Thai Whole Grilled Snapper (Pla Pao)

Andy | Lunch | Thai

Prep time: 30 min Cook time: 10 min Servings: 4

This dish is a variation of the Thai street food dish Pla Pao which is essentially a whole fish stuffed with incredible aromatics like lemongrass and lime leaves and cooked over charcoal.

Now I’m a big fan of cooking whole fish when you have a few friends or family around for a couple of reasons. It’s a really easy way to cook fish, you just stuff with your choice of herbs and then cook it in the oven, on the BBQ or over coals like we’re doing here. Also, i think it’s a really impressive dish to have at the centre of your table, and people can serve themselves whatever portion they’d like.

So this is Adam’s (from Samila Gaeng) Pla Pao recipe using an Australian snapper which has a salt coating on the outside and a really vibrant dipping sauce to go with it. Samila Gaeng is a restaurant on the Sunshine Coast (QLD, Australia) and I think it's one of the best Thai restaurants in Australia. If you're ever in the region, make sure you go check it out.

Cook method

We’re going to cook it over a charcoal BBQ but if you don’t have one, you can also cook it over a gas BBQ grill.

Ingredient notes

Snapper: Traditionally this recipe is made with snakehead fish or tilapia, but you can use red snapper or barramundi, so long as it is a thick fleshed whole fish.

The leaves: The pandan, betel and perilla leaves can be sourced from Asian grocers. The pandan can come frozen, but if you can find fresh, that would be ideal. You should be able to purchase Kaffir lime leaves from your local supermarket in the fresh herbs section. If you can’t source the betel or perilla leaves, then use a combination of mint, coriander and thai basil. You could also serve with sticky rice or steamed Jasmine rice and a Chinese cabbage salad.

Nam Jim: This dipping sauce is incredible, it’s sweet, sour, vibrant and pairs really well with the fish. If you’re serving rice with this dish, pour a little bit of the Nam Jim over the rice for some extra flavour.

Cooking salt: You'll need coarse salt for this one, not fine. Fine salt dissolves too quickly into the flour and water paste and won’t give you the dry, granular texture the crust needs to grip the scales. A coarser grind holds the crust together on the grill and gives you that firm exterior once it chars.

Equipment

Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Medium bowl
Tray
Mortar and pestle
Charcoal BBQ grill (or gas BBQ grill)
Tongs
Probe thermometer
Large saucepan

Ingredients

1 whole snapper around 2kg
2 sticks lemongrass
4 Kaffir lime leaves
4 pandan leaves
25g plain flour
100g coarse cooking salt
1 tbsp water
200g rice vermicelli noodles
1 baby gem lettuce, washed
betel leaves, purple perilla leaves, mint and coriander leaves, lime wedges, to serve
Nam Jim
1 tbsp palm sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
3 - 4 Thai red chilies
4 coriander roots
2 tbsp unsalted toasted peanuts
juice of 3 limes

Directions

Prep the fish
Gut and clean the snapper, but leave the scales intact. Bruise the lemongrass sticks, then stuff into the cavity along with the kaffir lime leaves and pandan.
Combine the salt and flour in a medium bowl. Mix in the water until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Rub the salt mixture upwards into the scales all over the snapper, then transfer the fish to a tray.
Make Nam Jim
Dissolve the sugar with half of the fish sauce in a mortar and pestle.
Finely slice the chilli and coriander roots, then add to the mortar. Grind the mixture to a coarse paste.
Stir in the lime juice, then add the remaining fish sauce and chopped peanuts and taste for seasoning. Set aside.
Cook the Fish
Heat a charcoal BBQ grill to medium-high heat. Place the fish on the grill and cook for 5 minutes until well charred on the first side.
Flip the fish and continue cooking, turning every 2-3 minutes to ensure even cooking on all sides. Begin checking the internal temperature after the first two flips, and continue cooking until it reaches 52°C.
Transfer the fish to a tray and rest for 10 minutes.
Finish and serve
Cook the vermicelli in a large saucepan of salted boiling water according to packet directions. Drain and rinse under water.
Arrange the vermicelli on a serving platter. Separate the lettuce leaves and add to the platter along with the betel leaves, perilla leaves, mint and coriander.
Place the fish on another platter and serve with the sides and some lime wedges

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Leave the scales on

The scales are doing two things in this recipe. They hold the salt and flour crust in place so it doesn’t fall off on the grill, and they act as a layer of insulation between the direct charcoal heat and the flesh. The skin and scales take the char while the inside of the fish cooks more gently. If you scale the fish first, the crust won’t adhere properly and you lose that protection. Ask your fishmonger to gut and clean the fish only, and leave the scaling to you.

Rub the salt mixture upwards

The direction you apply the salt crust matters. Working the mixture upwards, against the grain of the scales, forces it into the gaps between them, which is where it locks in and holds during the cook. If you rub downward with the scales, the mixture just slides off. Take care with your hands as you work around the fish, the edges of the scales are sharp (I learnt the hard way).

Storage

Leftover fish can be picked off the bone and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I wouldn’t reheat it as grilled fish tends to dry out and smell strong once reheated. It’s better eaten cold or at room temperature, flaked over rice or folded into a noodle salad. The Nam Jim keeps separately in the fridge for up to a week.

FAQs

Can I make the Nam Jim ahead of time? Yes,The flavours settle and the sugar dissolves fully as it sits, so making it an hour or two before you cook the fish gives you a better result. Store it covered at room temperature if you’re eating within an hour, or in the fridge if it’s longer.

Can I use a gas BBQ instead of charcoal? Yes. You won’t get quite the same smokiness but the technique is identical. Get the grill as hot as it will go before you put the fish on, and cook over direct heat, flipping every 2-3 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 52°C.

Can I make the salt crust gluten free? Yes. Replace the plain flour with a gluten free flour blend and the crust will behave the same way. Just check the blend is a fine, neutral-tasting one as some gluten free flours have a stronger flavour that can come through.