Samaki wa Kupaka

Ingredients

• 2 whole red snapper or sea bream (about 600g each), gutted and scaled
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 tsp salt
• 400ml coconut milk (full fat)
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 thumb fresh ginger
• 2 red chillies, deseeded if you prefer
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 small bunch coriander, chopped
• Coconut rice, to serve

Before you cook

• Slash each fish three times on both sides, cutting down to the bone.
• Rub the fish inside and out with the lime juice, salt and black pepper, working it into the slashes.
• Leave the fish in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• Blend the onion, garlic, ginger and chillies with 3 tbsp of the coconut milk to a smooth paste.
• Heat a barbecue to medium or preheat the grill to its highest setting.

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and fry the blended paste for 6 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and loses its raw smell.
2. Stir in the turmeric, cumin and ground coriander and cook for 1 minute.
3. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and the tamarind paste.
4. Simmer the sauce gently for 12 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens enough to coat a spoon.
5. Taste the sauce and balance it with salt and a squeeze of lime, aiming for equally sour, sweet and savoury.
6. Pour half the sauce into a bowl for basting and keep the rest warm for serving.
7. Lay the fish on the oiled barbecue grate or a lined tray under the grill.
8. Cook the first side for 6 minutes without moving it.
9. Turn the fish carefully with two spatulas and cook the second side for 5 minutes.
10. Brush the basting sauce generously over the top of the fish.
11. Cook for 3 more minutes, then brush again and cook for 3 more, repeating until the basting sauce is used and the surface is glazed and patched with brown.
12. Check the fish by pushing a knife into the thickest part near the spine, where the flesh should be opaque and lift away cleanly.
13. Slide the fish onto a platter, spoon the reserved warm sauce over, and scatter with chopped coriander.