Flathead coconut broth

The stock for this recipe will be more than enough for 4 and can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator, or frozen for future dishes.

(10)

Cooking difficulty: Easy

Serves: 4

Preparation: 15 mins

Cooking: 45 mins

Tips for shallow frying

If flour is the only coating used, apply it immediately prior to cooking.

Prevent sticking by ensuring that the oil is hot before adding the seafood. But make sure the oil is not so hot that it smokes (unless preparing a Cajun-style "blackened" fish).
Tips for serving seafood cold

If the seafood is to be served cold, it should be covered to retain moisture and flavour and then placed in a chiller for an hour or even overnight.
Tips for Steaming

Seafood can be steamed over plain water, but a concentrated stock flavoured with vegetables, herbs or citrus, for example, will impart a subtle flavour.
Tips for seasoning

The seafood can be lightly seasoned with herbs, salt and pepper, sprinkled with lemon juice or white wine and dotted with butter or basted with oil. Low-salt soy sauce and coriander can also be used.
Tips for seafood batter

A chilled batter may produce a crisper coating. A light tempura batter and beer batter are particularly suited to seafood.

Ingredients

Fish stock

4 whole flathead

1 onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1/2 bunch parsley, chopped

Shallot mixture

15 shallots, peeled

8 cloves garlic, peeled

2 knobs of turmeric root

8 Birds Eye chillies

1 bunch coriander

Coconut broth

750 mL coconut cream

20 g tamarind pulp

125 mL peanut oil

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

2 knobs galangal, finely minced

4 stalks lemon grass, finely minced

12 lime leaves

50 mL fish sauce

To serve

500 g bean shoots

1 x 125 g packet baby corn

1 bunch Vietnamese mint, chopped

1 bunch coriander, chopped

4 spring onions, sliced

Method

Stock

Remove heads, fins and tails from the flathead. Place in a large stock pan, cover with 3 litres of cold water and add the onion, bay leaf, celery, carrot and parsley. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and strain. Remove flesh from flathead and cut into 5 cm lengths.

Coconut broth

Process the shallots, garlic, turmeric, chillies and coriander.

Heat the peanut oil in a saucepan, add the peppercorns and fry for 1 minute.

Add the blended shallot mixture and fry for a further 4 minutes.

Add remaining broth ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes.

Check seasoning, remove from heat and strain.

Just before serving, stir through the coconut cream and the desired amount of fish stock.

Place in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, add flathead and poach for 4 minutes.

To serve

Divide the bean shoots and baby corn into 4 warm bowls, pour over coconut broth, place flathead on top and sprinkle with mint, coriander and spring onions.

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Flathead coconut broth

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Flathead coconut broth

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