Crispy ground catfish / Yum Pla Fu

Ok, so this is my first post. I want to share the most mesmerising dish that I've ate. Something which makes my tongue tingle when I think of it. Something which has me beaming with delight when I eat it. This has to be Crispy Ground Catfish, (catfish substituted with any other suitable fish is also acceptable), a Thai dish that I first tasted at the legendary Sripraphai in Woodside, New York City. This dish is extremely hard to find and when you do find it, make sure you stuff yourself, for the next helping could be some time away.

I arrived in NYC for my 8 week analyst training with an un-named investment bank back in September 2007. USD/GBP was around 2.0 and good food in Manhattan was easily affordable. Stepping out of Manhattan was something I hardly considered given the rich pickings within. For my first meeting with my cousin Dave I was taken to Woodside in Queens, out of the comfort of Manhattan, on a 45min subway journey. I wondered what on earth would be worthwhile in this area to visit: Woodside was a beaten neighbourhood. We walked down a few streets of dilapidated bungalows and townhouses with steel fences protecting overgrown yards and abandoned toys. It smelled of poverty. Amidst all of this was Sripraphai. It didn't look elaborate inside, but it was inviting. Simple yet sufficient. A place which lets the food do the talking. Dave proceeded to order an enormous number of dishes of mouth watering Thai food. I had never had it so good. In the middle of the orders was dish A-7, Crispy Ground Catfish.

Crispy ground catfish (Bottom left) @ Sripraphai, 2007

This dish requires some preparation (check out Sheshimmer's recipe). Essentially, one needs to prepare dehydrated Catfish meat flakes (shred/ground pre-cooked catfish meat, then dehydrate it). The flakes are deep fried and gathered into a "nest" shape, then served with a spicy mango salad (with sweet lime juice dressing). The taste and texture of the deep fried fish is quite exquisite. Texture wise it is like biting through crispy batter, except the batter is made of fish not flour. The tangy lime juice complements the meat, it soaks through the meat and each bite releases more of the tangy taste. I was blown away by the experience at Sripraphai and gained a deep respect for Thai cuisine.

After my stint in NYC, I returned to the UK and was unable to find the crispy ground catfish dish anywhere. This may be due to catfish not being as readily available in the UK, or a lack of decent Thai restaurants altogether. I was unable to introduce the catfish dish to my supper club buddies Fig, DMP Woodward and Burnley. They had all heard my deep, almost religious praising of Sripraphai everytime NYC was mentioned. I was desperate to show them.

Three years passed without sight of this elusive dish, until the supper club gang found themselves all in NYC at the same time for work. The eating itinerary was well planned in advance by Fig. Among exquisite experiences to be had at Momofuku, Le Bernadin and other haunts, we also dedicated a special slot for Sripraphai. We visited on a sunny Sunday evening, taking the option of dining al fresco in the back garden. The catfish arrived and got the approval from the gang. However, I was slightly disappointed in the portion. Sizes clearly had shrunk, what was a main dish portion back in 2007 had been chopped down to the size of a starter plate. After three years of anticipation, the climax was not all I envisaged. It was good but not quite like I remembered it. I was slightly embarrassed and apologised to the gang as it had not been the heavenly manna I promised (yet still a delightful experience). Why was the portion so much smaller? Maybe Sripraphai had hit its peak and was getting tired. It still however, is excellent value for money, and as popular as ever (check out the reviews in the NY Mag and NYtimes etc).

Crispy ground catfish @ Sripraphai, 2010 (on right, note smaller size. Supper club started devouring before pics were taken)

At the end of 2010 I transferred to HK for work. During my stay in HK I had the delight of sharing a flat with MB, a fellow foodie who also got me into Bourdain's travel shows. MB had heard great things about Tuk Tuk (Graham St), a tiny Thai restaurant in the heart of Soho. The signature dish here was seafood curry served in a pumpkin. As we glanced over the menu I noticed that one of the house specials was Yum Pla Foo, described as a deep fried pounded red snapper. I immediately knew we hit the jackpot. The dish was huge in size. Tuk Tuk's version was not as electrifying as Sripraphai's in taste, but the quantity was more than generous. I think the difference is down to a superior lime dressing at Sripraphai which soaked through the meat. Tuk Tuk's Red Snapper version was nevertheless, worth every penny and gave me gratification. I also have to note Tuk Tuk's seafood curry was very tasty as well. The pumpkin in which the curry was served in was cooked perfectly. The moist, sweet flesh a perfect counterbalance to the fire from the curry.

Yum Pla Foo @ Tuk Tuk, 2011 (Red snapper instead of catfish)

I made a trip to Thailand during my stay in Asia but did not see a similar ground fish dish on the menu. Maybe the catfish dish originates from further inland, given catfish is a freshwater fish. Having returned back to Europe (I'm based in hip Berlin for the summer), my chances of seeing this in a local restaurant is extremely slim, so I'm going to recreate this in my own kitchen sometime. The cooking steps involved are tricky, and finding catfish is also a challenge. I think I might be able to get away with using the more commonly sold mahi mahi/tillapia fillets instead of catfish.