Grilled Salmon with Chili-lime Sauce

From Quick and Easy Thai by Nancie McDermott

Fish
3 Tb coarsely chopped garlic
3 Tb coarsely chopped fresh cilantro roots or stems and leaves
2 Tb fish sauce
1 Tb tamari
1/2 tea sugar
1/2 tea salt
1/2 tea freshly ground pepper
2 Tb veg oil
1 1/2 lbs meaty fish fillets, such as salmon, tuna, snapper, cod, halibut, catfish or tilapia

Sauce
1/4 c fish sauce
3 Tb lime juice
2 Tb sugar
1 tea finely chopped garlic
1 tea finely chopped fresh hot green chilies
1 tea finely chopped fresh cilantro

1. To prepare the fish: In a workbowl of a small food processor or a blender, combine the garlic, cilantro roots, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and oil. Grind to a fairly mooth paste, stopping now and then to scrape down the sides and adding a little water as needed to bring the ingredients together. Scrape the cilantro-garlic paste into a medium bowl, add the fish fillets and toss to coat everything well. Set aside for 20-30 minutes, longer is fine, covered and refrigerated up to 1 day.

2. To make the sauce: Combine the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and garlic in a small bowl. Stir well until the sugar dissolves, and then sprinkle with the chilies and cilantro. Set aside until serving time.

3. Prepare a very hot grill. To cook the fish, place it on a lightly oiled grill rack, or in a shallow baking pan in the oven. Cook until handsomely browned and done to your liking, carefully turning once, about 5 minutes on each side, or longer for thicker fillets. Serve hot with the bowl of sauce on the side.