Bourzwa grillé
Grilled red snapper
Bourzwa grye: whole Seychelles red snapper rubbed with garlic, ginger, chilli and lime and grilled
Bourzwa, the red snapper pulled from the reefs off Mahé, is the fish Seychellois choose for a beach barbecue or a Saturday family grill at Anse Royale. It goes on the coals whole, slashed and rubbed with a rough Creole paste of garlic, ginger, chilli, thyme and lime, and comes off with crackling, smoky skin and sweet, moist white flesh. Serve it with Creole rice, lentils, a tomato satini and a dish of breadfruit or green banana, with extra lime and chilli at the table. The usual mistake is moving the fish too soon: if it sticks, wait another minute and it will release once the skin has crisped. Chef's tip: oil the fish, not just the grill, and cook it in a hinged fish basket if you have one, so turning it is easy.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 2 ⅝ lb whole red snapperscaled and gutted, or 2 fish of about 600 g each
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
For the Creole paste
- 5 garlic clovespeeled
- 1 ⅛ in fresh gingerpeeled
- 2 small red chilliesor 1 for a milder paste
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 limes1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges
To serve
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley (optional)chopped
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Rinse 2 ⅝ lb whole red snapper inside and out under cold water and pat it dry with kitchen paper. With a sharp knife, make 3 diagonal slashes on each side, cutting down to the bone.
Step 2: Pound or blend 5 garlic cloves, 1 ⅛ in fresh ginger, 2 small red chillies, 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper to a rough paste. Stir in the juice from 1 limes.
Step 3: Rub the paste all over the fish, pushing it into the slashes and the belly cavity. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes, no longer, or the lime starts to turn the flesh mushy.
30 minStep 4: Meanwhile, light a charcoal grill and let it burn down to glowing coals with a light coating of ash, or heat a gas barbecue or oven grill to medium-high.
20 minStep 5: Brush both sides of the fish with 2 tbsp sunflower oil, and wipe the grill bars with an oiled cloth.
Step 6: Lay the fish on the grill, or in a hinged fish basket, and cook without moving it until the skin is charred in places and lifts cleanly from the bars.
10 minStep 7: Turn the fish over carefully with two wide spatulas and grill the second side.
10 minStep 8: Check the thickest part next to the backbone with a knife: the flesh should be opaque all the way through and flake easily away from the bone (145°F on a thermometer). If it is still glassy, give it 2–3 minutes more per side.
3 minStep 9: Slide the fish onto a platter, scatter with 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and serve with the wedges from 1 limes for squeezing over.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bourzwa grillé take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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