thai style gemfish with beans & mushrooms

Cut 1½ lb of gemfish into bite sized pieces. Top tail and slice about 4 oz of green beans, and slice 4 oz of button mushrooms.

In a cup or small bowl, mix 2 T of fish sauce, one T of sugar and 1 T of flour with a little water. For garnishing have ready a cup of crushed peanuts, three birdseye chillies chopped (these are the small fiercely hot chillies), a handful of both fine strips of capsicum and spring onions. Pound together or process 1 T of lemon grass pieces, 4 cloves of garlic, 2 t of pepper and a pinch of salt.

In a wok or frypan heat some sesame oil and brown the processed paste over medium heat for a few minutes. Turn up the heat, add beans mushrooms and fish, and stir fry gently for about 3 minutes. Add the fish sauce mixture and stir for a minute or two until the liquid thickens. Serve, sprinkled with above garnish and plain rice.

From : Meryl Constance. Sydney Morning Herald.

th September 1992.