Fish Ssäm with Spicy Chile Sauce

Serves
serves 4
Time
20 minutes

FARIDEH SADEGHIN

Ssäm, which is Korean for "wrapped," refers to the lettuce wraps that enclose spicy grilled fish in this recipe from Matthew Rudofker, executive chef at New York City's Momofuku Ssäm Bar. Rudofker served this dish at our 2015 SAVEUR Summer Cookout, and it's perfect as a light summer appetizer or even a full meal.

Ingredients

3 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. mirin
2 tsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. Chinese red chiles in oil
1 tsp. sherry vinegar
¹⁄₂ tsp. toasted sesame oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. snow peas, trimmed
5 tbsp. packed cilantro leaves, thinly sliced
5 tbsp. packed mint leaves, thinly sliced
5 tbsp. packed Thai basil leaves, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. plus 4 tsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. fish sauce
Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
Four 3-oz. porgy or snapper fillets
¹⁄₂ cup crème fraiche
1 head bibb lettuce, cored and separated into leaves

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Instructions

Step 1

In a small bowl, whisk the oil with the soy sauce, mirin, ginger, chiles in oil, vinegar, sesame oil, and scallions, and then season the chile sauce with salt and pepper.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, combine the snow peas with the cilantro, mint, basil, 4 teaspoons of the olive oil, the fish sauce, and lime juice.

Step 3

Light a grill. Season the fish with salt and pepper, and then rub with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Grill the fish, turning once, until charred on each side, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 4

In a small bowl, stir the crème fraiche with 2 tablespoons of the chile sauce and place the remaining chile sauce in another bowl. Serve the fish in the lettuce leaves with the crème fraiche sauce and chile sauce on the side.

In a small bowl, whisk the oil with the soy sauce, mirin, ginger, chiles in oil, vinegar, sesame oil, and scallions, and then season the chile sauce with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine the snow peas with the cilantro, mint, basil, 4 teaspoons of the olive oil, the fish sauce, and lime juice.
Light a grill. Season the fish with salt and pepper, and then rub with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Grill the fish, turning once, until charred on each side, about 3 to 4 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir the crème fraiche with 2 tablespoons of the chile sauce and place the remaining chile sauce in another bowl. Serve the fish in the lettuce leaves with the crème fraiche sauce and chile sauce on the side.