Fish Larb

Larb is so easy to make and absolutely delicious. Pork has been the mainstay for this dish, but I saw a fish larb recipe and figured, why not? Sticky sushi rice on the side and a cabbage dish that paired really well. This is something I plan on coming back to more than a few times.

• 1 ½ pounds striped bass
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons raw (uncooked) jasmine rice (or 2 tablespoons store-bought toasted-rice powder…this is an ingredient worth keeping around)
• 1 small red onion thinly sliced and then cut into 2″ pieces
• 2 teaspoons red-pepper flakes
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, torn
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons lime juice or more depending on your taste

We had friends coming for dinner, so I prepped everything into small bowls first. It comes together quickly, so this definitely makes cooking easier. Read through the recipe first and prepare.

Pan-fry the fish, skin side down, in canola oil. Once it is thoroughly cooked, transfer the fish to a cutting board and chop it into small pieces. It should come apart easily.

Transfer to a bowl and stir in the fish sauce and sugar.

If you don’t have toasted rice powder, then take 3 tbsp. of Jasmine rice and pan fry until browned. Then using a mortar/pestle, crush the rice into a fine powder. Let cool. This could be optional, but it really doesn’t change the flavor profile of the dish.

Add the red onion and red pepper flakes. Then add the cilantro, mint, and lime juice. Stir in the rice powder. Now it’s up to your taste buds. More lime? More powder? More salt?

Serve with big pieces of Bibb lettuce and thinly sliced cucumbers. Put the fish in the lettuce and a few cukes, perhaps a bit of hot sauce, and enjoy.

I made the cabbage on the side (which I really liked wrapped inside the whole fish wrap.

Take a bunch of cabbage leaves. Tear them into medium-sized pieces. Rub them with soy sauce and canola oil. Flash fry them. An easy addition to any meal.