Pla Krapong Tod Nam Pla (Deep Fried Sea Bass with Sweetened Fish Sauce Thai style) is perfectly complemented by a fresh Mango Salad in the typical and authentic Thai recipe enjoyed up and down the country.
Video on How to Make Sweet and Savory Deep-Fried Crispy Sea Bass
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The British have their great Fish & Chips which is battered and fried and really not so healthy, but perhaps that’s needed in the cold & wet weather they have to put up with.
If you like mangoes, we have a dessert recipe that requires a ripe mango we think you might like – Mango Sticky Rice With Coconut Milk.
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Ingredients For Deep Fried Sea Bass With Mango Salad
- Fish Sauce
- Palm Sugar
- Soy Sauce
- Drinking-Water
- Oil
- Less Than Ripe Mango
- Small Shallots
- Chili
- Fish Sauce
- Lime Juice
- Cilantro Leaves
- Palm Oil
- Salt
- Sea Bass
Why You Want To Make This Recipe
- Absolutely delicious
- Very easy to follow through
- Quick to make
- A great sweet & sour mango salad to balance with the fish
Here in Thailand, we know a thing or two about fried fish and mostly it does not include much batter. At least in this recipe, it doesn’t.
There is a knack to deep-frying fish which means choosing the right fish and getting the right oil temperature to produce a juicy, yet well-cooked fish meat with a little bit crispy outside.
And then to marry that beautiful but delicately crispy exterior and soft inside with a little bit salty and savory fish sauce to set off the taste of the fish.
But wait, we Thais like sweet and sour as part of the tastes in a perfectly balanced dish and so the fish sauce is made a little sweet and the mango salad provides the perfect freshness and sourness to round off this amazingly tasty dinner plate.
This dish takes next to no time to prepare and is simple in its construction requiring only a little preparation and cooking time mingled with some knowledge of what you are doing and trying to achieve.
How to Make Pla Krapong Tod Nam Pla with Mango Salad Step by Step
Deep Frying the Fish
Step 1 Preparing the Sea Bass
Grab yourself a super-fresh white fish with a good amount of meat to cook through and have your fishmonger remove the insides and ‘butterfly’ the fish so that it lays fairly flat.
Remove the scales and trim the fins a little and then wash thoroughly.
Sea Bass is an excellent choice because it has enough meat to stay juicy and tastes lovely.
Step 2 Seasoning Your Fish
Dry the fish roughly and then sprinkle a little salt on both sides, patting it down into the flesh and exposed skin. The salt helps to crispy up the exposed surfaces of the fish as well as seasoning it.
Step 3 Getting the Oil to the Right Temperature
Take deep and relatively high sided pan, big enough for the fish to sleep in it top to tail without it curling up the sides too much. Fill the pan with enough frying oil to completely submerge the fish and heat until the surface starts to ripple.
You should notice a definite change from a flat smooth surface of the oil to a slightly rippled surface. But do not heat the oil so hot that it starts to smoke so you will need to pay attention here.
And take great care of your pan filled with very hot oil as it is potentially very dangerous if spilled.
Step 4 Frying the Sea Bass / Pla Krapong
Take your fish and immerse the head into the oil for about 1-2 minutes to let the head get a head start on the cooking process. This is needed as the head section is thicker and denser than the rest of the fish and takes longer to cook and look crispy.
Then submerge the fish completely and adjust the heat to keep the oil very hot but not smoking.
Allow the fish to cook undisturbed for about 8-10 minutes.
Step 5 Turning to Cook the Other Side
Turn the fish over carefully, using a slice or tongs and making sure not to burn your fingers or splash the oil. Hot oil burns quickly, it’s hard to remove rapidly and hurts. A lot!
Allow the fish to cook on the other side for about 5-7 minutes.
Step 6 Removing Excess Oil
Remove the fish with a perforated slice and allow the oil to drain off with a little shake. Place the cooked fish on a plate with a kitchen paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
Making the Nam Pla
Step 1 Making Nam Pla
Add two tablespoons of the oil you cooked the fish in with the soy sauce, fish sauce, and palm sugar and heat, stirring the sugar until dissolved.
Add a couple of tablespoons of plain water to dilute the sauce a little and turn off the heat and set aside.
Making the Mango Salad
Step 1 Making the Dressing
Put the fish sauce and palm sugar into a medium bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar. If your prep area is cold it is easier to gently warm the liquids first. Add in the lime juice and mix.
Step 2 Adding the Spice
Add in the shallots and chilis as per the recipe and then julienne the mango and add to the mix.
Stir all the ingredients together and top with a few leaves of cilantro for serving decoration.
Serving the Deep Fried Sea Bass, Fish Sauce and Mango Salad (Pla Kra Pong Tod Nam Pla)
To serve, place the deep-fried fish on a serving dish and pour the warm fish sauce over it. The sauce will soak in a little.
Add some chopped cabbage, carrot and cilantro leaves as garnish and serve the mango salad in a separate bowl.
Diners can serve themselves to the fish and salad on their individual plates.
Serve with freshly cooked jasmine rice.
Deep-Fried Sea Bass, Fish Sauce and Mango Salad (Pla Kra Pong Tod Nam Pla) Recipe
Pla Kra Pong Tod Nam Pla – Thai Style Deep Fried Sea Bass with Fish Sauce & Mango Salad
The Video showing this recipe being cooked is near the top of the page – A convenient Jump Link to the video is below the description under here.
NOTE: Any In-recipe images can be toggled on and off with the camera icons next to the Instructions header.
Ingredients
Fish Sauce
- 3 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp Palm Sugar
- 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 3 tbsp Drinking Water
- 2 tbsp Oil from cooking the fish
Thai Mango Salad
- 1 Less than Ripe Mango
- 4 Small Shallots
- 2-5 Chili
- 3 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 2-3 tbsp Lime Juice
- 1-2 tbsp Palm Sugar
- Fresh Cilantro Leaves
Deep Fried Sea Bass
- 1.5 Bottles Palm Oil
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 kg Sea Bass
Instructions
Deep Frying the Fish
- Deep Fried Sea Bass { 1 Step }
- Properly wash the fish and dried with kitchen towel, set a side
- Coat salt on both side of the fish to stop hot oil splash and soaking up the water from the fish
- Preheat the oil in the frying pan When the surface of the oil starts to ripple it is hot enough.
- Dip the head of the fish into the hot oil and let it cook for a minute or two and then completely submerge the fish.
- Allow the fish to cook for 8-10 minutes undisturbed, and then turn the fish over and cook for a further 4-6 minutes. Be careful when turning the fish over not to splash the oil. Adjust the heat to keep the oil very hot but not smoking.
- When the fish is cooked and nicely golden brown, shake off the excess oil and place on a plate with a kitchen paper towel to soak up any remaining excess oil.
Making the Fish Sauce
- Use two tablespoons of the oil you cooked the fish in together with the fish sauce and soy sauce and place on the heat.
- Add the palm sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Add a little water to thin the sauce a tiny bit and taste. On a low heat add more sugar until you get the taste to your liking and then take off the heat.
Making the Mango Salad
- Add the fish sauce and palm sugar with a little lime juice and stir to roughly dissolve the sugar.
- Add the sliced chili and chopped shallots and stir in.
- Julienne the less than ripe mango (or shred it) and add to the mix.
- Add a few cilantro leaves to decorate.
Nutrition
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I am a Thai mum and love cooking for my children. Over the years, I have taken my family recipes as well as ones borrowed from friends and adapted them to make them even tastier. I publish my authentic Thai Food Recipes here for all to enjoy around the world. When I get a chance to travel I publish information to help others visiting Thailand.