To make the paste, using a mortar and pestle, grind all ingredients until smooth. Rinse fish inside and out under running water. Pat dry inside and out with paper towel. Using the tip of a sharp knife, make shallow slits spaced ½cm apart along both sides of the fish. Place fish in a bowl with soy sauce for 10 minutes. Drain. Pat dry with paper towel.
Fry oil and paste in a saucepan over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add tamarind, sugar, fish sauce and 100ml water. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Lift gill flaps on sides of fish. Pin them open using a skewer inserted through centre of fish. This allows fish to stand upright. Make 3 x 2cm-deep cuts widthwise across top of fish.
Arrange the fish in an S-shape inside a deep-frying basket. Fill deep-fryer with oil and heat to 170°C. Cook fish for 8 minutes or until golden and skin is crisp. Transfer fish to a platter, spoon over the sauce and top with chillies, spring onions and coriander leaves and drizzle over lime juice, to serve.
As seen in Feast magazine, Issue 11, pg132.
Photography by Alan Benson