Nam jim is a tongue-tingling dipping sauce used in Thai cuisine, which is often served with grilled seafood. It provides that perfect balance of Thai flavours – sweet, sour, salty and spicy – that elevate any dish it's served with.
Ingredients
HANDS-ON TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 15 minutes
SERVES: 4
EQUIPMENT:
- non-stick
- frying pan or
- griddle pan
INGREDIENTS
- 4 x 200g white fish fillets, such as cod or haddock
- 2 tsp Thai spice blend
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 x 250g packets of ready-cooked basmati rice
- 1 cucumber, peeled into thin ribbons
- 3 baby gem lettuces, leaves torn
- 1 large mango, thinly sliced
For the dressing
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 small green chilli, finely chopped
- 1 small red chilli, finely chopped
- Small handful of coriander,
- roughly chopped
Method
- Mix all the ingredients for the dressing together in a bowl and set aside.
- Place a non-stick frying pan or griddle pan over a high heat. Coat the fish in the spices then drizzle with the oil. Cook for 3–4 minutes
- on each side until charred and just cooked through.
- Heat the rice according to the packet instructions then tip into a bowl and add a third of the dressing. Stir through and allow to
- cool slightly.
- In a bowl, mix the cucumber with the baby gem leaves, sliced mango and a little more dressing.
- Serve the rice and the salad with the fish on top with the rest of the dressing to spoon over.
COOK’S NOTES:
Nam jim is a tongue-tingling dipping sauce used in Thai cuisine, which is often served with grilled seafood. It provides that perfect balance of Thai flavours – sweet, sour, salty and spicy – that elevate any dish it’s served with.
Although most Thai recipes begin with a paste, the fish in this dish needs a dry spice rub to get that charred exterior. You can find good-quality Thai spice blends (a fiery mix of chilli powder, ginger, star anise, coriander, cayenne pepper, green peppercorns and cinnamon) in most supermarkets.
