Recipe - Grill Sambal Sutchi Fillet (Grill Sutchi Fillet in Chilli Paste)

The sutchi fish fillet is fatty and has mild flavour. That makes it easier to cook the fish the way you want to. You can fry, steam or grill it. One big plus for the sutchi fillet is that it is boneless.

Fish is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D. Omega-3 fatty acids help the blood flow through the veins and arteries, allowing the heart to function properly. They also help the brain by helping brain cells to connect better, improving learning abilities and ability to handle stress. Vitamin D helps to strengthen bones.

Grill sambal fish or BBQ fish with chilli paste is a popular way of cooking fish in Singapore. In this recipe, I grill the fish fillet with chilli paste in an oven. The babana leaves add flavour. If you have no banana leaves, just use aluminium foil.

The sutchi fillets come frozen. After thawing, sprinkle a little salt over the fillets, let them sit for a while and then rinse them with water. This will get rid of any sea smell or mud smell.

Ingredients (serves 5)
3 sutchi fillets

chilli paste

6 tbs of chilli paste
2 banana leaves
1 tbs of oil
3 tsp of light soy

Method
After the fillet has been rinse, spoon a little light soy over the fish.
Light soy has a different flavour from salt.
Lay the banana leaves over a baking tray.
Spoon oil over the banana leaves
Lay the fillets over the banana leaves

Spoon the chilli paste over both sides of the fillets.
Let them sit for about 15 minutes.

Grill in the oven at 200 deg C for about 15 minutes or till fish is cooked
There is no need to turn the fish, but you can if you wish.

Serve with cut shallots and lime juice or lemon juice.

[Note: I made the chilli paste earlier. See posting (link).
My chilli paste has no shrimp paste. Add a teaspoon of shrimp paste for stronger flavour]

    
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Another way to make your own grill sambal fish at home is shown in this 12 minute video in mandarin. She used dried chillies, onions, candle nuts, ginger and belachan (shrimp paste) to blend a paste. The paste is then fried with oil, tamarind juice, sugar, salt and coconut milk. The cooked paste is used to cover the fish is banana leaves and wrapped with aluminium foil and heated over the stove with a rack.  Nice idea !


Nice video on how to grill your own fish at home from Nyonya Cooking.