I love this kind of weather, it's chilly but there are warm spots under the sun. I have the day off from work/school and I have decided to cook a nice meal for dinner. I spent the morning in Chinatown looking for banana leaves (which I didn't find) and the rest of the ingredients. I found some really good magazines that are in Chinese that I will be able to use for an upcoming typography project. One is the Chinese Elle (July 2007) and the other is called "Cute." My magazine collection is becoming overwhelmingly large, and maybe it's time to get rid of some older things. Maybe. Maybe not.
The recipe is adapted from The Naked Chef Takes Off, by Jamie Oliver. (Who doesn't love Jamie Oliver?)
halibut wrapped in banana leaves with ginger, cilantro, chilli, and coconut milk
You can use any white fish for this recipe, he recommends swordfish, cod, haddock, or monkfish. I used haddock. I couldn't find banana leaves or grapevine leaves anywhere, so I used leeks which are tough and similar, we will see how that works. You can also use foil if you have no access to the leaves. I also used jasmine rice instead of plain white rice.
serves 4
4 large banana leaves or grapevine leaves.
a little olive oil
2 fresh chillies, red, green, or both
2 stalks lemongrass, outer leaves removed and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
2 good handfuls of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
juice and zest of 2 limes
2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
2 heaped tablespoons finely sliced fresh ginger
6 - 8 oz monkfish per person
one 14-oz can coconut milk
4 rosemary sprigs or bay leaf stalks, to secure packets
Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Lay out your banana leaves and rub them with olive oil.
Leaving aside your fish, coconut milk, and the rosemary or bay leaf stalks, sprinkle a little bit of everything else on one end of each leaf. Place your fish on top and then sprinkle what's left over them. Pour 5-6 tablespoons of coconut milk into each parcel before folding the leaf over the fish, bringing in the sides and spiking it with a rosemary sprig or bay leaf stalk to secure it. This will look lovely and it's natural, but I have been known to use a clothespin or a string to hold it all together. It won't be a perfect seal but this allows it to breathe and steam, letting the flavours infuse. So gutsy and tasty. Put your parcels on a tray and bake for 15 minutes, them remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
I serve the individual parcels on plates at the table and let my friends dissect them. When opened, the fragrant steam wafts up and smells fantastic. Serve with plain boiled rice to mop up the juices - that's all it has to be. End of story, done, lovely.