Arabian Gulf Style Fish In Banana Leaves Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill to medium or a large grill pan over medium. Rinse fish under cold water; pat dry. Coat the interior and exterior of the fish with ghee. Season the fish all over with salt and pepper. Place the herb sprigs inside the cavity of the fish and sprinkle the exterior with the chopped herbs; set aside.
• Wipe any dirt or dust off of banana leaves with a damp cloth. Place leaves, overlapping one another, on a clean work surface with long ends parallel to edge of work surface. Leaves should overlap by about 3 inches. Position the fish vertically in the center of the leaves, folding one edge of the leaves over to cover the fish. Then roll to wrap the fish completely with leaves and tuck ends under.
• Place wrapped fish on grill and cook for 15 minutes. Carefully flip wrapped fish and cook until leaves are charred and fish is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• To serve, unwrap the fish and transfer to a platter. Top with celery and herb salad; serve with lime wedges.

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Mince garlic and, wearing protective gloves, mince serranos. In a blender purée all sauce ingredients until smooth.
• If using banana leaves, cut away ribs and in a large bowl of hot water soften leaves 1 minute to help keep them from splitting. Cut six 8-inch squares from leaves. On a work surface arrange 1 leaf square and pat dry. Spread 1 teaspoon herb sauce down middle of square to equal length of a piece of fish and arrange piece, skin side down, on sauce. Spread 1 tablespoon sauce over piece. Fold top and bottom edges of leaf over piece and fold sides of leaf over piece, enclosing it. Arrange packet, seam sides down, in a bamboo steamer or on a large steamer rack. Make 5 more packets in same manner and arrange in steamer or on rack.
• Steam packets over boiling water, covered, until fish is just cooked through, about 8 minutes. Serve fish immediately.