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Sea bream, coconut and lime broth
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 650ml coconut water
- 3 stalks of lemongrass, bruised and cut into 2cm lengths
- 5 kaffir lime leaves
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 8 Asian shallots, peeled and quartered
- 20g ginger, peeled and sliced
- 2tbsp fish sauce
- 1 whole sea bream (approx 500- 600g), gutted and cleaned
- 4 red bird’s eye chillies, 1 halved, others finely sliced
- 15g each of Thai basil, mint and coriander, leaves picked
- 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 240g beansprouts
- juice of 3 limes
For the mango relish
- 1⁄2 mango, peeled and finely sliced or shredded
- 1 red bird’s eye chilli, finely chopped
- 1⁄2tbsp fish sauce
- 1⁄2tsp black pepper
Method
Kaffir lime leaves can be found in Asian supermarkets, often in the freezer section. Waitrose now sells fresh kaffir lime leaves, but if you can’t find any fresh or frozen, most supermarkets stock dried leaves. The dish itself, however, is not suitable for freezing.
Place all of the ingredients up to and including the sea bream, and the halved bird’s eye chilli, with 1 litre of water in a deep, heavy- based saucepan wide enough to hold the fish lying flat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the mango relish. Combine all ingredients, mix well and taste for seasoning.
Divide the 3 finely sliced bird’s eye chillies between 4 bowls, along with the herbs, spring onions and beansprouts.
When cooked, remove the fish from the broth, peel away the skin and carefully remove the white flesh from the bones. Divide between the bowls.
Stir the lime juice through the broth, tasting for seasoning. If it requires further seasoning, add a dash of fish sauce. Strain and pour over the ingredients in each bowl. Garnish with the mango relish and serve immediately.
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