Amok Trey

Method

Amok is a custard-based steamed curry — the egg sets the coconut and spice mixture into a silken cambodian-cuisine preparation that relies on gentle, even heat to prevent the custard from splitting or the fish from drying out. Start by whisking the coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, and palm sugar together until the paste breaks down and the mixture is even in colour, roughly two minutes. This dispersion is crucial — lumps of curry paste won't cook out evenly in the brief steaming time. Add the eggs and whisk for another minute until fully incorporated; the emulsion should look glossy and uniform. Fold in the green peppercorns and roughly chopped basil just before assembly — basil loses its sharp volatile oils quickly, and peppercorns will distribute unevenly if you mix them in too early.

Cut banana leaves into 20cm squares, then soften them over a gas flame or in a dry pan for a few seconds on each side. This makes them pliable enough to fold cleanly without cracking. Arrange each square on your work surface, divide the fish fillets into four portions, and place one piece slightly off-centre. Pour roughly 150ml of the custard mixture over each fillet — it should partially submerge the fish but not swamp it. The custard will thicken as it cooks, cradling the fish and keeping it moist.

Fold the banana leaf into a parcel: bring the two nearest corners together above the fish, then fold the other two corners over the top. The parcel should be loosely enclosed — steam needs to circulate inside, and if you seal it tightly the pressure will burst the leaf or cook the custard too fast. Don't use toothpicks; they perforate the leaf and let steam escape unevenly.

Place the parcels seam-side up in a steamer basket above rapidly simmering water — the steam should be vigorous and continuous. Steam for 18–22 minutes. The custard is set when a skewer inserted into the thickest part of the fish meets no resistance and a small portion of custard jiggles slightly but doesn't slosh. Oversteaming will cause cambodian-cuisine the eggs to tighten and the fish to flake apart from the heat shock.

Serve the parcels unopened on a plate. Each diner unfolds their own leaf and eats directly from it, banana leaf and all — it's edible and imparts a subtle vegetal note to the final bites.