Catfish

The common catfish is about 30cm/12in long. It is very widely distributed throughout the north of Thailand. A favourite way of cooking it is to deep-fry pieces until crisp, then stir-fry them with a spicy chilli paste and other ingredients. Catfish is also used in curries and as the basis of a hot-and-sour salad called yum pla doong foo. In addition to the common catfish, there is a slightly smaller version – pla boo – which is usually steamed and served whole in soy sauce or lime juice.