This is one of my favourite dishes to make. It’s really easy, involves little actual cooking and is great tasting and healthy too. Also, it’s an impressive and exotic looking dish for a dinner party, if your friends don’t mind the whole fish. Actually, most of the flavour of a fish is in the bones and the skin, so cooking a whole fish makes much more sense. Just mind the bones while eating! I’ve adapted it from a recipe from Australian Women’s Weekly (some of my favourite books are from this range) for an outdoor barbecue dish, where the fish is grilled on a barbecue in banana leaves. A bit difficult to get in Toronto! I added a sliced banana underneath the fish and it absorbs all the flavours and sticky sweet spices from the fish to make a very complimentary chutney. Serve it with a sticky rice such as Thai, to sop up all the juices, a fresh salad (recipe underneath the fish) and edamame, boiled for a few minutes in salty water.
Red Snapper with Lemongrass and Sweet Chili
1 large, whole Red Snapper, descaled and cleaned by your fishmonger
1 big fresh lemongrass, thinly sliced (to make about ⅓ cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp soy sauce
¼ cup sweet chili sauce
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 banana, quartered length-ways
2 Tbsp chopped Cilantro
– wash the snapper under cold water and pat dry with paper towel
– in a bowl, mix garlic, ginger, lime, soy, chili, fish sauce and sesame oil.
– lay out a piece of baking parchment with a equal size piece of foil on top, large enough to wrap the fish
– lay 3 quarters of the banana in the middle of the foil.
– put the fish on top of the banana, put the remaining quarter banana inside the fish cavity
– cut three slashes into each side of the fish. Top with ginger/lemongrass, rubbing some mixture into each cut. Sprinkle with Cilantro
– wrap the fish in the foil and then in the parchment, tie with string to secure. Rest in Fridge for 20 mins.
– pre-heat oven to 420˚F. Bake fish for 20 – 30 mins until done.
Carrot and Cabbage Salad
3 small carrots, julienned
3 0r 4 outer leaves from a fresh, green cabbage, finely sliced
2 spring onions, sliced
Cilantro,chopped to make ⅓ cup
Basil, chopped to make ⅓ cup
Parsley, chopped to make ⅓ cup
dressing:
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
[…] what to do for dessert? A super, impressive and exotic dinner deserves an equally lovely little sweet treat to end things off. I decided to stick with the […]
mmmm – i have 2 thai snappers. his looks awesoem!
Do you cook it in the parchment paper?
Yes, Dan, I wrap it up and secure with string. It keeps the fish moist and juicy, almost like steaming it.
Hi there,
I was just browsing the internet to find good and temptation recipe for a fresh red snaper I bought this morning and found your website. I know its quite long ago but I gotta tell you that your recipes are brilliant and I just love it. I can’t wait to try it tonight and your dessert just simply lovely with asian touch. I wish you all the best and will definitely visit your website again!!!
Suzie
can you elaborate on the use of bananas, in the cavity? why? and under the fish i guess is so that it doesent sear against the foil 🙂 thanks
Found your blog as I was looking for inspiration to deep fry a red snapper I bought this morning. Great pics! Congratulations!