BARBECUED BREAM WITH SPRING ONIONS, LEMON & CHILLI

Barbecued bream with spring onions, lemon & chilli image

Provided by Melissa Thompson - Journalist and food writer

Categories Dinner

Time 50m

Yield Serves 4-5

Number Of Ingredients 8

1.5-2kg whole sea bream, cleaned and descaled (or use 2 smaller breams)
½ onion, thinly sliced
2 lemons, 1 sliced, 1 halved
500g new potatoes, halved and boiled
2 spring onions, trimmed
1 large garlic clove, unpeeled
2 red chillies
3-5 tbsp olive oil

Steps:

Light the barbecue. Season the inside of the bream and stuff with the onion and lemon slices.
When the coals are ashen, carefully spread them out in a circle about 30cm in diameter. For the topping, put the spring onions, garlic, whole chillies and lemon halves, cut-side down, onto the grill. Cook for 10-12 mins, turning halfway through, until the veg starts to colour and soften.
Rub a little of the olive oil over the outside of the fish and lay on the grill. Do this carefully, as the oil on the fish skin may start to catch and burn.
Remove the veg and lemons from the grill. Finely chop the spring onions and chillies (remove the seeds if you don't want it to be too hot), tip into a bowl and squeeze the garlic from its skin. Squeeze over the barbecued lemon and drizzle with the rest of the oil.
After 8-10 mins, carefully turn the fish using tongs and a fish slice, if needed to prevent it breaking apart. Cook for another 8 mins, then check the fish is cooked through by pulling a piece of skin away - the flesh should be opaque.
When the fish is ready, remove to a serving plate and pour over the veg topping. Season and serve with the new potatoes. For children, flake the fish onto plates, checking for bones as you do.