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Laotian Crispy Rice Salad with Alaska Rockfish

Laotian Crispy Rice Salad with Alaska Rockfish
Rockfish tastes slightly sweet with a delightful nuttiness and clean finish. It's a great way to start a meal or enjoy as a main course on a hot, summery day.
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes ( fry/deep fry)
  • Total Time: 40 minutes, not including rice drying time
  • Servings: 4
  • Yield: 4 (5oz each) rockfish, 8 cups dressed salad

Ingredients

  • 2 cups jasmine rice, cooked with a few pinches of salt
  • 4 Alaska rockfish fillets, 5 oz portions
  • Few pinches of salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp rice bran oil
  • 2 cups red leaf lettuce, washed, sliced
  • 2 cups granny smith apple, diced
  • 1 cup rainbow carrots, matchsticks
  • 1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup red cabbage
  • ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
  • 30 slices jalapeño, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup peanuts, toasted, crushed
  • ½ cup cilantro, washed, chopped coarse
  • ¼ cup mint or thai basil, torn
  • Fish Sauce Vinaigrette

  • 1 tbsp ginger, finely grated
  • 1 tbsp lemongrass, finely grated
  • 1 lime leaf, minced
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • ¼ cup agave, light
  • ½ cup lime juice, fresh squeezed
  • 3 tbsp roasted hazelnut oil
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp salt
Recipe courtesy of Chef Jeremy Bringardner

Instructions

  1. Step 1 Prepare the crispy rice

    Cook the jasmine rice according to package instructions. Cool to room temperature. Spread out onto a sheet pan and place uncovered in the refrigerator for 1 hour to dry.

    Break apart the rice into ¼” – ½” clumps and drop into a deep fryer preheated to 350° F. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the sizzling has mostly subsided, and the rice balls are a light golden color, firm and very crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain excess grease. Season lightly with salt.

  2. Step 2 Prepare fish sauce vinaigrette

    Peel and finely grate the ginger with a microplane.

    For the lemongrass, remove and discard the tough outer layer. Wash the lemongrass heart and finely grate with a microplane.

    For the lime leaf, cut out and discard the spine, and mince the leaf very fine.

    In a small mixing bowl, combine the ginger, lemongrass, lime leaf, fish sauce, agave, lime juice, hazelnut oil, olive oil, and salt, and whisk to incorporate.

  3. Step 3  Prepare fish

    Preheat a sauté pan over high heat. Pat the fish fillets with paper towels until very dry. Sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides.

    Add oil to the pan and swirl to coat the surface. When oil just begins to smoke, lay the fillets in the pan and press gently for good surface contact. Allow to cook 3-4 minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook another 2-3 minutes or until just cooked through. Transfer fish to a resting plate and hold warm.

  4. Step 4 To serve

    In a large salad mixing bowl, toss together the leaf lettuce, apple, carrot, bell pepper, cabbage, onion, jalapeño, and fish sauce vinaigrette.

    Break the cooked fish apart into large chunks and add to the mixing bowl. Add the crispy rice as well, and give the salad another gentle toss.

    Split the salad evenly across 4 shallow bowls. Garnish with the crushed peanuts and chopped fresh herbs.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Jeremy Bringardner