Sea Bass with Thai Chilli Sauce (Pla Rad Phrik)

While working in a Thai Restaurant for 3 years, I observed cooks prepare this dish. It seems to be the most popular fish dish for spice lovers. I first mash fresh tamarind in hot water and set aside. I then clean the fish (preferably sea bass or red snapper), pat it dry and gently flour it to get it ready for frying. You can choose to pan fry it or deep fry it. It depends on how you like it. In restaurants, they primarily deep fry it and pour sauce on top. I prefer pan frying the fish even though deep frying will give it a nice crispy texture. While waiting for the fish to cook, I prepare the sauce in another pan. I start from cooking shallots and garlic in olive oil until shallots become translucent. Then I add red pepper (optional; for colour), oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and tamarind juice that I’ve already prepared on the side. Taste the sauce: it should have 3 flavors (salty, sour and sweet). After tasting, I add chilli sauce (roughly 1-2 tablespoons). Lastly, I add basil into the sauce and save some for the garnish. When the fish is cooked, pour sauce over the fish and granish with the rest of basil.