Please, meet whole grilled Golden Pompano:
This dish was inspired by pan-fried pompano that is occasionally served at Ping, our favorite South-Eastern Asian restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
Go to an Asian supermarket and get yourself several nice clear-eyed pompanos. Golden pompano doesn’t have scales, so you only need to gut it (or ask your fishmonger to do it for you) and rinse it well inside and out. Pat the fish dry with paper towels and score on both sides in a crisscross pattern (about 3/4 - 1 inch apart), cutting the flesh down almost to the bones.
For the marinade (for 3 medium sized fish, about 3-5-4 lb total weight), stir together 4 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice, 1 ½ -2 tsp sugar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp fish sauce.
Rub the fish all over with salt and pour with the marinade, making sure it gets into the incisions and the cavity. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, turning the fish often and basting it with the marinade to ensure even seasoning.
When the time’s elapsed, start heating your grill. We have a Big Green Egg (ceramic charcoal grill) and it takes us some time to heat it up to a proper temperature. We prefer to grill pompano at about 400 F.
Take the fish out of the marinade and thoroughly pay it dry inside and out with paper towels. Let it air dry for about 15-20 minutes, turning it once during this time. If the temperature in your kitchen is too high, put the fish under a fan so it gets dry but don’t spoil.
Brush both the grill rack and the fish with oil to prevent (or, at least, reduce) sticking. Grill the fish for about 4-5 minutes on each side. We like it a bit charred, but you decide for yourself. When you turn it over, use a wide sharp-edged spatula and slide it carefully all the way under the fish.
Serve right away with fresh lime, rau ram and/or the following spicy sauce. For the sauce, mix together 2Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice, 1.5 tsp sugar, a pinch of salt, 2-3 tsp Sambal Oelek (chili paste) and 1-2 Tbsp water.
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