Whole Fish
Curried Whole Fish w/ Chilli Yoghurt
Whole fish are such a cost effective way to eat fish, simple to cook, and there’s very little waste. This recipe is for one medium fish, but scale up the quantities if you’re feeding a crowd. I’ve used Tandoori paste, but most curry pastes will work well (Green or Red would be great). Remember when buying whole fish by the kilo that on cooking you won’t eat the weight of the bones & tail etc. 150 – 200g of protein per person is about right for a meal, so I find a 500 – 600g fish good for two hungry people.
Use: any whole fish you like! Gurnard, Tarakihi & Moki are all perfect for baking & barbecuing.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 whole Gurnard
- 2 Tbsp Curry Paste, I used Tandoori Paste
- 1 Lemon, sliced
- Flaky Sea Salt
- Freshly Ground Pepper
- ½ cup thick Greek Yogurt
- Chilli Oil (or Chilli Flakes)
- Coriander & Mint leaves, roughly chopped
- Extra Lemon
METHOD
If your fish needs scaled, do this now. If not, give your fish a wipe with a paper towel. If the fish looks like it needs freshening up, rinse in cold water and then pat dry and wipe off with a paper towel.
Pre heat your BBQ to a medium-high heat (if your BBQ has a hood), otherwise preheat your oven to 180 degrees fan-bake.
Measure out a piece of tin foil a bit longer than your fish, and on top of that, place a piece of baking paper the same size.
Take your fish and cut 3-4 big slits on each side, on a diagonal. I like to go almost to the bone.
With clean hands rub the fish all over with curry paste. If your paste isn’t well seasoned, salt and pepper the fish as well now.
Fill the fish slits and the cavity with lemon slices.
Place the fish on the baking paper (belly down if it’s Gurnard you’re cooking) and wrap the fish up into a neat foil-covered parcel.
Place on the preheated BBQ and shut the hood, or put into the oven.
The cook time will depend on the size of your fish. My medium Gurnard took 20 minutes. Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork, and has reached an internal temperature of 62 degrees Celsius.
Unwrap your fish as soon as it’s done (to prevent it continuing to cook in the parcel).
Serve the fish with generous amounts of fresh herbs, yoghurt spiked with chilli oil or chilli flakes (to taste) and lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy!
Recipe by Jana from The Macpherson Diaries
