Oven-Baked Tilapia

Name: Oven-Baked Tilapia
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 1/3 lbs fish (2 whole fish, I used tilapia); 2 stalks lemongrass, sliced and tied; 6 kaffir lime leaves, remove the stems; Salt to taste; Sugar to taste; Ground black pepper to taste; 1 lime; 5 tablespoons sweet soy sauce for basting; 1 tablespoon cooking oil for basting; 1 tablespoon melted margarine for basting; 8 shallots; 5 cloves garlic; 10 red chilies (mix with bird's eye chilies, adjust to your spice preference); 1 tablespoon ground coriander; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/2 teaspoon ground galangal

megatala @megatala_

Bintaro, Tangerang Selatan

This recipe is inspired by my friend Eki Tunjungsari's account, but I've modified it a bit. Hehehe

Last Saturday, I had a meal at her house, and the grilled fish she made was delicious. It's hard to find fresh fish here, but the fish Eki cooked was so good. I decided to try making baked fish with a simple recipe but lots of spices. I love cooking with lots of spices, hehehe.

This recipe is inspired by my friend Eki Tunjungsari's account, but I've modified it a bit. Hehehe

megatala @megatala_

Bintaro, Tangerang Selatan

This recipe is inspired by my friend Eki Tunjungsari's account, but I've modified it a bit. Hehehe

Saved

Ingredients

3 1/3 lbsfish (2 whole fish, I used tilapia)
2 stalkslemongrass, sliced and tied
6kaffir lime leaves, remove the stems
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1lime
5 tablespoonssweet soy sauce for basting
1 tablespooncooking oil for basting
1 tablespoonmelted margarine for basting
Spice paste:
8shallots
5 clovesgarlic
10red chilies (mix with bird's eye chilies, adjust to your spice preference)
1 tablespoonground coriander
1/2 teaspoonground ginger
1/2 teaspoonground galangal

Saved

Steps

1

Clean the fish thoroughly, cut it into 3 parts, then sprinkle with lime juice, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
2

Blend the spices to be used. Then add just a pinch of sugar.
3

Insert lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves into the fish's cavity to reduce the fishy smell and add fragrance. I also add spices to the cavity. Then coat the outside of the fish with the blended spices. I use my hands to coat it and use a lot of spices. Save the remaining spice paste for basting.
4

Marinate the fish for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour to let the spices absorb. I leave it overnight in the fridge to cook the next day.
5

Prepare the basting sauce: mix the remaining spice paste with sweet soy sauce (to taste), melted margarine, and cooking oil. Set aside.
6

Place the fish on aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Once the oven is hot, bake for about 1 hour. Adjust according to your oven. Don't let it burn, and cook to your desired doneness. I use 400°F (200°C) at the end of baking.
7

During the baking process, every 15 minutes, take out the fish and baste it again with the basting sauce. I use a spoon to apply a lot of sauce and let it soak into the fish. Continue for about 1 hour. Flip the fish 2-3 times to prevent it from falling apart.
8

Once cooked and ready to serve, for extra flavor, use the top grill rack and baste the fish again with the sauce. Grill the fish using the oven grill setting. Grill for about 5-10 minutes. The fish is cooked and ready to be served with warm rice, fresh vegetables, and your family's favorite sambal.
9

Enjoy trying it out! :)