Dai Lemongrass Grilled Fish

Name: Dai Lemongrass Grilled Fish
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Dai
Ingredients: 1 whole tilapia or sea bass, about 800 g, gutted and scaled; 6 lemongrass stalks; 1 large bunch coriander, about 40 g; 6 sprigs sawtooth coriander, or another handful of coriander; 6 garlic cloves; 25 g ginger; 4 red bird's eye chillies; 3 spring onions; 2 tsp fine salt; 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 lime, cut into wedges

by CommunityKitchen

DaiMedium50 minServes 4

From Xishuangbanna in tropical southern Yunnan, a whole fish is split flat, packed with lemongrass, sawtooth coriander and chilli, then clamped in split bamboo and grilled so the herbs steam inside the flesh.

Per
serving

320kcal

38gprotein

6gcarbs

16gfat

Ingredients

1 whole tilapia or sea bass, about 800 g, gutted and scaled
6 lemongrass stalks
1 large bunch coriander, about 40 g
6 sprigs sawtooth coriander, or another handful of coriander
6 garlic cloves
25 g ginger
4 red bird's eye chillies
3 spring onions
2 tsp fine salt
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lime, cut into wedges

Before you cook

Split the fish along the back from head to tail, cutting down to but not through the belly skin, then open it out flat like a book.
Score the thickest part of each fillet three times with a sharp knife.
Rub the fish inside and out with 2 teaspoons of salt and leave it for 10 minutes.
Trim two lemongrass stalks and chop the tender lower thirds very finely.
Bruise the remaining four lemongrass stalks with the back of a knife.
Chop the coriander, sawtooth coriander, garlic, ginger, chillies and spring onions together into a coarse paste.
Mix the chopped herb paste with the finely chopped lemongrass and the ground Sichuan pepper.
Light a charcoal grill and let it burn down to an even bed of grey embers.

Steps

Pat the salted fish dry with kitchen paper.
Pack two thirds of the herb paste into the cavity and across the opened flesh.
Lay the four bruised lemongrass stalks along the inside of the fish.
Fold the fish closed around the filling and tie it at three points with kitchen string.
Brush the outside of the fish all over with the oil.
Lay the fish on the grill about 15 centimetres above the embers.
Grill for 8 minutes without moving it, until the skin releases cleanly from the bars.
Turn the fish and grill the second side for 8 minutes.
Turn once more and grill each side for a final 2 minutes to blister the skin.
Check the fish is done by pushing a knife tip into the thickest part, which should meet no resistance.
Move the fish to a platter and cut away the string.
Spoon the remaining herb paste over the top and serve with lime wedges.

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