Broiled Red Snapper with Tamarind Sauce

Ingredients:

1-1/2 Tbsp. tamarind from a pliable block
1/2 cup cold water
2 small shallots
3 garlic cloves
2 tsp. finely chopped cleaned fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp. Asian fish sauce (preferably naam pla)
1-1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
2 (6 oz.) red snapper fillets with skin
2 scallions
1 medium or 2 small fresh red chiles (1-3″ long, preferably Thai(
About 2 Tbsp. fresh whole Thai basil leaves or small fresh regular basil leaves
Garnish: fresh basil sprigs

Instructions:

In a small bowl combine the tamarind and water and let stand for 10 minutes. With your fingers rub the tamarind to dissolve in the water. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a small heavy saucepan, pressing hard on the solids, then discard the solids. Thinly slice the shallots and mince the garlic. Add the shallots, garlic, cilantro roots, fish sauce, sugar and salt to the tamarind water and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Keep the sauce warm, covered. This sauce can be made 1 hour ahead of time and reheated just before serving.

Preheat the broiler. Lightly brush the rack of a small broiler pan with some oil and arrange the snapper fillets, skin sides down. Season the fish with salt and broil 4-5″ from the heat until it is just cooked through, 7-8 minutes. While the fish is broiling, thinly slice the scallions and, wearing protective gloves, thinly slice the chiles diagonally. Stir the whole basil leaves into the warm sauce just before serving. Transfer the fish to a platter and pour the tamarind sauce over it. Scatter some scallions and chiles over the fish and garnish with basil sprigs.

Yields 4 servings.

Recipe from Gourmet Magazine.