AD Cook Dinner - big ass fish (recipe herewith)

It may be pure love or bribery but my mother-in-law brings me good fish from Tawau every few months.  The coral trout or seven star grouper in particular makes me consider providing grandchildren real quick.  We have quite a few lolling in the back of our freezers (yes, we have 3 freezers) and so I said to D one morning, bring the biggest mother out.  It fed about 6.


Being as massive as it was, it would fit into no wok of mine, so I decided to oven-bake it,
turning it around in my head all day at work until I settled on what would go into it. I wrote myself the recipe in email and emailed it to myself so I wouldn't forget.


Of course traffic would be shite and the house would be a mess and I would have to ask my guest to do the grocery shopping before she came over. And of course the fish would be UNSCALED. Its ok. Life could be a bigger obstacle course.

Dinner turned out fab, and the company always is fab. I gained a sunflower and we drank a very nice bottle of organic malbec left over from the AD wedding. Cant complain.


Recipes, as requested.
OVEN BAKED CORAL TROUT
1 large fish, scaled, gutted
3-4 tbsp good olive oil
1 and half large tomatoes, sliced- I only use momotaros here
1 and a half lemons, sliced
1 large dill sprig
3 cloves garlic sliced
sea salt, sugar, black pepper
juice of half a lemon
quarter cup of dry vermouth or white wine


1. Set your oven at 180 degrees C.
2. Get a large piece of foil that will tent up over your fish creating a pouch in which hot oil can circulate.
3. Place foil shiny side up on flat bench. Alternate slices of lemon and tomato in the center (do two rows of 4 slices of each)
4) insert half the garlic and top with dill. Drizzle with 1 TBSP of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5) Rub the fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Layer remaining tomatoes, lemon, dill and garlic in the belly.
6) Pour over remaining olive oil, add 1 teaspoon of sugar to the wine and pour over. 

7) Bring sides of foil over and on top of the fish to seal completely, ensure there is space for the air to circulate inside the parcel. Top with another piece of foil if you need.
8) Bake on a flat oven tray for 30mins.
9) Open the parcel at the table when guest are seated and ready to respect the fish. 


I served this fish with a home-made herb and caper mayonnaise on the side.


LAST MINUTE COUS COUS
I decided when the fish was in the oven that we might not have enough food so I made this cous cous with the help of D and Angeline.


1 large red onion, drizzled with olive oil, wrapped in foil and placed in the oven with the fish
Half a med cucumber, peeled, deseeded, diced
1 tomato, deseeded and diced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 cup cous cous
1 tablespoon butter
6-8 black olives
2 tsp lemon zest
juice of half a lemon


1) In a saucepan, heat 1.5 cups of water till boiling and add the butter.
2) Add the cous cous, cover tightly and turn of heat. Leave for at least 2 minutes
3) Fluff the cous cous with a fork, let cool slightly and add to the vegetables and zest. Can reserve the olives and onion for garnish.
4) Season with salt, black pepper and lemon juice then sprinkle with parsley.


I served both dishes with stir-fried kailan with diced sweet sausage and oven-baked garlic frites.