Tilapia Braisé (Lake Chad Grilled Fish)

Ingredients

• • 2 whole tilapia (about 500g each), scaled and gutted
• • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• • 2cm piece of ginger, grated
• • 1 onion, grated
• • Juice of 2 lemons
• • 2 tbsp neutral oil
• • 1 tsp ground chili (or 1 fresh chili, blended)
• • 1 tsp paprika
• • 1 Maggi cube, crumbled, salt and pepper
• • For the dip: 1 onion, lemon juice, chili and a splash of oil
• • Boule de mil, fried plantain or baguette, to serve

Method

1. 1

   Rinse the fish well and pat dry. Make 3 diagonal slashes on each side, right down to the bone.

2. 2

   Mix the garlic, ginger, grated onion, lemon juice, oil, chili, paprika, Maggi, salt and pepper into a thick marinade. Rub it all over the fish, working it into the slashes and the cavity. Marinate 1 hour in the fridge.

3. 3

   Heat a charcoal grill until the coals are white-hot, or a heavy ridged pan on high heat. Oil the grate.

4. 4

   Grill the fish 6–8 minutes per side, basting once or twice with leftover marinade, until the skin is charred in spots and the flesh flakes easily near the bone.

5. 5

   While the fish rests for 2 minutes, toss thinly sliced onion with lemon juice, chili and a splash of oil for the traditional onion-lemon dip.

6. 6

   Serve the whole fish on a platter with the onion dip and a stack of boule de mil, fried plantain or fresh baguette.