serves
4
prep
10 minutes
cook
35 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4
people
preparation
10
minutes
cooking
35
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Stream free On Demand
The Whole Fish
episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • cooking • 25m
G
episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • cooking • 25m
G
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg whole snapper, cleaned
- 5 cm x 4 cm piece ginger, thinly sliced
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 lemongrass stem, bruised
- 1 small bunch coriander roots
- Salt
- Banana leaves, for wrapping
- Thinly sliced red onion, lime cheeks, coriander leaves, thinly sliced red chilli, to serve
For the sauce
- 100 ml coconut oil
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 50 g garlic, finely chopped
- 50 g ginger, finely chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh curry leaves
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 4 makrut lime leaves
- 300 g tomatoes, peeled and puréed (see Note)
- 60 g tamarind concentrate
- 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander root
- 50 g fish stock
- Lime juice, kithul treacle (see Note), salt, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a barbecue over medium-high heat. Stuff the cavity of the fish with the ginger, garlic cloves, lemongrass and coriander roots. Season the fish well with salt.
- On a clean working surface, lay out a large piece of foil and add a layer of banana leaves out and place the fish in the centre. Use the leaves to wrap the fish, then enclose the parcel with the foil. Barbecue for 30 – 35 minutes, or until cooked through.
- To make the sauce, melt the coconut oil in a large frying pan or a wok. Add the cumin seeds and cook for 30 seconds. Add the finely chopped garlic and ginger and stir-fry until lightly golden. Stir through the curry leaves, chilli powder and lime leaves.
- Stir through the crushed tomatoes, tamarind concentrate, coriander roots and fish stock. Season to taste with lime juice, treacle and salt.
- Remove the fish from the grill or barbecue, unwrap, then transfer the snapper to a large serving platter. Sprinkle with thinly sliced red onion, coriander leaves and chilli. Serve with the lime cheeks and the tomato tamarind sauce on the side.
Note
- Kithul treacle is a special unrefined sugar from Sri Lanka. You can use the barbecue or chargrill pan to grill the tomatoes and remove their skins. A mortar and pestle are best for pounding the tomatoes into a purée.
Photography by Jiwon Kim.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
Stream free On Demand
The Whole Fish
