Snoek is the South African braai (barbecue) fish par excellence. You can buy it whole or already filleted and smoked (but with the fillets still attached). Snoek (known as snake mackerel in English) <em> Thyrsites atun</em> is a fish native to the seas of the Southern Hemisphere. It’s known in Australasia as barracouta; though it is not closely related to barracudas. In fact, Snoek is a member of the Gempylidae, the snake mackerel family. Mackerel would make a good substitute in this recipe. As well as being barbecued, grilled (broiled) and pan-fried snoek is commonly used in Cape cuisine, most notably in Snoek Bobotie.
Prep time 20 minutes/Cook time 20 minutes/Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 fresh snoek (about 1kg [2 ½ lbs]) (substitute the same weight of mackerel, cleaned)
Olive oil
Fine sea salt
freshly-ground black Pepper
150ml (3/5 cup) apricot jam
100ml (2/5 cup) butter or olive oil
freshly-squeezed juice of 1 lemon
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce (optional)
50–100ml (1/5-2/5 cups) white wine (optional)
Dash of chili sauce (optional)
METHOD
If you’re buying a fresh snoek, ask for it to be cleaned and for the head and tail to be cut off. If buying a frozen, cleaned and filleted, snoek cut off the head and tailed. If buying a frozen uncleaned snoek, allow to half defrost then clean, gut and scale before filleting.
Wash the snoek well under cold, running water then prepare to dry the fish. Pat dry with kitchen paper then tie a string around the tail end and hang up in a cool room where the flies can’t get to it. You need a draft, so I usually set a fan in front of the fish. In the Cape, you would normally hang in a breezy spot under a tree. Alternatively, use coarse salt. Scatter salt in a large bowl, sit the fish, skin side down and then scatter more salt over the top. Allow the salt to absorb the excess moisture for an hour, then rub off the excess salt and blot dry with kitchen paper (this works, but I am not a fan of pre-salting). If you do salt your fish remember to use a light hand when adding salt later in the recipe. If, however, you are desperate there is one more way to dry the fish. Line a tray with kitchen paper, open up the fish and lay on top, skin side down. Transfer to your refrigerator and allow to dry over-night.
Put a small pan on the stove (or on your braai) and use to gently fry the chopped garlic in a little butter. Once softened (about 2 minutes) add the apricot jam and lemon juice. At this point you can stir in your choice of optional ingredients. I invariably add the soy sauce and chilli sauce with a splash of dry white wine (maybe 2 tbsp). Heat, stirring until everything is combined and the jam has melted.
You can cook snoek in a fish basket, however, I tend to cook it on foil as it makes things easier to handle (you also lose far less of the basting sauce). Use oil to grease the foil and to grease the skin side of the fish. Put on the foil, skin side down then twist the ends of the foil to make a shallow ‘boat’ with the fish inside (remember to butterfly the snoek open. Season the flesh side of the fish with salt and black pepper then transfer to your barbecue.
Brush the top of the fish with your baste and cook for 10 minutes, basting with more of the apricot jam mixture every couple of minutes. After 10 minutes, carefully lift the fish from the foil parcel, brush your barbecue with oil (to prevent the fish from sticking) then place it flesh side down and cook for 3 minutes. Brush the skin side with oil, flip the fish over and cook for 2 minutes. During this time, apply more of the baste (and any baste left in your foil parcel).
Your snoek is ready when the flesh flakes easily with a fork. However, it should not need more than 15 minutes on the braai.
Carefully transfer to a large plate or tray and serve.
