Ikan Tasi — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Freshly caught reef fish scored, rubbed with salt and turmeric, grilled over coconut husk charcoal, and served with a fiery sambal of pounded chilies and lime.

Ingredients

2 whole reef fish (grouper or snapper), cleaned and scored
2cm fresh turmeric, grated
1 tsp coarse sea salt
Coconut husk charcoal
6 red bird-eye chilies
3 cloves garlic
Juice of 3 limes
1 tsp salt for sambal

Instructions

1 Rub fish inside and out with turmeric and sea salt. Let marinate for fifteen minutes.
2 Light coconut husk charcoal and let burn until coals are white-hot with no flame.
3 Place fish on grill rack over the hot coals. Grill for five minutes per side until skin is crispy and charred.
4 Meanwhile, pound chilies, garlic, and salt in a mortar. Add lime juice and mix well to make sambal.
5 Remove fish from grill when flesh flakes easily at the thickest part.
6 Serve immediately on a plate with the sambal on the side for dipping.

Did You Know?

Timorese fishermen traditionally use coconut husk as grilling fuel because it burns hot and imparts a subtle sweetness to the fish.