Pescado Zarandeado

Ingredients

• 1 whole red snapper, about 1.5 kg, butterflied through the back
• 5 guajillo chillies, stemmed and seeded
• 2 chiles de arbol, stemmed
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 white onion, sliced into rings
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• 12 corn tortillas
• 200 g cucumber and tomato salsa

Before you cook

• Ask the fishmonger to butterfly the snapper through the back so it opens flat with the skin intact underneath.
• Rinse the opened fish and pat it completely dry inside and out.
• Score the thickest part of the flesh three times on each side, cutting to the skin but not through it.
• Toast the guajillo and arbol chillies in a dry pan for 45 seconds a side, until they smell sweet.
• Soak the toasted chillies in hot water for 20 minutes, keeping them pushed under.
• Blend the drained chillies with the garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, pepper and salt until smooth.
• Brush the adobo thickly over the flesh side of the fish and leave it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Steps

1. Light a bed of hardwood charcoal and let it burn down for 25 minutes, until the coals are grey and glowing.
2. Clamp the fish flat in a hinged grill basket with the skin side facing out on one side.
3. Set the basket over the coals with the flesh side down and grill for 6 minutes, until the adobo has set and taken colour.
4. Turn the basket over so the skin side faces the coals.
5. Brush the exposed flesh with the remaining adobo.
6. Grill skin side down for 18 to 22 minutes, until the skin is charred and the flesh at the backbone flakes when pushed with a knife tip.
7. Lift the basket off the fire and let the fish rest in it for 3 minutes.
8. Grill the onion rings directly over the coals for 3 minutes, turning once, until softened and blackened at the edges.
9. Slide the fish onto a large platter.
10. Warm the tortillas on the grill for 20 seconds a side.
11. Serve the fish with the grilled onion, cucumber and tomato salsa, lime wedges and tortillas so everyone can build their own tacos.