INGREDIENTS
2 whole sea bream, cleaned, gutted and fins removed by fishmonger
2 tablespoons butter to baste, melted
good pinch of chaat masala (optional)
lemon wedges and fresh coriander to serve

Marinade
4 cloves garlic, grated into a fine paste (around 2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger paste
2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder or paprika for colour and chilli powder to taste
2/3 teaspoons cumin powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon gram flour
7 tablespoons thick Greek yoghurt
good pinch of carom seeds
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

TO MAKE

Using a sharp knife, score the bream four times on each side through the skin, about half a centimetre into the flesh. Marinate the fish in a squeeze of lemon juice and a little salt, (inside and out) for 10–15 minutes.

Dry roast the gram flour in a pan until golden, this takes just minutes, stirring often. Leave to cool.

Stir together the yoghurt, black pepper, cumin, chilli powder/paprika, carom seeds, ginger and garlic pastes, lemon juice, oil and gram flour. Add salt to taste, it should taste a little salty and a bit spicy, it will be absorbed by the fish.

Smear the marinade thickly over both sides of the fish and into the slits. Leave to marinate for 20–30 minutes at room temperature.

Pre-heat the barbecue to a medium t0 high flame. You can put the fish in a hinged rack, but be careful that it doesn’t flatten it too much. You can also use two metal skewers per fish. Oil the grill rack and the fish rack.

Place the fish on the heat and cook for six to eight minutes on the first side or until the underside is a lovely golden colour with some areas of charring. If the coals are too hot, rake them away slightly. Turn the fish and cook the underside in the same way. If using skewers the fish might stick a little to the actual grills. The fish is done when golden on both sides and to check if it is done on the inside, you can use a thermometer which should read 60°C when poked into the thickest part of the fish.

Baste with the melted butter once per side as it cooks and once as it comes off the heat. Sprinkle with chaat masala if you are using and serve with wedges of lemon.

Recipe and image from Anjum Anand.