Newspaper Fish
- 1 medium (about 1 pound / 450 g) fish, such as snapper, trout, or flathead, cleaned, gutted and scaled
- 2 lemons, sliced
- 1⁄2 cup Turmeric Dressing (see below) or your favorite dressing, for serving 20 sheets of newspaper
- Turmeric Dressing
- 1⁄2-inch (1.25 cm) piece fresh turmeric, unpeeled 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) Champagne vinegar
- 1 cup (240 ml) grapeseed or extra-virgin olive oil
I really want children to learn how to cook using their hands and only minimal equipment. We all know that newspaper can be used to light a fire, but sometimes it also makes a perfect cooking tool. You can use this method to cook any size fish.
Light your fire and let it burn down for about one hour, or until you obtain a medium heat.
Wet the newspaper with water from the river or ocean (or tap water) then place it flat on a work surface, stacked, and put the fish in the middle. Stuff the fish with the lemon slices, then fold in the sides of the newspaper and roll up into a parcel.
Place the parcel in the coals of the fire and cook for 15 minutes then flip the parcel over and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the flesh is cooked and the eyes are white.
Let the fish rest in the newspaper for five minutes, then serve with Turmeric Dressing or your favorite dressing.
For the turmeric dressing, finely grate the turmeric and garlic (use a Microplane, if you have one) into a small bowl. Add the vinegar and whisk until combined. Stir in the oil and let stand at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
