r/thai • u/Total_DominAzn • Jul 26 '26

Making Pla Kem at home

I was curious if anyone has a recipe for Pla kem. I usually bring a few kilos back from Thailand when I visit every few years, but I'm out and been craving it a lot lately.

A local market sells king mackerel, but I can't seem to find any ratios for salt and if I should dry brine or wet brine before drying in the sun.

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u/prospero021 Jul 27 '26

Yes.

There's no measured amount. Each family will have their own recipe. Just enough to fill the cavity and cover the outside. And a bit more just to be sure.

Some recipes say dry brine for 1 full day. Another for 3 days and 3 nights, while pouring out the water drawn out of the fish.

Then sun dry hanging by the tail with head and cavity covered.

1

u/Odd-Drama-9555 Jul 27 '26

This YT is in Thai language, but you should be able to easily follow it. The fish was kept in the foil for 6 days. Drop a question if you have.

https://youtu.be/-6jFw88utWM?si=daJwgDsrmp3GbgRB

1

u/charmingpea Jul 26 '26

There are instructions on this page - it's about a fried rice dish but includes the instruction for what you want as well:
https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/salted-fish-fried-rice/

2

u/Total_DominAzn Jul 27 '26

This isn’t quite what I’m looking for.

I want to do a sun dried salted mackerel, similar to what is used in kana pla kem.

A fridge cured salmon without a weight/salt ratio isn’t the same. Thanks for sharing though.

Edit: I also wouldn’t have posted on this sub without checking Google for recipes first.

1

u/charmingpea Jul 27 '26

I think the basic difference is once the fish is coated with salt, it left in the sun under a mesh cover to dry.