Grill spit for small fish outdoor cooking on a spit
Smaller fish up to about 20 cm long are typically put on a grill spit, which is just a split stick. Often, in Thailand, this will be Pla Kod (Thai: ปลากด) (Hemibagrus wyckioides), commonly known as Asian Red-tail Catfish. This fish species is omnipresent throughout Southeast Asia, in every sizeable puddle of water, including lakes and streams. The fish has very tasty white meat with not too many bones.
Pla Kod has only one main disadvantage: It has three about 2 cm long, strong, and heavily barbed spines. One spine is in front of the dorsal fin, and another is in front of each pectoral fin. Due to its relatively small body size, Pla Kod is mainly caught in nets. My post, ‘ Small catfish in Thailand got dangerous spines,’ explains how to remove and handle Pla Kod.
Processing of small fish
Let’s assume Hemibagrus wyckioides was extracted without harm from the net, and a blow on the head killed the fish. This is, strictly speaking, not killing but only stunning the animal. After removing the guts and gills, the fish will be washed and put between the split stick on the grill spit.
The wood used for these sticks is currently unknown, but it was a species with straight, green shoots, large piths, and no smell. And the shoot was easy to split in the middle. After squeezing the fish bodies between both stick halves, the split stick was bound with the bark of the same wood.
Fish longer than about 20 cm and not having a snake-like shape are typically spit-roasted in Thailand. As seen in the photos below, these are mainly Pla Dabian (Barbonymus gonionotus), Pla Chon (Channa striata), and Pla Sawai (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) but also many other species. There is a wide range of distribution of these fish throughout Southeast Asia, and they are nowhere rare or threatened by their occurrence.
Traditional Thai eating habits
Local people from ‘Upcountry’ (Thai expression for everyone living outside Bangkok) love to spend a day on weekends together with their extended family to go fishing. These outings are deeply ingrained in the Thai soul, as ‘Tais’ migrated from southernmost Chinese areas, where they permanently settled in low-laying, water-clogged landscapes and got the Chinese synonym name of ‘duck feet people’.
They mainly lived – and still are living – from rice, fish, vegetables, and spices. This allowed a comfortable life, as rice could be grown and harvested three times a year. Fish were and are abundant, vegetables were growing wild (e.g., Swamp Morning Glory – Ipomoea aquatica and many others), and spices were easy to cultivate (e.g., Bird’s Eye Chilli – Capsicum annuum, Lesser Galangal – Alpinia officinarum, Kaffir lime leaves – Citrus hystrix). There is also a close link between rice and fish, as fish fingerlings were introduced into the rice fields after planting and harvested at the same time as rice was harvested. So, rice and fish were always available together, and vegetables and spices anytime.
This eating habit even led to the synonym of ‘Eating’ with ‘Eating rice’ in Thai. When asking a Thai friend to go for lunch (you seldom eat alone) – you ask, ‘Pai gin khao?’ (Are we going to eat rice? – even if you head for noodle soup or steak).
Fish and fishing are essential parts of Thai culture. They are best enjoyed socially in a community of like-minded people. Going fishing together and cooking the catch directly at the site epitomizes Thai rural happiness.
How Thais like to prepare fish for outdoor cooking
Caught fish are preferably cooked in a soup, fried in oil, or spit-roasted over a fire. Grilling on spits outdoors is the most convenient way of preparing fish. As in all hot climates, many fish often contain worms or parasites within their flesh. Thais never eat raw fish and always cook, fry, or grill it thoroughly. Thicker areas of meat will be cut sideward into the body for even frying or grilling.
It is uncommon to gut even bigger fish before grilling. The only preparation is rough scaling, removing the gills, and washing. Scaling is unnecessary before grilling, as the heat of the fire will cause the scales to stick out like on a hedgehog. They can be easily stripped before eating. The locals eat most of the cooked fish, guts, eggs, and milk.
Lessons learned on Thai fish preparation habits for outdoor cooking
- Prepare a level bed of hot coals
- Stick the spit lengthwise through the whole fish
- Rough scaling, grilling, and washing are enough
- Cut open thicker fish body areas
- Enjoy the meat with steamed rice and bites from a fresh Bird’s Eye Chilli.
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