Chilli fish

Try this flavour-packed chilli fish recipe from Nige Sithirasegaram for a new way to enjoy whole barramundi. Make a spicy paste with chillies, onion, ginger, garlic, herbs and spices to flavour the fish, then wrap in banana leaves and bake to flaky perfection. Try it with buttery slices of toast!

Chilli fish Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 2 banana leaves, washed
• 1 kg whole barramundi, cleaned
• 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
• 5 green birds eye chillies, seeds removed, finely chopped
• 2 bird's eye chillies, finely chopped
• 3 cm x 4 cm piece ginger, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 lemons, juiced
• ¼ cup coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp oil (coconut or olive oil)
• buttered toast, to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Line a baking tray with a sheet of foil and top with the banana leaves and set aside. Score the fish of the barramundi on both sides, in a diamond pattern and set aside while you make the chilli paste.
2. In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the onion, chillies, ginger, garlic, turmeric, soy sauce, salt, lemon juice, coriander leaves and oil. Blend well to a thick paste. Alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle rather than a food processer.
3. Rub the chilli paste into both sides and the cavity of the fish. Place the marinated fish onto the banana leaves, then wrap well with the banana leaves, then the foil to ensure the fish is secure. Place the wrapped fish onto the baking tray and bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through.
4. To serve, unwrap, remove fish off the bone and place onto pieces of buttered toast.

Note

• This can also be cooked on the barbecue. Cook on a heated barbecue for 12—15 minutes, or until cooked through. Barramundi can also be substituted with swordfish or Spanish mackerel fillets for this recipe.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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