Grilled mackerel with three-flavoured sauce

SERVES 4

For the sauce 10 fresh bird’s eye chillies, or 5 jalapeño or serrano peppers, thinly sliced

5 large garlic cloves

28g shallots, cubed

3 coriander roots, chopped, or 3tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander stems, stripped of leaves (you can buy coriander roots from Asian supermarkets and online)

5tbsp vegetable oil

105g grated palm sugar or granulated coconut sugar or 65g light brown sugar

2tbsp granulated sugar

60ml fish sauce

60g tamarind paste

4 whole mackerel or other oily, full-flavored fish, around 675g each, gutted and scaled fresh red hot chilli peppers or sweet pepper, seeded, deveined, and cut lengthwise into thin strips, to garnish cooked jasmine rice, to serve

Prepare a medium-high fire (200230C) in a charcoal grill using the two-zone method (see note, right).

While waiting for the grill to heat, make the sauce. In a small food processor, combine the chilli peppers, garlic, shallots, and coriander roots and pulse until a coarse paste with bits the size of a match head forms. In a 2-litre-capacity saucepan, heat 2tbsp of the oil over a mediumhigh heat. Add the paste, stir and fry for around 1 minute, until fragrant. Add both sugars, 60ml water, the fish sauce and tamarind and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer for around 5 minutes, until the sauce is reduced to 175-200ml. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper. Make 4 diagonal slits, each around 6mm deep, on both sides of each fish. Rub the remaining oil on both sides of the fish. When the coals are covered with white ash and the grate is hot, oil the grate thoroughly. Place the fish on the hot side of the grill, cover, and cook with the vents half-open for 5-7 minutes, until the skin is charred and crisp on the bottom. Flip the fish and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the second side is charred and crisp. When both sides are charred, move the fish to the hold side of the grill, close the lid, and continue to cook with the vents half-open for 20-25 minutes, until the internal temperature in the thickest part is 60C. Transfer the fish to a large serving platter.

Check the sauce. It should have a pourable consistency. If it has become too thick on cooling, stir in some warm water to thin. Pour the sauce over the fish, then garnish with chilli strips. Serve immediately, with the rice on the side.

The two-zone method

This involves setting up your grill so the coals are piled to one side, leaving the other side empty. That way, you can sear and char your food over direct radiant heat (the hot side) and slowly bring it to the desired internal temperature over indirect convection heat (the cooler side, aka the hold side). You can control the heat by moving food back and forth between the two zones. Adjusting the vents is another way to control the heat.

To set up a two-zone grill, light a full chimney of charcoal. When the coals are glowing and partially dusted with ash, deposit them on one side of the grill.