Asian Style Snapper in Banana Leaves
Ingredients
- 2 banana leaves (each large enough to completely enclose fish)
- 750 g red snapper (or bream)
- 1 t grated ginger (fresh)
- 1/2 t lemongrass powder (or 1/4 stalk fresh)
- 1 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 T fresh lime juice
- 1 T light soy sauce
- 2 T sweet chilli sauce
- 1/2 t sesame oil
- Vegetables:
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 cloves minced garlic
- 1 t grated ginger (fresh)
- 1/2 t sesame oil
- 60 g thinly sliced red bell pepper
- 30 g carrot (cut into sticks)
- 75 g bok choy
- 40 g sugar snap peas
- 40 g red cabbage
- 100 g edamame
- 2 thinly sliced green onions
- Optional Extra Sauce:
- 1 T sweet chilli sauce
- 1 t light soy sauce
- 1 t lime juice
Method
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, sprinkle lemongrass powder (or place thinly sliced lemongrass stalk) on top. Combine garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, chili sauce, and sesame oil; reserve 2 T for vegetables; drizzle rest of sauce over fish. Fold leaves over fish and secure with kitchen string. Place parcels in a pre-heated 350F oven and cook for 25-30 minutes until cooked through.
For the vegetables, heat olive oil in a wok or large pan, add garlic and ginger, stir fry until fragrant. Add pepper, carrot, and sesame oil; stir fry 2-3 minutes. Add both cabbages, peas, edamame, and reserved sauce. Stir fry until vegetables are just tender. Serve immediately with fish.
For the extra sauce, if you wish to have a little more sauce to drizzle over the fish once served: Combine the 3 ingredients in a small microwave safe bowl, and microwave 30-45 seconds, just to warm through.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
From original recipe: The fish can also be cooked on the BBQ grill, covered, using indirect heat, for about 20-25 minutes. The banana leaves will get quite crispy and may even burn in places, but they will stay quite moist underneath as the juices run from fish and sauce.
SJ Note 23 Feb 2010: The sauce is good, and we liked the effect of the banana leaves, but change the vegetable mixture next time, perhaps omitting the edamame. Perhaps give the snapper one more try, but get another fish at the same time, in case I still don't like it - it was too strong-tasting for me.