Vietnamese Grilled Fish - Ca Nuong

This delicious Vietnamese Grilled Fish is easy to make and goes well with the Tamarind Dipping Sauce and the Vietnamese Side Salad.

Ingredients:

• 5lb whole fish
• 9 oz shredded fresh ginger root
• 12 finely chopped shallots
• 4 tsp light soy sauce
• 4 tsp fresh lime juice
• 4 Tbsp oil
• 4 green onions, cut into bite size
• 8 oz roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• pepper to taste
• Banana leaf or aluminium foil

Preparation:

1. Oil the banana leaf or aluminium foil. Place the fish on it.
2. Make three slashes across the fish on both sides.
3. Stuff the fish with the shredded ginger and chopped shallots. Season well with the soy sauce, pepper and lime juice.
4. Wrap the fish up securely in the banana leaf. The fish can be cooked in an oven, over a barbecue or in a grill pan. Allow it to cook until the banana leaves turn brown. I sometimes prefer to leave the fish exposed on the banana leaf while cooking. Drizzle some oil over the fish so that it becomes crunchy and retains its moisture.
5. In a wok or saucepan, fry the chopped onions in 2 Tbsp of oil until they are soft. Covering the sauce pan or wok will cause the onions to soften more quickly.
6. When the fish is cooked, pour the fried onions and chopped peanuts over the fish. Serve with the Nuoc Cham Me, Sour Fruit Platter and Herb Salad Platter.