Secret Recipe

(Done with the assignment? try this)

Portuguese Baked Fish

2 teaspoon chili powder
¾ cup oil
5 fragrant lime leaves, very finely sliced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
Banana leaf
Aluminium foil
1 whole fish, weighing about 750 g

Spice Paste
3 onions
6 red chilies
1 scant teaspoon dried shrimp paste
1 cm galangal
2 lemon grass
5 candlenuts
1 cup water

Chop spice paste ingredients then blend finely with water. Mix in the chili powder and lime leaves, then fry gently in the oil for about 5 minutes. Combine with the sesame oil, soy sauce, salt and sugar. Mix well and leave to cool.
Cut a large rectangle of banana leaf and brush with oil. Cut down the underneath side of the fish from tail to head, flatten with your hand. Slash down either side of the back bone from head to tail, release the fish flesh from the bones and allow the spice to penetrate. Rub the cooked spice paste all over the fish, pushing it well into the slits.
Fold the fish in a package in banana leaf and wrap again in foil to secure it.