baked snapper with chilies, ginger and basil

Ingredients

• Servings: 1
• 1 (1 1/2 pound) whole , cleaned and scaled
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 red chile peppers, sliced diagonally
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and sliced
• 5 leaves basil

Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Ready Time: 1 hr


• preheat oven to 375 degrees f (190 degrees c). line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.
• stuff the cavity of the snapper with 1/2 cup basil leaves and set aside. heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over high heat until it begins to smoke. place the snapper in the skillet, and quickly brown on both sides, about 1 minute total. place the fish into the roasting pan, and sprinkle with fish sauce. reserve the peanut oil in the skillet.
• bake fish in preheated oven until the flesh flakes easily with a fork, 25 to 30 minutes.
• meanwhile, heat the remaining peanut oil over medium heat. stir in the garlic, ginger, chile peppers, and yellow pepper and cook until the peppers have softened, about 5 minutes. stir in the sugar, rice vinegar, water, and tomatoes. bring to a simmer over medium-high heat until thickened to desired consistency. pour the sauce over the snapper, and garnish with the remaining basil leaves to serve.