Thai-style fish

I used to be a little intimidated by cooking whole fish, but then I realised that the fish is already deceased, so can no longer judge my cooking skills. That took the pressure off a little. This chap is a trevally - he cost just under $7, so was reasonably cheap, and provided enough fish for 4 servings. Hello, little fellow!

My boyfriend is a big fan of the whole fish they cook at Phu Thai Esarn, so this was my attempt to recreate their Thai flavours.

1 whole fish

1 handful fresh coriander, stalks and all

1 handful mint leaves

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon chopped lemongrass

1 teaspoon chopped red chilli

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon canola oil

Make a long slit along the belly of your fish, and rinse out the cavity. Pat it dry with kitchen paper. 

Roughly chop the garlic with a big knife. Make it into a little pile, and add the lemongrass, chilli and salt. Continue chopping in a see-saw motion over the pile, so everything gets nicely mixed together. Sprinkle the salt over the top, and give it another little chop.

Fill your fish with alternating hands-full of herbs and garlic-lemongrass-chilli mixture. Finish off with some of the coriander, because that will help keep the fillings in. If you're feeling a little nervous about the fillings staying where they ought to, you can close up the fish using a couple of cocktail sticks to hold everything together. Rub the outside of the fish with the canola oil. 

Now it's time to cook! Fish is really easy to cook on the barbecue, although you can retreat back to the kitchen if the weather doesn't cooperate. Heat up the grill, and place your fish on - carefully though, so your filling doesn't escape. Cook for 2 minutes on each side over a high heat, then turn the heat down. Transfer the fish to a large piece of tinfoil, and wrap it up tightly. Put it back on the barbecue  - if you're using a charcoal barbecue, put it on a cooler spot than before.

Cook for another 5-10 minutes - open the tinfoil and have a peak. If the meat is easy to flake away from the bones, then it's ready. Pull off all the tasty morsels with a couple of forks, leaving all the bones behind - this makes you look like a real expert, and means you don't have any dodgy "Oh gosh, did I just swallow a bone?" moments at the dinner table.