Barbecued lemongrass snapper with pomelo and herb salad
Process chilli, ginger, lime leaves, garlic, shallot, lemongrass, coriander roots, oil and 2 tsp sea salt in a food processor to a paste. Rub inside the fish cavity and spread thickly over fish, massaging into incisions. Cover and marinate for at least three hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 220°C or heat a hooded barbecue to high. Place fish on an oven tray lined with oiled foil and drizzle with a little extra oil. Roast until flesh flakes easily (45-50 minutes).
For pomelo and herb salad, pound chilli, garlic and palm sugar to a paste with a mortar and pestle. Stir in 1 tbsp hot water, then add lime juice and fish sauce – check seasoning and adjust the balance of hot, sour, sweet and salty to taste. Store in an airtight container until required. Just before serving, combine herbs, shallot and pomelo in a bowl, drizzle with dressing and toss to combine. To serve, squeeze lime over snapper and scatter with salad.
INGRIDIENTS
4 long red chillies, coarsely chopped
40 gm ginger, coarsely chopped
10 gm makrut (kaffir) lime leaves, thinly sliced, plus extra to serve
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 shallots, coarsely chopped
2 lemongrass stalks (white part only), thinly sliced
50 ml vegetable oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 large snapper (about 2.8kg), skin slashed
Pomelo and herb salad
2 small red chillies, thinly sliced, or to taste
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 1⁄2 tbsp crushed palm sugar
60 ml lime juice (1⁄4 cup)
60 ml fish sauce (1⁄4 cup)
1 cup coriander
1 cup mint
1 cup thai basil
2 red shallots, thinly sliced
1⁄2 pomelo or grapefruit, broken into pieces