Ping Pa (Lao Grilled Stuffed Fish)
“A whole fish rubbed with salt, stuffed with lemongrass and herbs, and slowly grilled over charcoal until the skin chars and the flesh steams moist inside its aromatic packing. A riverside Lao classic, it is served with sticky rice and a tart jeow dipping sauce.”
Where it comes from
Along the Mekong and its tributaries, where fishing has fed Lao families for centuries, grilling the day's catch whole over charcoal is the most natural way to cook it. The fish is split, salted, and packed with lemongrass, galangal and herbs, then propped over coals at markets and roadside stalls where the smell of charring scales and citrus draws a crowd. Simple and communal, ping pa turns a fresh river fish into a centerpiece for the shared sticky-rice table.
On the plate
You peel back blistered, salty skin to reach flesh that flakes apart in juicy, lemongrass-scented sheets. The herbs in the cavity have steamed into the fish, so every bite carries citrus and galangal, and a dunk in the sour-spicy jeow makes it sing against sticky rice.
How it works
Salting firms the flesh and dries the skin so it chars and crisps over coals, while the packed lemongrass and herbs effectively steam the inside, keeping it moist and infusing aromatic oils. Cooking the fish whole on the bone shields the flesh from direct heat and prevents it drying out.
Variations
Use tilapia, snakehead or snapper; brush with a little fish sauce before grilling; or wrap the stuffed fish in banana leaf for a steamier, less charred result.
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓35 min active · 30 min waiting
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓- 110 min
Scale and gut a whole white-fleshed fish, then make a few shallow slashes on each side.
- 25 min
Rub the fish inside and out with salt and let it sit briefly.
- 38 min
Pound or bruise lemongrass, galangal, garlic and shallots, and mix with dill and basil.
- 43 min
Stuff the cavity tightly with the lemongrass and herb mixture.
- 53 min
Optionally coat the outside with a thin layer of salt to form a protective crust.
- 628 min
Grill over medium charcoal, turning, for about 25 to 30 minutes until skin is charred and flesh is cooked through.
- 74 min
Rest the fish a few minutes, then open it up at the table.
- 82 min
Serve with sticky rice and a tart chili jeow for dipping.
