-
1
Score and Season the Fish
10 Mins
Room temperature, 20°C (68°F)
Rinse the tilapia under cold water and pat them completely dry, inside and out — a dry surface takes the seasoning and holds together better in the sauce. Cut 3 shallow diagonal slashes, about 5 mm deep, into each side of every fish, then rub in half the salt and the black pepper, working a little into the cuts and the cavity.
Dry the fish well: wet skin steams instead of braising, and the sauce turns cloudy.
Done when: Fish are dry to the touch, evenly scored, and seasoned on both sides.
-
2
Soften the Aromatics
5 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Warm the oil in a wide, deep pan or pot that fits all 4 fish in a single layer — a 30 cm pan is about right. Add the onion, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent and the garlic smells sweet. Do not let the garlic brown: browned garlic turns the pale sauce bitter.
If the onion starts to colour, turn the heat down and add a splash of the water.
Done when: Onion is soft and glassy; the pan smells warm and fragrant, with no browning.
-
3
Build the Coconut Sauce
5 Mins
Gentle simmer, 90°C (194°F)
Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes until they start to soften and release their juices. Pour in the whisked coconut milk and the water, add the remaining salt and the whole chilli, and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer — small bubbles breaking lazily at the edges, never a rolling boil, which can split the coconut milk.
Keep the heat low from here on: coconut milk curdles and turns oily if it boils hard.
Done when: The sauce is pale, creamy and just simmering, with the tomato softening into it.
-
4
Braise the Fish
15 Mins
Gentle simmer, 90°C (194°F)
Lay the tilapia into the sauce in a single layer and spoon sauce over the top of each fish. Cover with a lid, keep the heat low, and simmer for 12–15 minutes, spooning sauce over the fish once halfway through. The fish is done when the flesh flakes easily with a fork at the thickest part and reads 63°C (145°F) on a thermometer — do not cook it longer, or it will fall apart in the sauce.
Do not turn the fish: whole fish break easily. Spooning sauce over the top cooks the upper side gently.
Done when: Flesh flakes easily at the thickest part and the centre reads 63°C (145°F); the sauce has thickened slightly.
-
5
Rest and Finish
5 Mins
Off the heat, cooling to about 60°C (140°F)
Take the pan off the heat and rest the fish in the sauce for 5 minutes so the flesh firms up a little and soaks up flavour. Lift the fish out carefully with two wide spatulas, one under the head and one under the tail. Stir the lime juice into the sauce, taste and add the last of the salt if needed, then spoon the sauce over the fish and scatter the spring onions on top.
The lime juice goes in off the heat so its fresh, bright flavour stays in the sauce instead of cooking away.
Done when: The fish holds its shape on the plate, the sauce is creamy and tangy, and the spring onions are bright green.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Taste the sauce before you serve it: this marshallese coconut fish recipe should be creamy first, with a gentle warmth from the ginger and chilli and a bright lift from the lime. Serve each person one whole fish with plenty of sauce spooned over the top, and put the rice on the table so everyone can help themselves.
Marshall Islands
50m
France
Vietnam