Details of Chili Fish

This is a great way of cooking a whole Chili Fish. It flavored with fresh green chutney, wrapped in foil, and baked. Start with a cleaned whole firm fleshed fish, about two pounds, preferably with the head on. In Goa we ate a small kingfish prepared this way. We make it with pickerel or with red snapper.

Make up a quick batch of chutney, then cut a slit along either side of the backbone and push the stuffing in there, as well as in the fish cavity. The fish is wrapped in foil, placed on a rimmed backing sheet, and oven baked in Goa, the fish is usually wrapped in banana leaves and baked in the ashes of a fire.

The hot pan juices are delicious drizzled over rice, or you can serve the whole dish at room temperature after chilling it for some hours. Leftovers are a bonus the pan juices jell in the refrigerator and then both fish and jelled sauce make a great topping for hot rice or for bread.

INGREDIENTS
1 (1 3/4 to 2 pound) firm fleshed fish, such as pickerel, trout, or red snapper, cleaned and scaled
About 1/4 cup vegetable oil
About 2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
About 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
About 1/2 cup Fresh Green Chile Chutney, plus extra to serve as a condiment

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degree.

2. Wash and dry the fish. Cut a slit along each side of the backbone down the length of the fish. Place a large sheet of foil on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour about 3 tablespoons oil on the part of the sheet where the fish will lie, and set near your work surface.

3. Rub the fish all over with the lime or lemon juice, then with the salt. Stuff some of the chutney into the slits and put the remainder in the fish cavity. Lay the fish on the foil. Pour on the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and spread it over the top of the fish. Wrap the foil fairly tightly around the fish use another piece of foil if necessary to ensure that the package is well sealed.

4. Bake for about 30 minutes time will depend on the size and thickness of the fish. To test, peel back the foil a little and press on the flesh at the thickest part of the fish. It should yield a little and feel soft. The other test is to unwrap more of the fish and test the texture of the flesh if the flesh flakes with a fork, it is cooked.

5. Serve the fish warm or at room temperature, with extra chutney alongside as a condiment. Serve by lifting sections of the top filet off the bone. When the first side is finished, flip the fish over to serve the second fillet. For more details http://www.indomunch.com

Representing Chili Fish in the website http://www.indomunch.com