Amok Trey

Name: Amok Trey
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Cambodian
Ingredients: 600 g snakehead fish fillets (skinless, cut into thin bite-sized slices); 4 pcs dried long red chillies (seeded); 3 stalks lemongrass (tender lower part only, thinly sliced); 20 g galangal (peeled and sliced); 15 g fingerroot (krachai) (peeled and sliced); 10 g fresh turmeric (peeled and sliced); 6 leaves kaffir lime leaves (4 for the paste, 2 finely shredded for garnish); 4 cloves garlic; 3 pcs Asian shallots (peeled); 1 tsp Cambodian shrimp paste (kapi); 400 ml coconut milk (reserve 4 tablespoons of the thick cream from the top); 1 whole egg (lightly beaten); 2 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tbsp palm sugar (shaved); 60 g noni leaves (slek ngor) (washed and roughly shredded); 4 pieces banana leaves (large pieces, wiped clean, plus toothpicks to pin); 1 whole fresh red chilli (cut into thin strips for garnish); salt (to taste)

Serves 4 · 75 min · Cambodian

Ingredients

600 g snakehead fish fillets
4 dried long red chillies
3 stalks lemongrass
20 g galangal
15 g fingerroot (krachai)
10 g fresh turmeric
6 leaves kaffir lime leaves
4 cloves garlic
3 Asian shallots
1 tsp Cambodian shrimp paste (kapi)
400 ml coconut milk
1 egg
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp palm sugar
60 g noni leaves (slek ngor)
4 banana leaves
1 fresh red chilli
to taste salt

Method

01
Soak the chillies Cover the seeded dried chillies with warm water and leave them to soften.
02
Soften the banana leaves Pass each banana leaf briefly over a gas flame, or dip it into boiling water, until it turns glossy and flexible.
03
Fold the cups Cut the leaves into circles about twenty centimetres across. Pinch four tucks around each edge and pin them with toothpicks to make four deep square cups.
04
Pound the kroeung Drain the chillies. In a mortar, pound them with the lemongrass, galangal, fingerroot, turmeric, four lime leaves, garlic and shallots to a smooth, fine paste.
05
Season the paste Pound the shrimp paste, palm sugar and fish sauce into the kroeung until fully combined.
06
Mix the custard In a large bowl, whisk the paste with the coconut milk and the beaten egg until smooth. Taste it and add a little salt if needed.
07
Marinate the fish Stir the fish slices into the coconut mixture until every piece is coated, and leave it to stand.
08
Line the cups Place a layer of shredded noni leaves in the bottom of each banana-leaf cup.
09
Fill the cups Spoon the fish and its coconut mixture into the cups, filling them about three quarters full.
10
Steam the amok Set the cups in a steamer over boiling water, cover, and steam until the custard is just set and firm.
11
Add the coconut cream Spoon about one tablespoon of the reserved thick coconut cream over each cup. Cover and steam briefly until the cream is warm and glossy.
12
Garnish and serve Scatter the shredded lime leaves and red chilli strips over the top. Serve hot in the leaf cups with steamed jasmine rice.

Method

Soak the chillies

Cover the seeded dried chillies with warm water and leave them to soften.

Soak the chillies · 15 min

Soften the banana leaves

Pass each banana leaf briefly over a gas flame, or dip it into boiling water, until it turns glossy and flexible.

Unsoftened leaves crack when folded. If they still split, use two layers per cup.

Soften the banana leaves · 00:30

Fold the cups

Cut the leaves into circles about twenty centimetres across. Pinch four tucks around each edge and pin them with toothpicks to make four deep square cups.

If you cannot get banana leaves, steam the amok in small heatproof bowls instead.

Pound the kroeung

Drain the chillies. In a mortar, pound them with the lemongrass, galangal, fingerroot, turmeric, four lime leaves, garlic and shallots to a smooth, fine paste.

Pound the hardest ingredients first, starting with lemongrass and galangal. Add the soft shallots and garlic last so the paste does not turn watery and stringy.

Season the paste

Pound the shrimp paste, palm sugar and fish sauce into the kroeung until fully combined.

Mix the custard

In a large bowl, whisk the paste with the coconut milk and the beaten egg until smooth. Taste it and add a little salt if needed.

Marinate the fish

Stir the fish slices into the coconut mixture until every piece is coated, and leave it to stand.

Marinate the fish · 10 min

Line the cups

Place a layer of shredded noni leaves in the bottom of each banana-leaf cup.

If noni leaves are hard to find, use young spinach or bok choy leaves. The flavour is milder, but the texture works.

Fill the cups

Spoon the fish and its coconut mixture into the cups, filling them about three quarters full.

Steam the amok

Set the cups in a steamer over boiling water, cover, and steam until the custard is just set and firm.

Keep the heat at a steady boil, not a violent one. Hard boiling makes the custard split and turn grainy.

Steam the amok · 20 min

Add the coconut cream

Spoon about one tablespoon of the reserved thick coconut cream over each cup. Cover and steam briefly until the cream is warm and glossy.

Add the coconut cream · 3 min

Garnish and serve

Scatter the shredded lime leaves and red chilli strips over the top. Serve hot in the leaf cups with steamed jasmine rice.

Amok Trey

Ingredients

Method

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