Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 4 ounces water
• 4 tablespoons fresh ginger, julienned
• 1 tablespoon chopped chile
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 (1 1/2 pounds) whole elephant fish, unscaled (or snapper, scaled)* (See Cook's Note)
• Vegetable oil, for frying (about 4 cups)
• 3 sprigs fresh coriander (cilantro), for garnish
• Steamed jasmine rice, for serving

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, fish sauce, vinegar, and water and bring to the boil. Take off the heat, and transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. In a mortar and pestle, pound together the ginger, chile, and garlic. Once the fish sauce mixture is cooled, add the ginger mixture and lime juice. Set aside. In a large wok (large enough to hold the entire fish), heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Carefully, slide the whole fish into the oil and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. The scales of the elephant fish will puff up as it cooks. Remove the fish to a platter, and dress with 4 tablespoons of ginger fish sauce and garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve the fish with steamed jasmine rice and remaining ginger sauce.