Eight Salient Points on How to Braai Fish

Ingredients

• 1.whole fish, butterflied by fishmonger; fins removed; head optional; centre bone kept
• 2.oil, for marinade
• 3.soya sauce, for marinade; to be mixed with oil and lemon juice
• 4.lemon juice, for marinade
• 5.heavy-duty aluminium foil, shiny side up; shaped into a boat to hold fish juices
• 6.aioli, garlic mayonnaise; for serving

Method

1. 1.When buying fish, get fishmonger to butterfly the fish, remove all fins and centre bone. If so required, remove head. N.B. Keep centre bone.
2. 2.Fish to be properly prepared, spiced and marinated. Wet fish, dry with Carlton Towel before spicing and marinating.
3. 3.Fire to be at its highest temperature with no flames. Coals should be bright red and turning grey with no flames. Preparation is essential — don't be stingy on coal.
4. 4.Get a double-sided grid big enough to take the whole fish, remembering that it is double now that it has been butterflied. Make a boat out of silver foil (shiny side up) ensuring that it has no leaks. Place the spiced and marinated fish into the grid boat. Take the centre bone which should be spiced and marinated with the fish and place it on the side of the fish. Close grid.
5. 5.Place the fish face down onto braai for 4–5 minutes. Make sure fish has braai marks on surface.
6. 6.Now turn fish onto its back. The boat of silver foil prepared in step 4 will now provide an excellent vessel for retaining all the natural juices of the fish.
7. 7.Marinade fish generously and as much as possible with oil and soya sauce with lemon juice.
8. 8.Serve fish with an Aioli sauce (garlic mayonnaise) or any other sauce that compliments the fish. Also use any juices left in the silver foil boat.

Notes

• A technique guide for braaiing (barbecuing) a whole butterflied fish — works for yellowtail, kabeljou, Cape salmon, snoek and similar.
• Carlton Towel = South African brand of paper kitchen towels.
• The silver foil boat is key — it collects the juices which baste the fish as it cooks on its back.
• Centre bone is kept and marinated separately, placed on the side of the fish in the grid — it adds flavour.
• Braai = South African barbecue.