Baked Fish with Tamarind

Serves four

50g tamarind pulp
3/4 cup hot water
one whole fish weighing about 1.5–2kg, gutted and scaled (tarakihi, groper or snapper)
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1 tomato
small bunch parsley

Cut the flesh loose from the bone on one side of the fish (you may wish to remove the bone frame completely, but keep the fish looking whole, ie don’t cut through the flesh at the back). Salt the fish well and refrigerate overnight.

Soak the tamarind pulp in the hot water, removing stones and fibre. Mix with your fingers to a smooth liquid. Place the fish in an ovenproof dish and open it out. Pour the tamarind over the opened out fish.

Dice the garlic finely and sprinkle over the fish, then the chopped parsley and the thinly sliced onion then the sliced tomato. Fold the fish closed and bake in a pre-heated 180C oven for 20 minutes or until cooked.

Serve with lavash – a flat bread similar to naan – and a side dish of tomato, cucumber and red onion slices sprinkled with a little malt vinegar and salt.

• More about tamarind >>