Fried Trout with Sweet Pork and Green Mango Salad

Name: Fried Trout with Sweet Pork and Green Mango Salad
Yield: 8 Servings
Ingredients: 3/4 cup vegetable oil, divided; 6 large shallots, peeled, cut into thin rounds; 6 white peppercorns; 1 whole star anise; 10 long fresh cilantro stems, chopped; 3 garlic cloves, halved; 1 3/4-inch piece peeled fresh ginger; 10 1/3-inch-thick slices boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt; about 10 ounces); 1/4 cup palm sugar; 1/3 cup water, divided; 1/3 cup fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam); 2/3 cup fresh lime juice; 10 long fresh cilantro stems; 1/4 cup fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam); 3 1/2 tablespoons palm sugar; 2 bird chiles, stemmed; 1 garlic clove, peeled; 1 green (under-ripe) mango, peeled, fruit cut from pit into long thin strips; 2 cups (loosely packed) fresh cilantro leaves; 1/2 cup (loosely packed) fresh mint leaves; 1 large red jalapeño chile, seeded, cut into matchstick-size strips; 2 kaffir lime leaves, very thinly sliced; 1 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, cut into matchstick-size strips; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 whole trout (each about 3/4 pound), scaled, boned, with head and tail intact, if desired.

By Martin BoetzPhotography by Kana Okada

April 6, 2008

Recipe notes