Thai whole baked tilapia

When confronted with the choice to buy either fillets or whole fish, I usually go for the whole fish. A) it's cheaper, B) you can use the scraps to make stock, and C) any meat cooked on the bone will be more flavorful, fish included. Fillets by comparison are far more expensive by pound, and dry out so much faster.

So I picked up some whole tilapia the other day, and decided to do something Thai-ish.

First I thawed two fish, and sliced three vents into the side of each. Then I made a marinade:

1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice

Line a baking sheet with a big piece of aluminum foil, and lay the fish on that, cut side up. I poured half the marinade over the fish, and pulled the foil up to make a sealed tent over the fish. (Don't let the foil touch the top if possible.)

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until the flesh inside the vents is opaque. Remove from the oven, open the foil, and pour the rest of the marinade over the fish.

Broil for another 5 - 8 minutes, or until the top part is blackened. Serve with fresh cilantro and lemon or lime wedges.

To eat, remove the top layer of skin, and grab the head and pull. The head, spine and tail will all come off in one piece. Eat or remove the top layer of fish, down to the layer of bones in the middle. Remove the bones, and eat or remove the bottom layer of fish from the skin. Use the skin and bones to make a fish stock to use in seafood soups.