Tom Som Sea Bass (Sour Turmeric Fish Soup)

Ingredients

• 400500g sea bass, cut into pieces
• Pounded paste: chili + turmeric + shallot (or sour-curry paste)
• 3 tbsp tamarind water
• Fish sauce + palm sugar
• Sliced ginger + spring onion

Method

• Bring water to a boil, dissolve the pounded paste and simmer until fragrant
• Season with tamarind, fish sauce and sugar sour first, then salty-sweet
• Add the fish and simmer just until cooked; don't stir hard or it breaks
• Add sliced ginger and spring onion, turn off heat, serve hot

How to choose ingredients

Choose firm, fresh sea bass · Thick dark-brown tamarind pulp gives a rounder sourness · Mature ginger has a stronger aroma that cuts fishiness.

Chef's secret

Chef's secret: add the fish only after the broth boils and is seasoned, then simmer just to done so it stays tender · keep the sourness leading, salty-sweet following, for an authentic tom som.

Order fresh sea bass + a full tom som set from Fresh Market Online, delivered fast.