Portuguese Grill Fish

'Spicy and Aromatic'

I love Melaka much! It is a heritage state that full with history, art and of course food! When I was trying out this recipe, I kinda of missing Melaka's food! Melaka has variation of foods which include Malay, Chinese, Baba Nyonya and many more! This particular dish is inspired by the Portuguese settlement there and one of many famous dish come from Melaka!

This dish is very fragrant from the lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves, spicy in taste and perfect with rice! I enjoy mind with 'Cencaluk Omelet'!

Anyway, a very good friend of mine was asking for this 'Portuguese Oven Baked Fish'  recipe for quite some time! Here it goes dearie, especially for you! 

Ingredients for 1 whole fish [baramundi/ siakap (malay)] or any other fish you like:

Blended ingredients: 

3 big red onions / 3 biji bawang besar

4 cloves of garlics / 4 ulas bawang putih

3 stalks of lemon grass / 3 batang serai

6 dried chilies / 6 cili kering

6 red chilis / 6 cili merah

3 to 5 pieces bird eye chilies (if you can't take spicy reduce this to minimum 3) / 3 - 5 cili padi

1 small cube of shrimp paste (optional) / 1 kiub belacan (optional)

5 table spoon of oil/ 5 sudu besar minyak masak

1/2 cup of tamarind juice / 1/2 cawan air asam jawa

Salt to taste / Garam secukup rasa

3 limes and Kaffir leaves for deco / 3 biji limau nipis dan daun limau 

Aluminum Foil or banana leaves

"Portuguese Grill Fish"

1) Heat up oil and add blended ingredients. Stir fry until fragrant (approximately 15 - 20minutes)

2) Add in tamarind juices and stir fry until it become a thick paste.

3) Put in salt, check seasoning and let the paste cool.
3) Ready the foil to make an envelope for the fish.

4) Layer the paste on the foil, then fish, then paste. 

5) Seal the foil ensuring no steam can come out. 

6) Oven: Bake at 180c for 45 minutes.

7) Serve with lime and shredded kaffir leaves. 

Enjoy cooking this!