Ingredients

• 1 whole bluefish (2 to 3 pounds), cleaned
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons ghee, recipe follows or unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons broken cashews
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins
• 1/3 cup, plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 cups sliced onions
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
• 2 fresh green chiles, split lengthwise
• 4 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, recipe follows
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Cilantro sprigs, for garnish
• Mint sprigs, for garnish
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 4 whole pieces star anise
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. Remove the head and tail from the fish. Butterfly it by slicing down the entire length of the belly side. Open it up and carefully remove the backbone, starting from the neck. Remove any remaining bones. Fold the fish in half, skin-side out, and rub the skin with a mixture of 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Marinate for 15 minutes.
2. In a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the ghee over medium heat. Saute the cashews until golden. Remove to a plate. In the remaining ghee saute the raisins until they swell and brown slightly. Add them to the cashews and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1/3 cup oil and fry onions until the edges are nicely browned. Add garlic, ginger, and green chiles, and stir for 1 minute. Stir in coriander, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, cumin, remaining 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, garam masala, tomato, lime juice, cilantro, mint, remaining teaspoon salt, and sugar, and fry until the onions are well browned, and the mixture is thick and paste-like, adding enough water to keep it moist. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
4. Open the fish and spread 1/3 of the onion mixture inside; fold it over to close. In the same skillet, push the remaining onion mixture to the sides of the pan. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and place the fish in the middle. Place over medium heat. Cook until the bottom of the fish is lightly browned, about 10 minutes, covered on medium-low heat. Carefully turn and continue to cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes more. Remove from heat.
5. Carefully transfer the fish to a platter. Spread the remaining sauce over the fish. Sprinkle with cashews and raisins and garnish with cilantro and mint; serve immediately.
6. In a heavy, preferably light-colored skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. The melted butter will sputter gently as the moisture boils out of it, and the bubbles will change from large to fine and foamy.
7. Once the foam appears, push it aside every few seconds to see if the milk solids have settled to the bottom of the pan. When this sediment appears golden brown, remove it from the heat. Do not let it turn dark brown.
8. Cool the ghee for a 1 or 2 minutes, then pour the liquid into a container with a tight-fitting lid, leaving most of the solids behind. Cool it completely, cover, and store at room temperature for 1 month or in the refrigerator for 3 months.
9. Ghee turns to a solid as it cools, so bring it to room temperature before using, or melt it by placing the jar in which it is stored in hot water.
10. Yield: about 1/2 cup
11. Place the star anise in a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Measure out 2 teaspoons reserving the rest for another use.
12. Grind the fennel seeds in the spice grinder to form a fine powder.
13. Combine all the ingredients and store in an airtight container away from the light. It will keep for 6 months.