Trout sides stuffed with spiced onions, coconut and cardamom sauce

Serves 6 Starters and mains

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Method

Up to 12 hours before you want to cook, take the trout fillets and rest, skin-side up, on a rack hung over a tray. Transfer to the fridge and leave to dry the skin. When ready to cook, fire up the barbecue ready for direct and indirect grilling. Set a large frying pan over the fire and tip in the cumin, coriander seeds and the chilli flakes. Toast for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a spice mill or pestle and mortar and grind to a coarse powder. Slide the pan further away from the fire for a lower heat and add the butter. Once it has melted, add the onions and ground spices, along with the onion seeds and cinnamon. Season with flaked sea salt and black pepper and cook gently for a generous 40 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the onions are soft and melting. Stir through the curry leaves for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove from the heat and set aside. Alternatively, do this on the hob inside, in which case don’t light the barbecue until the onions are getting towards being ready.

Set a grill cage over the fire to get hot. While the cage is heating, make the sauce. You can do this on the hob or set a pan over the fire (it’s fine to set the pan on top of the heating cage). Either way, pour the coconut milk into a small, heavy-based pan and add the garlic, turmeric, cardamom seeds and chilli flakes, stirring over a medium heat. Bring up to a simmer, then add the lime juice, brown sugar and coriander, along with a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Allow to bubble for 10 minutes or so, then remove from the heat and set aside for the flavours to infuse. Remove the fish from the fridge, turning one fillet so it is skin-side down. Scoop the warm onions on top, spreading them out to form an even layer, then rest the other fillet on top, lining it up with the bottom fillet to completely enclose the onions. Take five to six lengths of butcher’s twine and tie at intervals to secure the fish together snugly – enlist help from an extra pair of hands to get the knots good and tight as it’s a little fiddly on your own.

Brush the olive oil all over, then sprinkle with the 2tbsp sea salt flakes. Make sure the fish cage is super-hot, then rest the oiled fish in it. Set on the grill bars over the embers and cook – turning the fish cage over a few times to ensure the fish skin is crisping evenly until a thermometer reads 55C in the thickest part. Set the fish cage on to a tray and take it inside to rest for 10 minutes or so to allow the internal temperature to rise to 60C.

While the fish is resting, warm the sauce through. Use a palette knife to gently ease the skin from the fish cage and turn out on to a warm platter. Drizzle over a little of the sauce, serving the rest in a small jug alongside. Sprinkle the extra coriander and chopped chilli over, if using. Carve into slices to serve with the steamed rice and greens alongside.