A whole fish fried until the skin shatters and crisps, then bathed in a glossy sweet-and-sour sauce of tomato, garlic, fish sauce and palm sugar, brightened with vinegar or lime and scattered with herbs.
Frying a whole fish and dressing it in a sweet-and-sour sauce is a common Khmer way to make the most of the day's catch from the Tonle Sap and Mekong, Cambodia's freshwater lifelines. Crisp skin against a bright, tangy-sweet sauce plays to the Khmer taste for contrast, and the dish turns up on family tables and at festive gatherings alike.
The skin crackles and the flesh underneath stays flaky and moist, all of it draped in a sauce that swings between sweet, tangy and savoury. Tomato gives body and a gentle acidity while fresh herbs cut the richness of the fry.
A dry coating of starch on the scored fish creates a crisp shell that resists going soggy under the sauce, while deep frying renders and crisps the skin. The sweet-sour sauce balances palm sugar against vinegar and fish sauce so it clings without overwhelming the delicate fish.
Variations
With pineapple and bell pepper in the sauce, fillets instead of whole fish, ginger-and-soybean version, extra chili for heat
On the Palate
Where Trey Chien Chu Ime (Sweet Sour Fish) sits in the Cambodian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · 20 min
- 14 min
Pat the whole fish dry and score the flesh on both sides to help it cook evenly.
Watch outScore the flesh down to the bone on both sides — those cuts let it cook through evenly and let the sauce grab hold later.
- 23 min
Season with salt and a little turmeric, then dust lightly with flour or starch.
- 38 min
Heat plenty of oil and deep-fry the fish until golden and crisp on both sides.
Watch outFry in plenty of properly hot oil until the skin is deep golden and crisp — a lukewarm pan gives you soft, oil-soaked skin that goes soggy under the sauce.
- 42 min
Lift the fish out, drain and set it on a serving platter.
- 54 min
In a little oil, fry garlic, shallots and tomato until softened and saucy.
- 64 min
Add fish sauce, palm sugar, vinegar and a splash of water, simmering into a glossy sweet-sour sauce.
Watch outSimmer the sauce until it turns glossy and syrupy, then taste — sweet, sour and salty should all show up; it should coat a spoon, not run off thin.
- 72 min
Adjust the balance of sweet, sour and salty, then thicken slightly with a starch slurry if needed.
- 82 min
Pour the hot sauce over the fried fish and garnish with spring onion and coriander.
