“The choice of the fish that you use is very important when discussing how to do it“.  A very popular South African fish found in the Cape area, called a Snoek can be seen on most barbecue’s in season and cooking can be tricky. It’s plentiful, cheap, not endangered and loved by everyone. The fish belongs to the same family as the Barracuda and you could use Mackerel, Dorado, Tuna or whatever you have in your part of the world that’s considered oily in it’s stead. The Snoek (Thyrsites atun) is a medium-size, pelagic predator found in the coastal waters of the Southern Hemisphere – mainly the Cape.

Found also in the waters of Australia and New Zealand, it is in the Cape that the South Africans find it. There is nothing on earth quite like barbecued Snoek and fire roasted sweet potatoes and Capetonians are addicted to the dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 x Snoek (or other oily fish)
• 2 x lemons
• 50 grams butter
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

• “Although the fish is oily, its important to brush olive oil onto the skin to prevent the fish from sticking to the grill. I normally butterfly the fish from the dorsal fin and not the stomach.
• Always put the skin side down towards the coals and DO NOT MOVE THE FISH UNTIL WHITE JUICE STARTS TO APPEAR ON THE FLESH.
• The skin will protect the fish and not dry it out.
• Press the fish lightly with your finger and if it feels firm, turn it over on the flesh side for a minute or two to score the flesh and give it attractive criss-cross grill lines.
• Season the fish with salt and freshly ground black pepper before you start to barbecue.
• Add lemon half way through the process and not in the beginning because it will “cook” the fish and leave a bitter taste.
• It is only when the fish has been on the grill for a while that the flesh cracks open naturally and the lemon juice can get into the flesh.
• If it is a very thick piece of fish, you can test to see if the fish is done by gently opening the flesh with two forks at the thickest part and if the flesh is still opaque, leave it on for another couple of minutes and remove.
• Remember that it continues cooking whilst it rests and often, one can simply leave it and it will be ready when you serve it.
• There’s nothing worse than overcooked fish! “