STICKY CHILLI FISH WITH CRISPY NOODLES

SERVES 4 vegetable oil for frying 100g rice vermicelli sea salt and black pepper 600g skinless sustainable white fish fillet cut into 8 pieces cornflour for dusting SAUCE 4 tbsp Thai sweet chilli sauce 1 tbsp fish sauce 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp rice vinegar or ½ tbsp white wine vinegar TO SERVE fragrant herb leaves (such as mint, coriander and Thai basil) roughly crushed toasted peanuts

Heat a wok one third full of oil until hot, then add the rice vermicelli, which will expand fast and crackle, and be cooked to a crisp in seconds. Quickly scoop out and drain on kitchen paper.

Lightly season the fish pieces and dust them in cornflour.

Mix together the sauce ingredients and have ready.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan and fry the fish for about 2 minutes on each side or until lightly crisped and done to your liking. Add the sauce and let it bubble up around the fish for a few seconds, taking care that it doesn’t burn (remove the pan from the heat if it’s very hot).

Serve the fish and its sauce with the crispy noodles piled on top.

Finish with a scattering of herbs and crushed toasted peanuts and, if wished, offer the following side (or other crisp salad of your choice). CRUNCHY KOHLRABI Make a dressing by combining 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 sliced bird’s eye chilli, 2 tbsp golden caster sugar, 5 tbsp lime juice and 3 tbsp fish sauce. Trim and finely shred a medium kohlrabi and a large deseeded red chilli. Combine with the dressing and serve with the chilli fish and crispy noodles.