Name: Cha Ca
Ingredients: 700g (1 ½ lbs) tilapia or lemon sole, cut into 5cm (2 inch) chunks; 4 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil (approx.); FOR THE MARINADE; 1 tsp ground turmeric; ½ tsp chilli powder; ½ tsp ground coriander; ½ tsp sugar; 2 tbsp rapeseed oil; FOR THE DRESSING; 3 tbsp fish sauce; 3 tbsp sugar; 3 tbsp lime juice; 2 red bird’s eye chillies, cut into thin rings (more or less to taste; 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped; TO FINISH; 1 – 2 red spur chillies, thinly sliced; 4 cloves garlic; 4 spring onions, thinly sliced; 1 huge bundle of dill; 3 spring onions, slit once down the centre; 4 tbsp roasted peanuts, to garnish

Ingredients

700g (1 ½ lbs) tilapia or lemon sole, cut into 5cm (2 inch) chunks
4 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil (approx.)
FOR THE MARINADE
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp sugar
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
FOR THE DRESSING
3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp lime juice
2 red bird’s eye chillies, cut into thin rings (more or less to taste
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
TO FINISH
1 – 2 red spur chillies, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 huge bundle of dill
3 spring onions, slit once down the centre
4 tbsp roasted peanuts, to garnish

Steps

Place 200g of vermicelli rice noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Hot water from a kettle is fine.
Allow to soak for about 10 minutes or until cooked through to your liking. Drain and keep warm.
Now whisk the marinade ingredients together in a mixing bowl and add the fish. Mix well to coat and set aside while you prepare the rest of the recipe. Whisk the sauce ingredients together in another bowl.
This sauce should be prepared to taste so adjust the sweet, sour, savoury and spicy flavours to your own liking so add the ingredients together slowly and to your preference. I like it kind of chunky but you might prefer a finer cut. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.
When the oil is really hot, place the fish in the pan in one layer. Fry on one side until crispy brown and the fish easily comes free from the pan.
Turn over each pieces and continue frying until almost cooked through and a light golden brown all over.
Add the chopped garlic, chillies and chopped spring onions and fry to cook through. Drain any excess oil. You want about a tablespoon and a half left in the pan.
Top with a good healthy handful of fresh dill and the spring onions and push these right into the oil in the pan to cook slightly. Take off the heat and serve over the vermicelli rice noodles, drizzled with some of the dressing and some peanuts.