GRILLED MARINATED PENANG FISH WITH CHILLI, GARLIC AND GINGER. SERVED WITH LEMONGRASS AND BLACK PEPPER DRESSING
Ingredients
2 large Brill or Flounder or other flat fish scaled and gutted
4 red chillies de-seeded and finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped (reserve 2 cloves for the dressing)
1 large piece of ginger peeled and finely chopped
4 sprigs of coriander. Wash the roots and stems and finely chop
1 Lime juiced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
DRESSING
3 stems of lemongrass finely chopped
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon of sugar
Roughly chopped coriander (previously picked)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
2 limes juiced
Description
The spicy food from the island of Penang is famous for its great seafood dishes. Bordering Malaysia and Thailand the cuisine has been very influential on the larger region as a whole. We tried a bounty of different dishes and local seafood specialities, but this fish was definitely the favourite in the Penang night market. You can tone down the chillies in this dish to suit your taste.
Method
1. Coriander roots are very important in Thai cooking and are used to make spice rubs and the bases of curry pastes. They hold most of the flavour of the coriander plant. If the roots on the bunches of coriander are not available then use the lower part of the stems of the bunch and double the quantity
2. In a small blender or pestle and mortar grind the chopped chilli and garlic (reserving two cloves for the dressing). Pound with a little salt to work as an abrasive and break down the fibres . Add ginger and coriander stems and work into a paste. Add fish sauce and limejuice and a splash of water.
3. Take the cleaned fish and cut four diagonal slashes on each side of the fish right down to the bone. Repeat from the opposite angle so that there is a deep diamond pattern on each side of the flat fish. Rub the chilli paste across into the slashes on both sides of the fish. Leave to marinate while you preheat the grill and make the dressing.
4. Pre- heat an overhead grill. Finely chop the lemongrass and add to pestle and mortar or blender with salt and sugar to make a rough paste. Finely chop the garlic with coriander and add these to the paste. Continue to pound and add the crushed black pepper until you have a semi smooth green paste. Add the fish sauce limejuice and mix until blended
5. If using an overhead grill then you will need a flat oven tray, lined with tin foil.
Grill the fish for about 8 minutes you do not have to turn it over with this method of cooking. If grilling on a chargrill then turn it over half way through the cooking
When the fish is cooked arrange on a large platter and splash over the dressing. Watch these two fish be devoured in a matter of minutes. The slashes in the flesh work in three ways.
- Allows allow the robust paste to permeate the flesh.
- Allows direct heat to penetrate right to the bone, caramelising the flesh and creating a great flavour.
- Allows easy access for all your guests to pull at the roasted flesh. Leaving nothing but bare bones on a cleaned platter.
Categories
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