Whole Baked Trevally with Green Chilli and Coriander
Whole baked (or barbecued) fish makes for glorious eating over summer. Trevally is an underutilised fish but is brilliant to cook whole. It has sweet tasting flesh that pairs well with robust flavours like this green chilli and coriander marinade. Perfect with our summery crispy rice salad.
Ingredients
For the marinade:
1 bunch coriander
2 green chillies, roughly chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, white part only, finely sliced
3 makrut or kaffir lime leaves, sliced, stem removed
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp palm sugar
2 tsp fish sauce
2 spring onions, roughly chopped
3 Tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for drizzling
½ tsp salt
To cook the fish:
Oil, for drizzling
1 trevally (approx. 1.4kg) or other whole other whole fish
Lime wedges, to serve
Method
Set aside half the coriander leaves. Put the remaining coriander (stems and leaves) with the remaining marinade ingredients in a food processor, or use a stick blender, and blitz to make a paste (add a drizzle of water if required). Set aside 2 tablespoons of the paste for the crispy rice salad.
Check the fish for any remaining scales and clean out the cavity. Pat dry. Cut a few slashes into each side of the fish. Rub the paste into the slashes and into the cavity of the fish. Marinate in the fridge for a few hours, or ideally overnight.
Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Put a layer of baking paper on a tray. Put the fish on top of the paper and drizzle with oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the thickest point of the fish meets no resistance. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Scatter over the remaining coriander leaves and serve with our Crispy Rice Salad.