Grilled pomfret with sate chili is about puffed golden skin over sweet white flesh. The sate brings heat and aroma, the lemongrass and ginger lift it, and it goes straight onto rice. Clearing any off smell and controlling the fire are the hard parts, since the fish dries out quickly.
Cut four diagonal slashes about 1cm deep into each side and pack the sate into the cuts and the belly cavity. Cover with cling film and chill for 25 minutes so the seasoning takes hold. Serve it hot with a small dish of salt, chili and lime.
This batch weighs about 1.2kg, at roughly 150 calories per 100g.
Method
Slit the belly of the pomfret and remove the guts, gills and innards. Scrape off the scales and the slime thoroughly under fast running cold water.
Soak the fish in lightly salted water with bruised ginger for 10 minutes to clear any off smell. Rinse it, drain, then cut four diagonal slashes about 1cm deep into each side.
Finely chop 15g garlic and 20g shallot, bruise 30g lemongrass and cut 20g ginger into fine strips.
Mix 40g sate chili oil with the lemongrass, ginger, garlic, shallot, 30ml cooking oil, 25ml fish sauce, 13.5g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 5g pepper. Rub it all over the fish, packing it into the belly and the slashes.
Cover with cling film and chill for 25 minutes.
Over charcoal: set the fish on a rack 15cm above the coals and cook for 10 to 12 minutes a side, turning it 2 to 3 times. In an oven: preheat to 220 degrees C with the fan on and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once halfway.
The fish is done when the skin puffs golden and the flesh is white and sweet. Scatter over 20g chopped spring onion and 10g sliced fresh chili, and serve hot with a small dish of salt, chili and lime.
Tips
Score 4 diagonal cuts 1cm deep on each side so the sate chili oil reaches into the flesh.
Brush on more sate chili oil as the fish nears done for a glossy, well seasoned surface.
Twenty five minutes in the fridge is right, as longer lets the sate chili oil take over the sweetness of the pomfret.
Soak the fish in lightly salted water with bruised ginger for 10 minutes to clear the smell.
Keep the rack 15cm above the coals and turn it evenly two or three times so the skin does not burn.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.