Roast Snapper with Chilli Lime Sauce

Pieter de Putter - Still life with fish and brown jug

Pieter de Putter (c. 1600 – 1659) was a Dutch still life painter who was active in The Hague. He mainly painted fish still lifes, game pieces and still lifes with figures, and was among the first generation of artists who specialised in independent fish still life paintings.

Suggested by the ground-breaking paintings of Pieter de Putter, such a classic has been the subject of still life and even drawings on Egyptian pyramids.
Serves 4
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INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lemongrass stalks, roughly chopped
• 1 lemongrass stalk, finely sliced
• 1 large knob of ginger, peeled and thickly sliced
• 3 spring onions (scallions), cut into 4 cm (1 ½ inch) lengths
• 250ml (9 floz/1 cup) white wine
• 1 large lemon, thickly sliced
• 1.5 kg (3lb 5oz) whole snapper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt
• Lemon wedges, coriander (cilantro) leaves and Chilli Lime sauce, to serve

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the 2 roughly chopped lemongrass stalks, the sliced ginger and the cut spring onions in a roasting pan. Pour over the white wine.
2. Carefully rinse the fish under cold running water, the pat dry with paper towels.
3. Using a sharp knife, cut the fish skin in 5 or 6 lines, or in a crisscross pattern, if preferred. Rub the fish with a little sea salt, then place on top of the lemongrass mixture in the roasting pan.
4. Place the finely sliced lemongrass and the thickly sliced lemon into the fish cavity. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and bake, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes in a medium-high oven.
5. Serve with lemon wedges, coriander leaves and sauce, recipe below.

 
Chilli Lime Sauce

1. Combine 125g (4 ½ oz/ 2/3 cup) grated palm sugar with 175ml (5 ½ fl oz/ 2/3 cup water) in a heavy based saucepan.
2. Bring to the boil, and boil for 3 minutes.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of dried red chilli flakes and stir through.
4. Remove the sauce from the heat, then allow to cool before stirring in 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Makes 200ml (7 fl oz).