BBQ Snapper & Crispy Rice Salad
Whole snapper over an open flame with a golden, crunchy rice salad - the crispy skin is not a garnish, it's the point.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes (plus salting time)
Cook time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 x 40cm fresh snapper, cleaned and scaled
salt, for seasoning
2 cups cold leftover steamed rice
1/4 cup garlic dip
zest of 1 lemon
10 asparagus spears
2 cups mixed herbs (mint, parsley, dill)
olive oil, for brushing the fish
mayonnaise and hot sauce (e.g. Sriracha), to serve
fresh lemon wedges, to serve
For the dressing
juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, crushed
pinch of salt
small pinch of sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
METHOD
Clean the snapper, removing the tail, fins and spine. Salt both sides of the skin and place it on a rack in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight to dry out.
Before grilling, allow the snapper to come to room temperature, just as you would with other meats.
To make the crispy rice salad, combine the cold leftover steamed rice with the garlic dip, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Spread it out on a paper-lined tray and bake in a preheated 220°C fan-forced oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Set aside.
Trim the asparagus and cut into 3cm lengths. Blanch in boiling water for no more than a minute. Drain and place in a bowl of icy cold water to stop the cooking.
Pluck the leaves of the mint, parsley and dill and allow them to crisp in a bowl of icy water.
In a salad bowl, make the dressing by mixing the lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt and sugar. Gradually whisk in the olive oil to emulsify.
Preheat the barbecue to high and place a cooling rack directly on the grill - this gives the fish skin a smaller contact surface and makes it easier to move if needed.
Brush olive oil on both sides of the snapper skin. Grill the fish over the open flame on the cooling rack for about 10 minutes per side, or until the skin is crispy and the flesh is cooked to your liking.
To assemble the salad, toss the crispy rice, blanched asparagus and herbs with the dressing.
Serve the grilled snapper with a generous portion of the salad, and don't forget the crispy skin. Add a dollop of mayonnaise and hot sauce of your choice. Garnish with fresh lemon wedges.
HINTS
Drying the salted fish uncovered in the fridge overnight is the secret to skin that crisps rather than steams on the barbecue.
Cold leftover rice crisps far better than fresh - if you're cooking rice specially for this, do it the day before and refrigerate it.
The cooling rack on the grill trick is worth adopting for all whole fish - it stops the delicate skin tearing when you turn or move it.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 4 - guide only):
Energy: 7,900 kJ (1900 cal)
Protein: 105 g
Fat: 115 g
Saturated fat: 18 g
Carbohydrate: 100 g
Sugars: 5 g
Fibre: 8 g
Sodium: 3000 mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.