Indonesian fish kebabs

Fish cooks extremely quickly on a hot barbecue, so make sure that you prepare your vegetables before assembling the kebabs.

If you want, you can even wrap the kebabs in foil before cooking to hold them together a little better.

We've suggested mackerel for this dish, which as an oily fish bears many health benefits, but tuna, haddock and cod are also very good substitutes. Use foil if you're cooking cod or haddock.

Ingredients

For the marinade:

• 1cm fresh, peeled root ginger, finely grated
• 1 tsp chilli paste - sambal ulek if you can get it, or 1 large, hot red chilli crushed with salt to a paste in a pestle and mortar
• Half tsp turmeric
• 1 stem lemongrass, cut in half
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 can coconut milk
• A small bunch of fresh basil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

For the kebabs:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 large red peppers, seeded and cut into 3cm squares
• 4 large yellow peppers, seeded and cut into 3cm squares
• 4 large green peppers, seeded and cut into 3cm squares
• 1 large red onion, cut into chunks
• 600g uncooked mackerel fillet, cut into cubes

Method

1. Scrape the soft inner of the stem of lemongrass to bruise it a little.
2. Heat the sesame oil for the marinade in a pan over a low heat and add the ginger, turmeric, chilli, lemongrass, salt, sugar, and tamarind paste.
3. Heat until the ginger and lemongrass are starting to soften, then pour in the coconut milk and soy sauce and heat gently for a minute.
4. Remove from the heat and then add the torn-up basil leaves.
5. Allow to cool, then put the fish cubes into the marinade.
6. Seal the onion, peppers and oil in a foil-parcel, double-wrapped, and place them on the hot barbecue grill for eight minutes to soften.
7. Remove the parcel, unwrap and allow to cool down for five minutes, then thread onto skewers with chunks of fish.
8. Brush with a little extra marinade and then place the skewers of fish and vegetables onto the grill.
9. Cook for 4 minutes, then turn over for another 2-3 minutes until cooked throughout.