This gorgeous salad is the perfect balance of hot, sweet, salty, and sour that is the core of Thai cuisine. The cool mixture of mango, onion, and radish is topped with hot crunchy fried fish. This salad is downright addictive and will blow you away with its tastebud-awakening flavors and mix of textures. When cutting the fish, don’t worry if the pieces are not perfectly uniform. Take note: this salad doesn’t like to sit around, so serve it as soon as you can after you fry the fish. Leftover soy-lime vinaigrette will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to five days and is awesome tossed with chilled soba noodles or served as a dipping sauce for dumplings.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a starter

　　1 medium red onion, thinly sliced on a mandoline

　　1 mango, pitted, peeled, and chopped

　　5 radishes, thinly sliced on a mandoline

　　1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

　　Canola oil, for frying

　　2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

　　2 tablespoons cornstarch

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1 pound firm white fish fillets, such as tile, snapper, or striped bass, skin on, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

　　1/4 cup Soy-Lime Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

　　

Soy-Lime Vinaigrette

Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)

　　3 tablespoons soy sauce

　　1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as sriracha

　　1 small shallot, finely chopped

　　One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

　　1 garlic clove, minced

　　2 teaspoons honey

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　(makes 1 cup)

　　

Step 1

Fill a small bowl halfway with water and add 6 ice cubes. Add the onion slices and let soak for 5 minutes. This little trick removes the stinging bite of raw onion and makes the slices really crisp. Drain the onion and pat dry with paper towels.

　　

Step 2

In a mixing bowl, combine the onion, mango, radishes, and cilantro. Stick the salad in the refrigerator while preparing the fish.

　　

Step 3

Heat 2 inches of oil to 350°F in a countertop electric fryer or deep pot. If you don’t have a deep-fry thermometer, a good way to test if the oil is hot enough is to stick the end of a wooden spoon or chopstick in it. If bubbles circle around the end, then you’re good to go.

　　

Step 4

Combine the flour and cornstarch on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the fish in the mixture, tapping off the excess. Working in batches, put the fish in a fryer basket or spider strainer and carefully lower into the hot oil. Fry the fish for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel–lined platter; season with salt and pepper while the fish is still hot.

　　

Step 5

Pour the vinaigrette over the mango salad, tossing to coat. Arrange the salad on a platter and top with the fish. Serve immediately.

　　

Soy-Lime Vinaigrette

Step 6

Put the lime juice, soy sauce, hot sauce, shallot, ginger, garlic, honey, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil in a stream while whisking to emulsify the vinaigrette.

　　Michael's Genuine Food