M AY 2019 113
Grilled Snapper in Coconut
Sauce
PHOTO P. 82
ACTIVE 45 MIN; TOTAL 1 HR 50 MIN
SERVES 4
A grill basket makes preparing this recipe
easy and stress-free. Traditionally, African
bird’s eye chile, called piri piri in Swahili,
gives this dish extra heat. Find bottled piri
piri sauce and crushed chiles at specialty
grocers or online.
1 (2- to 2^1 / 2 -lb.) whole red snapper,
cleaned and scaled
(^1) / 3 cup fresh lime juice (from 3 limes)
3 Tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves
1 to 2 red piri piri chiles, Thai chiles, or
similar chiles, seeded and chopped
(about 1 tsp.)
1 green Thai chile, seeded and chopped
(about 1 tsp.)
(^1) / 2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup well-shaken and stirred canned
unsweetened coconut milk (such as
Thai Kitchen Organic)
2 Tbsp. tamarind concentrate (such as
Tamicon)
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro stems
1 Tbsp. coarse sea salt, divided
Canola oil, for grilling basket
Cooked coconut rice, for serving
- Make 4 (3-inch-long) parallel cuts on
each side of snapper, cutting down
almost to the bone. Place fish in a 13- x
9-inch baking dish; set aside. - Combine lime juice, ginger, garlic,
chiles, and black pepper in a blender. Pro-
cess until smooth, about 45 seconds.
Coat fish with chile marinade, rubbing
into slits and cavity. Cover and chill at
least 1 hour or up to 2 hours. - Meanwhile, preheat grill to medium-
high (400°F to 450°F). Combine coconut
milk, tamarind concentrate, tomato
paste, turmeric, cilantro, and 1 teaspoon
salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil
over medium-high. Reduce heat to
medium-low, and simmer, stirring occa-
sionally, until flavors meld, about 10
minutes. Reserve^1 / 4 cup tamarind sauce
for plating. - Using paper towels, wipe excess chile
marinade from fish. Sprinkle fish with
remaining 2 teaspoons salt, rubbing into
slits and cavity. Place fish in a metal grill-
ing basket coated with oil. Place grilling
basket on grill grate, and grill, covered,
basting fish occasionally with remaining
tamarind sauce (about^2 / 3 cup), until flesh
flakes with a fork, 18 to 24 minutes, flip-
ping halfway through grill time. Carefully
remove fish from grilling basket, and
transfer to a platter. Pour reserved^1 / 4 cup
tamarind sauce over fish, and serve with
coconut rice. —SHANE MITCHELL, AUTHOR,
FA R A FIEL D
WINE Lime-inflected Australian Riesling:
2017 Jim Barry Watervale
Grilled Tuna with Chile-Lime
Mango Salad
PHOTO P. 68
ACTIVE 1 HR 10 MIN; TOTAL 1 HR 20 MIN
SERVES 4
Coconut husks (and charcoal made from
those husks) burn hot and clean, without
imparting lots of smoky flavor into food.
They are great for grilling fresh, meaty
fish like tuna, which is quickly seared and
only cooked to rare, and the charcoal is
the fuel of choice in Fiji. Find coconut
charcoal (such as Kratos) at hardware
stores or online, or substitute hardwood
lump charcoal.
1 medium shallot, unpeeled
1 medium-size dried red chile
(such as Tianjin), seeds removed,
if desired
1 Tbsp. finely chopped lemongrass
(^11) / (^2) Tbsp. superfine sugar
(^1) / 4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
11 / 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 (8-oz.) sushi-grade tuna steak (about
11 / 2 inch thick)
1 tsp. canola oil, plus more for grill
(^1) / 2 tsp. fine sea salt
1 large green mango (about 1 lb.),
peeled and cut into 2^1 / 2 - x^1 / 4 -inch
matchsticks
(^1) / 2 cup packed fresh rau ram
(Vietnamese coriander) or cilantro
leaves
4 lime leaves, thinly sliced, or^1 /^2 tsp.
lime zest
1 medium-size red Fresno chile, thinly
sliced (about 2 Tbsp.)
- Open bottom vent of a charcoal grill
completely. Light charcoal chimney
starter filled with coconut charcoal bri-
quettes. When briquettes are covered
with gray ash, pour them onto bottom
grate of grill. Adjust vents as needed to
maintain an internal temperature of
300°F. Place shallot and dried red chile
on unoiled grates. Grill, covered, turning
occasionally, until chile is bright red and
crisp, 6 to 8 minutes; remove from grill.
Continue grilling shallot until very soft,
about 20 minutes more. Remove from
grill; let cool 10 minutes. Peel shallot; dis-
card skins. Adjust grill vents to increase
temperature to 475°F. Remove top grate,
and coat with oil; place on grill.
- Mash chopped lemongrass with a mor-
tar and pestle until finely ground. Add
sugar and grilled chile; mash until well
combined. Add peeled shallot; mash until
mixture forms a mostly smooth paste.
Transfer mixture to a small bowl; stir in
lime juice and fish sauce. Set aside. - Rub tuna with oil; sprinkle with salt.
Place on oiled grates. Grill at 475°F,
uncovered, until tuna is cooked to a depth
of^1 / 4 inch but middle is still red, about 3
minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting
board; cut into^1 / 4 -inch-thick slices. - Place mango, rau ram leaves, lime
leaves, and Fresno chile slices in a large
bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons lemon-
grass dressing, and toss to coat. Divide
salad among 4 plates; top evenly with
tuna slices. Drizzle about 2 teaspoons
lemongrass dressing over each serving of
tuna; reserve remaining dressing for
another use. —LOUIS TIKARAM, E.P. & L.P.,
LOS AN G ELES
WINE Light-bodied Provençal rosé: 2018
Château Minuty M
Seaside
Feasts
Moqueca (Brazilian Seafood
Stew)
PHOTO P. 86
ACTIVE 1 HR; TOTAL 2 HR; SERVES 4
This version of the Brazilian classic, which
is traditionally slow-simmered in clay pots,
comes together in a Dutch oven and
packs maximum flavor with minimal effort.
Look for dedo de moça chiles and dendê
oil in Latin grocery stores or online.
SHRIMP STOCK
1 lb. unpeeled head-on, tail-on raw
large shrimp
4 cups water
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch
wedges
1 cup roughly chopped carrot (from 1
large carrot)
(^1) / 2 cup (4 oz.) dry white wine
(^1) / 4 cup roughly chopped celery
4 cilantro sprigs
2 thyme sprigs