Pla Rad Prik

Pla rad prik is a Thai dish of whole or filleted fish, fried until crisp and covered with a thick chilli sauce. It is a common home and restaurant dish in central Thailand.

What it really is

The fish is usually a whole freshwater fish such as tilapia or snakehead, scored on both sides, dusted with starch or flour and deep fried until the skin and flesh are crisp. The sauce is cooked separately in a little oil: dried red chillies, garlic, shallots, palm sugar, fish sauce and a splash of vinegar or tamarind, thickened to a glossy sauce, with sliced chilli and sometimes onion added. The sauce is poured over the hot fish just before serving.

It differs from sweet and sour fish, which uses a batter and a thinner, brighter sauce with pineapple and cucumber, and from plain fried fish with dipping sauce, where the sauce is served on the side rather than poured over the fish.

How it's served

• Served hot on a platter with steamed jasmine rice.
• The sauce is spooned over the fish at the table or just before it leaves the kitchen.
• Eaten by breaking off pieces of fish and flesh with a spoon and fork and mixing them with rice.
• Usually shared between several diners alongside other dishes.

How to write it on the menu

• Write it as pla rad prik or fried fish with chilli sauce, and name the fish used (for example tilapia or sea bass).
• State that the sauce contains fish sauce and that the fish is fried, so guests know it is not vegetarian.
• Note the heat level of the chilli sauce, since the dish is usually quite spicy.
• Say whether the fish is served whole on the bone or as fillets.