Salt Grilled Snapper

Salt Grilled Snapper

Salt Grilled Snapper

with sambal matah

Not a typical dish you may find in Bali, but delicious nonetheless.

Today I explain you how to cook up a grilled salt crusted snapper enriched with Balinese sambal matah.

The fresh snapper is stuffed with lemon basil and lemongrass, then coated in organic salt and baked or in this case, grilled over charcoal to ensure the fish is filled with flavour.

The savoury tender fish then topped with Balinese sambal matah which gives a refreshing spiciness into the dish.

Will Meyrick

people

minutes

Summary

Main Ingredients

  • 1 whole snapper
  • 2 cups salt
  • 1 bunch fresh lemon basil
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised

 

Sambal Matah

  • 8 pieces shallots
  • 2 stalks lemongrass
  • 3 pieces red birds eye chilli, seeds intact
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried shrimp paste
  • 3 pieces Balinese lime, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Finely chop shallots, lemongrass and chillies.
Combine with dried shrimp paste, Balinese lime juice and heat up coconut oil until smoking and then pour over the sambal.
Use your fingertips to lightly mix together with the oil. Serve immediately.

Garnish

1 piece lemo (Balinese lime) or any kind of lime, halved or cheek
sprigs of lemon basil

Step by Step Instructions

step 1 : fish prep

Clean the snapper stomach from the gills and add in the fresh lemon basil and bruised lemongrass inside the snapper stomach.

step 2 : coating

Then coat the whole snapper with salt evenly.

step 3 : embers

Make sure your BBQ grill is hot and there are no yellow flames.

step 4 : grill

Place your snapper in a wire mesh and start to grill it on one side and flip it to grill on another side.

step 5 : sambal

Meanwhile prepare your sambal matah.

step 6 : pan searing

Heat up coconut oil in the pan and combine the sliced lemongrass, dried shrimp paste, sliced chilli, sliced shallot and fresh lime juice.

step 7 : oil step

Pour over the hot oil and use your fingertips to lightly mix it together.

step 8 : seasoning

Add in the sliced ginger flower, sliced tomato and salt to taste. Mix through.

step 9 : grill check

Check your grilled snapper, when it has firm hard crust then you know your fish is good to serve. Lift it from the grill and take out from wire mesh.

step 10 : serving

Place on the plate, open the skin on one side and nicely arrange sambal matah on it and garnish with sliced of lemo (or lime cheeks) and fresh lemon basil.

selamat makan

Bon appetit!

Crispy Lemongrass Chicken

Crispy Lemongrass Chicken

Crispy Lemongrass Chicken

with green mango and papaya som tum, served with a sweet chilli sauce

A popular Thai street dish

South East Asia is renowned for its assortment of delicious street cuisine. Thailand is one destination that offers a balanced combination of salty, sweet, sour and spicy. Today I leave my friend Shannon Smerdon, cook up a popular Thai street dish, Crispy Lemongrass Chicken served with fresh som tum green papaya salad. Now you can add the flavours of Thai cuisine onto your menu at home.

Will Meyrick

people

minutes

Summary

Main Ingredients
  • 2 pieces (or 400 gr.) chicken thigh, boneless and skin on
  • cooking oil to fry
Following are the sub-recipes and the method, step by step, from preparing to dressing.

Chicken Marinade

  •  2 pieces large red chillies
  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 4 pieces shallot
  • 4 stalks lemongrass
  • 1 inch fresh turmeric, peeled
  • A pinch of white pepper
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce

Chicken Batter

  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 1 cup tapioca flour
  • 1½ – 2 cups sparkling water
  • ¼ teaspoon chilli powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • A pinch of salt

Som Tum

  • 2 pieces small green chilli (or as desired)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • A pinch of salt
  • Half of ripe tomato, sliced
  • 1 piece apple eggplant, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon fried dried shrimp
  • 2 tablespoons roasted peanut, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons palm sugar syrup
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp
  • Fresh lime juice (from 1 piece lime)
  • 1 cup green papaya, julienned
  • 1 cup green mango, julienned

Som Tum is one of my favourite salad. Influenced by the Laotian tribes of Northern Thailand, I use to reinvent it in my restaurants. A suggestion, for a quick fresh lunch: Just add a boiled egg, some shredded roasted chicken, and you have a complete, tasty and colorful meal !

Will Meyrick

Sweet Chilli Sauce

  • 4 pieces large red chillies
  • 2 pieces red bird’s eye chillies
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 100 ml rice wine vinegar
  • 100 ml Heinz vinegar
  • A pinch of salt
  • ½ cup sugar

To make the sweet chilli sauce, roughly blend your large red chillies, red bird’s eye chillies and garlic.

 

Then combine it with the rest of the ingredients in the pan, bring to the boil and simmer until thickened approximately 15 – 20 

Will Meyrick

Garnish

2 coriander leaves sprigs 2 leaves Romaine lettuce 2 leaves Radicchio lettuce 2 cucumber sticks 1 lime wedge 1 teaspoon large red chilli, julienned A pinch of fried garlic

Step by Step Instructions

step 1 : marinade

Prepare your chicken marinade by pounding all of fresh ingredients into a paste and then add in the seasonings of white pepper, salt, sugar and fish sauce.

step 2 : marinate

Marinate your boneless chicken thigh in it overnight or for couple of hours.

step 3 : the batter

When the chicken is ready, prepare your batter by combining plain flour, tapioca flour and sparkling water and then seasoning with chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. The batter should be still in runny consistency.

step 4 : first fry

Heat your oil in the wok, meanwhile dip in your marinated chicken in the batter.

step 5 : fry until crispy

When the oil is hot enough, fry the chicken on a low heat to let the inside part cooked first before the outside part of the chicken gets burned.

step 6 : pat dry

Pat dry and rest for a while for the second frying.

step 7 : the som tum

While resting the chicken, prepare your som tum.

step 8 : som tum (pound)

Get a mortar and pestle, pound your small green chilli together with garlic (add a pinch of salt to help you breaking down the chilli and garlic).

step 9 : som tum (pound)

Add tomato slices and apple eggplant slices, roughly pound to let the juices comes out.

step 10 : som tum (mix)

Add in your fried dried shrimp, crushed roasted peanut, palm sugar syrup, fish sauce, tamarind pulp and fresh lime juice. Mix it through.

step 11 : som tum (mix)

Add in julienned green papaya and green mango at the end and lightly pound and mix well.

step 12 : second fry

Heat again your oil in the wok and fry your chicken one more time just before serving to keep it crispy.

step 13 : serving

Serve your crispy chicken on the side with garnish of a sprig of coriander leaf and sprinkles of julienned large red chilli and fried garlic. Serve also with sweet chilli sauce on the side.

กินให้อร่อย (gin hâi a-ròi)

Enjoy your Mama San’s favourite!