Perfect Pairing for Fried Fish
This is the best dipping sauce for fried seafood you’ll ever make. I met up with members of the Three Rivers Catfishing Club in Pittsburgh to reel in and fry up catfish from the Allegheny River. I like to fry the catfish whole, because just as chicken tastes better roasted on the bone, catfish tastes better fried on the bone. The fish is scored along the body to promote even cooking, then dredged in a bag of well-seasoned flour and deep fried. I serve the fish with a sauce I learned to make from a friend from South India. The salty, spicy, sweet, acidic sauce is perfect for soaking into all the nooks and crannies of a crispy fried catfish.
Bangalore-Style Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup thinly shaved shallots
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red and green hot chiles (I like to use 2 red jalapeños, 4 serranos and a piece of a habanero to round out the heat. You can also use small red and green Thai chiles.)
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
- 3 talespoons brown sugar, or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves
Instructions
In a bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients and serve immediately.