced shallots.

Drain on absorbent paper.

Add the galangal slices to the oil.

Fry until fragrant and galangal has perfumed the oil. Remove from oil and discard galangal.

Pour fish into oil, stirring constantly to prevent fish from clumping.

Continue to fry until fragrant.

Drain on absorbent paper.

Mix with the sugar and salt, then with the deep fried and fresh shallots, the coriander and trout roe.

Serve on betel leaves with thinly sliced melon pieces.