Grilled Whole Fish Stuffed with Herbs and Chilies

In theU.S., summer grilling season feels synonymous with burgers and hot tykes . But after I’ve had my filler of Americana, I turn to another source for grilling alleviation The culinarians living on China’s border of Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam who caff all time long as their primary way of cuisine.

This super simple, scrumptious grilled fish comes from China’s Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Region, a smallsub-tropical area just a many long hauls from both Laos and Myanmar. The idea is simple — a whole fish is stuffed with fresh sauces and chilies, is grilled over hot coals and brushed with salty oil painting as it culinarians but as the sauces wilt from the heat, their scent scents the fish and gives it a lovely, delicate flavor. The result is far further than the sum of its corridor, a awful dish for a weekend regale or to serve to musketeers when you want commodity that's easy to prepare but looks emotional.

Best Fish for this Recipe :

This form is traditionally made with tilapia, which growers in China frequently grow in small ponds on their granges. The fish is ideal, because its meat is meaty but veritably mild in flavor, and it soaks up the incense from the sauces as they cook.

This system, still, also works well with redsnapper.However, you might want to use kitchen scissors to trim off the edges of the fish’s fins, which can be relatively sharp, If choosing a snapper.

RECIPE :

Grilled Whole Fish Stuffed with Herbs and Chilies

PREPE TIME :                                         COOK TIME :                               TOTAL TIME :

    20 mins                                                    40 mins                                            60 mins                              

    

SERVINGS :  4 Servings

NOTE : Your tilapia should be cleaned, scaled, and cut open so that you have a large cavity in the body of the fish to stuff it with herbs and chilies.

Special equipment: grill cage and pastry brush

INGREDIENTS :

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for oiling the grill cage
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 (2 pound) whole tilapia, cleaned, scaled, and cut open along the belly or butterflied
• 2 scallions, root ends removed, cut in half lengthwise and widthwise
• 1 large handful cilantro (about 1 packed cup), leaves and stems
• 2 red Fresno chilies, thinly sliced crosswise

METHOD :

1- Preheat the gill and prepare the grill cage :

Heat a charcoal or gas grill until you have hot coals or high heat.

For a charcoal grill: Heat a chimney full of coals until they are grey with ash, then pile them in the center of the grill.

For a gas grill: Turn the heat to high, close the lid, and let the grill heat while you prepare the fish, about 20 minutes; the temperature should reach about 400°F.

Using a pastry brush or clean kitchen towel, oil the grill cage all over. Set aside until ready to use.

2- Make the seasoned oil :

In a small jar or cup, combine the vegetable oil and 2 teaspoons of salt. Set aside to use later.

3- Season and stuff the fish :

Season and rub the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt all over the inside and outside of the fish. Lay half of the scallions on the inside of the fish’s cavity, top them with cilantro, chilies, and then top the pile with the remaining scallions and close the fish. Place the fish into the oiled grill cage and close the cage.

4- Grill the fish :

Grill the fish over direct heat for 5 minutes, then flip the grill basket and grill the other side for an additional 5 minutes.

Use a pastry brush to coat the fish with the prepared oil (dabbing the oil through the grill cage), then grill the fish for another 30 minutes, flipping every five minutes or so and adding oil every time you flip making sure to use up all of the oil.

When finished, the fish’s skin should be partially blackened and crispy, and the flesh should be cooked through.

To check for doneness, twist the tips of two chopsticks or the tines of a fork in the flesh (while the fish is still in the grill cage); it should be flaky and opaque. If the flesh doesn’t flake easily, continue to grill the fish, flipping once, for another 10 minutes.

5- Remove fish from grill cage :

When the fish is fully cooked, carefully open the grill cage; the metal may stick to the fish’s skin, so you’ll want to go slowly and use your chopsticks or a butter knife to separate them when necessary.

6- Serve :

Serve the fish whole, and let people slide a piece off of the side, without taking too many bones with it, or eat it from a communal plate at the center of the table. When one side of the fish is done, flip it to serve the other of the fish. (Everyone can also take some of the wilted herbs and chile from inside the fish, if they like.)

NUTRITION FACTS : (PER SERVING)

     359                                       13g                             2g                                      60g

CALORIES                                 FAT                         CARBS                             PROTEINS

Bon appetite !! 

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