Grilled fish with samphire

Take two whole tilapia, sea bass or sea bream, and marinate in spices for this Nigerian-inspired recipe. Cook on the barbecue and serve with fried yam

Prep:15 mins
Cook:16 mins
plus 1 hr marinating

Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 263
fat 11g
saturates 2g
carbs 4g
sugars 0g
fibre 3g
protein 37g
salt 0.8g

Ingredients

2 whole tilapia , sea bass or sea bream, cleaned and descaled (optional to keep head on)
½ lemon , juiced
30g samphire
small handful of parsley , finely chopped
cassava chips or fried yam , to serve
1 Romano pepper , deseeded and roughly chopped
1 small onion , roughly chopped
1 scotch bonnet , deseeded and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves , roughly chopped
1 tsp fish seasoning
1 tsp finely ground black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp hot curry powder
1 tsp garlic granules
2 tbsp olive oil , plus extra for the barbecue

Method

Make 2-3 deep cuts on both sides of the fish, pat dry and season with salt and the lemon juice. Set aside.
To make the marinade, blitz the pepper, onion, scotch bonnet and garlic until minced but not too smooth. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the fish seasoning, pepper, paprika, thyme, curry powder, garlic powder and olive oil. Rub the marinade generously inside and outside the fish, ensuring it gets into the cuts. Stuff the fish cavity with 20g of the marinade (you can use gloves for this if you prefer). Chill the fish for at least 1 hr to marinate.
Heat a barbecue on high, until the flames subside and the coals are white hot. Lightly oil the grates to prevent sticking (see tip, below). Lay the fish directly on the grates and cook for 4-8 mins each side. If the fish starts to stick, leave it to cook a bit and release before flipping. Alternatively, cook under a hot grill for 6-8 mins each side.
Remove to a plate and sprinkle with the samphire and parsley. Serve with cassava chips or fried yam, if you like.