Whole fish baked with olives and masala

Recipes-Olives from spain
INGREDIENTS
  • ½ cup black OLIVES FROM SPAIN
  • 1 pc whole fish, around 1-1.5kgs (white flesh, freshwater fish like Rohu)
  • 2 pcs onions
  • 1 ½ inch pc ginger
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 pc lemon
  • Handful of fresh basil and or coriander
  • Salt to taste
Preparation time:
1 hour
Serves:
4-6 portions
Level of difficulty:
Easy
PREPARATION
  • Very finely slice ½ a medium sized onion, squeeze some lemon juice and set aside.
  • To prepare the marinade, chop one and a half onions and the ginger and grind together. Squeeze out the juice in a bowl, add salt ½ tsp garam masala, juice of half a lemon and 1 tbsp oil. Mix well.
  • Make 3 diagonal incisions on either side of the scaled, cleaned and slit fish, just deep enough to go through the skin.
  • Tear out a piece of foil, big enough to wrap around the fish. Place the foil on a baking tray, place the fish on it and slather on the marinade on both sides and on the inside of the fish.
  • Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for 10-15 minutes.
  • Pre-Heat the oven to 200 degrees.
  • Take the fish out of the fridge, and stuff the middle with the black olives, sprinkle half the chilli flakes and rest of garam masala inside.
  • Seal the fish well with the foil and bake for 20 minutes.
  • After 20 minutes take the fish out of the oven, uncover the foil, drain the extra juice out into a gravy pot.
  • Turn the oven to grill mode, if needed (depending on how fatty your fish is) brush with some more olive oil and grill for 10 minutes. ( It would turn slightly brown and crisp).
  • Top the fish with the sliced onion in lemon juice, green coriander and basil, sprinkle the rest of the chilli flakes, a few more olives and serve.