Thai-Style Pad Cha Basa With Greens And Fragrant Rice

Preheat the oven to 240ºC/ 220ºC (fan)/ gas 9

Crush your garlic open by squashing them with the side of a knife and discard the skins

Cut your red chilli[es] in half lengthways, deseed (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon) and chop roughly

Tip: Like it hot? Keep the seeds in!

Strip your coriander leaves and Thai basil leaves from their stalks

Wash your spinach and pat it dry with kitchen paper

Add the peeled garlic to a pestle & mortar with the coriander & Thai basil stalks (the leaves will be used later!), chopped chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and a pinch of salt and grind to form a rough paste – this is your chilli paste

Tip: Don't have a pestle & mortar? Pulse in a food processor!

Add your white long grain rice and dried lime leaf[ves] to a pot with a lid with 225ml [300ml] [450ml] cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 12-15 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked

Once done, remove from the heat and set aside (lid on) to steam until serving

Add your Tenderstem broccoli and spinach to a large piece of tin foil with a pinch of salt, 1 tbsp [1 1/2 tbsp] [2 tbsp] cold water and a generous drizzle of olive oil

Scrunch the foil around the vegetables to form a tightly sealed parcel and add to a baking tray

Put the tray in the oven for 10-12 min or until the Tenderstem broccoli is tender with a slight bite – these are your greens

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick with a matching lid) with 2 tbsp [3 tbsp] [4 tbsp] vegetable oil over a high heat

Once hot, add your chilli paste to the pan and cook for 2-3 min, stirring frequently until fragrant

Boil half a kettle

Once fragrant, reduce the heat to medium-high and add your basa fillet[s] to the pan with your fish sauce, soy sauce and 70ml [80ml] [90ml] boiled water

Add 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] sugar and cook, covered, for 5 min or until the fish is cooked through

Tip: Your fish is cooked once it turns opaque and flakes easily

Once cooked through, add your Thai basil leaves – this is your Thai-style pad cha basa