The heat from the sauce—red because of the chiles—and the tartness of the tamarind give these otherwise mild fillets a wonderful kick. For sweet and spicy flavors, try the variation. The spice mixture can be made well ahead of time and this dish finished in just a few minutes. See page 500 for information on Thai fish sauce (nam pla). Serve with any simple rice dish.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　4 small fresh red chiles, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped

　　2 garlic cloves, peeled

　　2 shallots, roughly chopped

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

　　1 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　1 1/2 to 2 pounds fillets of red snapper, sea bass, grouper, or halibut, skinned and cut into 2-inch chunks

　　2 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil

　　2 tablespoons Tamarind Paste (page 585)

　　1 teaspoon nam pla, plus more to taste

　　2 scallions, trimmed and chopped, for garnish

　　

Step 1

Place the chiles, garlic, shallots, ginger, and turmeric in a food processor and process until pasty. Spread the mixture on the fish fillets (you can prepare the fish to this point, then cover and refrigerate for a few hours).

　　

Step 2

Heat the oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. About 2 minutes later, when the oil is hot, add the fish fillets and cook until the fish is fragrant, about 30 seconds.

　　

Step 3

Combine the tamarind paste with 1 cup water and add to the pan; bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer, stirring gently once or twice, until the fish is cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with nam pla, garnish with scallions, and serve.

　　

Shrimp in Red Sauce

Step 4

Substitute 2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled, for the fish.

　　

Fish in Sweet and Spicy Red Sauce

Step 5

Substitute palm or brown sugar for the tamarind.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.