Southeast Asian Grilled Fish

By: Rachel Allen

Ingredients
    2 cm piece of root ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
    1 stick of lemongrass, outer layer removed, bruised and sliced
    2 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
    1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
    2 tbsp light soy sauce
    1 tbsp fish sauce, (nam pla)
    1 tsp caster sugar
    2 mackerel, or 1 whole small–medium fish such as sea bream, scaled and gutted

To serve
    1 tbsp sesame oil
    few drops fish sauce, (nam pla)
    squeeze lemon juice, or lime juice
    1 tbsp chopped coriander

Method
Place half of each of the ginger, lemongrass, spring onions and chilli into a food processor, along with all of the soy, fish sauce and sugar, and whiz for 1–2 minutes to form a paste.

Score the fish by making cuts about 5mm deep at an angle in the skin and rub in the paste. Fill the cavity with the remaining ginger, lemongrass, spring onions and chilli, cover and leave to marinate for 1–2 hours in the fridge.

Cook on a moderately hot barbecue – or in a large griddle pan or frying pan brushed with sunflower oil and placed on a medium–high heat – for 3–5 minutes on each side until the skin is crispy and the fish is opaque.

To serve, drizzle with the sesame oil and fish sauce, squeeze over some lemon or lime juice and scatter over the coriander.