Ikan Bakar (Indonesian Grilled Fish)
Whole fish rubbed with a fragrant paste of garlic, ginger, and chilies, then grilled until the skin crisps and flesh flakes. Served with lime wedges for a bright, smoky finish.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 280
- Protein
- 38g
Ingredients
- 2 fish (1.5 lbs total) whole fish (mackerel, snapper, or sea bass), gutted and cleaned
- 4 cloves garlic cloves
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger
- 2 chilies red chilies
- 1 whole lime
- 1 pinch to taste salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1
Peel the 4 garlic cloves and place them in a mortar or small bowl.
- 2
Peel the ginger piece, then place it on a cutting board and mince it into pieces smaller than a grain of rice by pressing your knife flat and scraping across the ginger repeatedly.
- 3
Cut the 2 red chilies in half lengthwise (from tip to stem), scoop out the seeds with a small spoon if you prefer less heat, then slice the halves crosswise into thin rings.
- 4
Add the minced ginger and chili rings to the mortar with the garlic, then pound and mash with a pestle or the back of a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes a thick, coarse paste that clings together.
- 5
Cut the lime in half crosswise, then cut one half into 4 thin wedges for serving later.
- 6
Pat the outsides and insides of both fish completely dry with paper towels, as wet skin will not crisp when grilled.
- 7
Divide the garlic-ginger-chili paste in half and rub one half inside the cavity of the first fish, spreading it along the bottom cavity wall.
- 8
Rub the remaining half of the paste all over the outside of the first fish, coating the sides and belly, then repeat with the second fish and remaining paste.
- 9
Squeeze the juice from the remaining lime half over both fish, then sprinkle salt and pepper all over the outside of each fish.
- 10
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (or a grill pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop) until you can hold your hand 4 inches above the grates for only 3 seconds.
- 11
Place both fish on the grill grates (or in the grill pan) and cook without moving them for 7 minutes, until the skin on the bottom side is blistered and charred a deep golden-brown color.
- 12
Flip each fish carefully using two thin spatulas or a fish flipper, then cook the other side for another 6 minutes until the skin blisters and the thickest part near the backbone flakes easily when you press it with the back of a fork.
- 13
Transfer both fish to a serving plate, then arrange the lime wedges on the side of the plate for squeezing over the fish at the table.
Tools you’ll need
- mortar and pestle (or small bowl and wooden spoon)
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- paper towels
- grill or grill pan
- two thin spatulas or fish flipper
- serving plate
- fork
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