Banana Leaf Wrapped Snapper Recipes

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Combine the cilantro, mint, chiles, ginger, scallion, coconut, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender and pulse to make a coarse paste. Add the coconut milk, lime juice, vegetable oil and fish sauce and blend to make a smooth, slightly thick sauce. Season with salt. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Make the fish: Preheat a grill to medium high. Lay the banana leaves on a work surface, overlapping each about halfway, so the leaves are large enough to wrap around the fish, with the tail and head sticking out slightly. Lightly brush the banana leaves with vegetable oil. Cut three 24-inch pieces of kitchen twine and run under water to moisten (this will prevent the twine from burning on the grill).
• Make 2 or 3 slits crosswise on each side of the fish, cutting about 1/2 inch into the flesh. Season the fish inside and out with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt total. Stuff the lime and ginger slices, chiles, and cilantro and mint sprigs into the cavity of the fish. Set the fish at one short end of the banana leaves and roll it up, leaving the head and tail sticking out, then tie together in 3 places with the kitchen twine.
• Once the grill registers 425˚ F to 450˚ F, grill the fish until the banana leaves are charred, about 12 minutes. Flip and grill until the fish is cooked through, 12 to 14 more minutes. (Because the fish is wrapped, it is difficult to test for doneness. The juices will run clear from the head and gills when poked.) Let the fish rest 5 minutes, then untie and remove the banana leaves. Lift the flesh from the bones and serve with the cilantro-mint sauce.

Steps:

• Preheat a grill pan over medium heat.
• Place oil, tamarind pulp, nuoc nam, garlic, shallots, chile, turmeric, shrimp paste, lemongrass, sugar, ginger, and salt in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until a smooth paste is formed.
• Place banana leaves on the grill for about 2 seconds to make them more pliable. Using tongs, transfer them to a work surface. Trim tops and bottoms of each leave and place a fish fillet in the center of each leaf. Evenly divide the oil mixture between each fillet and spread over fish in an even layer.
• Working with one fish at a time, fold one side of the leaf over the fish, then the other, then fold in ends. Repeat process until all fillets are wrapped. Wrap banana-leaf-wrapped fish in aluminum foil.
• Place foil-wrapped fish on grill and grill, turning once, until a metal skewer or sharp, thin-bladed knife inserted into the center of the fish comes out hot, 5 to 6 minutes per side.
• Carefully unwrap fish from foil and place each banana-leaf-wrapped fillet on a plate; serve immediately with lime wedges.

Steps:

• Tamarind water, to soften, or substitute with the juice of 2 lemons
• In a bowl season the fish with salt, pepper, lime juice, and betutu paste.
• On a sheet tray, lay down the banana leaf. Place a salam leaf on the banana leaf. Place the fish on the middle of the banana leaf over the salam leaf. Place sliced green tomatoes, lime leaf, sweet basil, and tamarind water on the fish. Season with salt and pepper.
• Wrap the fish folding both ends together and secure with a bamboo skewer. Grill until cooked, approximately 4 to 5 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the fillets.
• Grind shallots, garlic, tumeric, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, chili peppers, palm sugar, and shrimp paste in a food processor. Saute paste with coconut oil.

Steps:

• Using tongs dip each banana leaf one by one into boiling water, remove immediately, rinse under cold water, dry thoroughly, leaves should be soft and pliable.
• Cut each fish 3 times, place each fish on a leaf, top each fish with lemon grass and garlic.
• Combine garlic, juice, sauces and oil, drizzle a little sauce over each fish reserving about 3-4 tablespoons for the vegeatbles.
• Fold leaves over fish and secure with kitchen string. Place parcels in a pre-heated oven of 180 degress celsius and cook for 25-30 min's or until cooked through.
• Alternativley which I love banana leaves for, cook on the BBQ, covered, using indirect heat for about 20-25 Min's. (I find it takes me 30 Min's in my oven and about 20 Min's on the BBQ, but I do have an extremely hot BBQ, I do not know how 4 smaller fish fillets affects the time as I have only cooked 2 larger fish.).
• The banana leaves will get quite crispy and may even burn in places, they will stay quite moist underneath as the juices run from fish and sauce. For presentation purposes I keep 2 banana leaves to use as the base to serve fish on after.
• Vegetables.
• Heat olive oil in a wok or large pan, add garlic and ginger and stir fry until fragrant.
• Add pepper, carrot and sesame oil, stir fry 2-3 Minutes, add both cabbages, peas, sprouts and reserved sauce. Stir fry until vegetables are just tender serve immediately with fish.
• Extra sauce.
• Just an optional extra if you prefer to have a little more sauce to drizzle over fish once served.
• Combine the 3 ingredients in a small microwave safe bowl and microwave 30-45 seconds to just warm through.
• To Serve: I place a banana leaf on a serving platter top with whole fish, I pour remaining juice and sauce from the bananan leaf fish was cooked in over fish, and arrange the vegetables around the fish, garnish with sliced onions.