Serves6
- Active time:45 min
- Start to finish:1 1/4 hr
Yara Roberts, Yara Roberts' Cooking School, Paraty, Brazil
November 2009
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1
(1 lb) package frozen banana leaves, thawed
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1/4
cup
fresh lime juice
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2
teaspoons
fine salt (4 tsp coarse kosher salt)
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6
scallions
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12
large sprigs cilantro
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12
large sprigs parsley
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6
small whole (3/4 to 1 lb) red snapper or other white-fleshed fish, or 6 (6 oz) fillets
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Garnish
olive oil
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Equipment
Cotton string or twine
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Holding both ends of a banana leaf with your hands, pass slowly over an open flame on each side until you see it change color. Repeat with remaining leaves.
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Stir together lime juice and salt in a small bowl.
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Trim scallions and cut white and green part into 3-inch lengths. Thinly slice scallions lengthwise into 3-inch strips.
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Preheat oven to 450°F
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Prepare and bake whole fish
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Cut a piece of banana leaf at least 2 ½ times as long as the fish, about 30-inches long. Lay a fish lengthwise in center of leaf and rub cavity and both side of fish with about 2 teaspoons lime juice-salt mixture. Fill cavity with 1/6th of scallion strips and 2 large sprigs each of cilantro and parsley. Wrap banana leaf around fish and tie in two places to secure. Put fish on one of two large 4-sided baking sheets. Repeat with remaining fish.
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Bake fish on baking sheets in upper and lower thirds of oven until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Open packages, then drizzle fish with olive oil and serve.
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PREPARE AND BAKE FISH FILLETS
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Chop the scallion strips, cilantro and parsley together. Cut a wide piece of banana leaf to about 12-inches. Put a fillet in center of leaf and rub both sides with 2 teaspoons lime juice-salt mixture. Put a tablespoon or so of herbs under fish and sprinkle top with another tablespoonful (use about 1/6 of total herb mixture). Fold banana leaf over fillet to enclose and secure with a string wrapped both ways around package like a present. Put package on a large four-sided baking sheet. Repeat procedure with remaining fillets.
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Bake fillets on baking sheet in middle of oven until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Open packages, then drizzle fish with olive oil and serve.
