Slow-Roasted Fish with Lemon Grass and Sambal

By Malcolm JacksonOctober 17, 2023

Makes
4 to 6 servings
Cook Time
40 minutes
Active time plus cooling
10 minutes active
Rating
2

We bake fish fillets at a low temperature to keep them tender and moist in this vibrant and spicy slow-roast. Sambal oelek—a tangy Indonesian chili sauce—forms the base of the marinade, which we enhance with lemon grass, shallot and turmeric. Look for sambal oelek in the international aisle of the supermarket; if not available, chili-garlic sauce is a good stand-in. Be sure to use a skin-on fillet (or fillets): the skin holds the flesh together, ensuring the delicate cooked fish can be easily transferred from baking sheet to platter. Serve over steamed jasmine rice, sprinkled with fresh cilantro leaves.

Ingredients

¼
cup neutral oil
2
stalks fresh lemon grass, trimmed to the bottom 6 inches, dry outer layers discarded, roughly chopped
1
medium shallot, roughly chopped
2
tablespoons sambal oelek OR chili-garlic sauce
1
tablespoon packed brown sugar
¾
teaspoon ground turmeric
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1
2-pound or two 1-pound skin-on red snapper OR fluke OR haddock fillet(s)

Step 1

Heat the oven to 275°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. In a blender, combine the oil, lemon grass, shallot, sambal oelek, sugar, turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pulse a few times, then blend on high, scraping the blender jar as needed, until the paste is as smooth as possible, about 1 minute.

Step 2

Place the fish skin side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the paste evenly onto the flesh side of the fillet(s), then bake until the flesh flakes easily, about 30 minutes.

Step 3

Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Using a thin metal spatula, transfer the fillet(s) to a serving platter.

Step 4

Optional garnish: Lime wedges OR fresh cilantro leaves OR both