Halibut Or Other Fish Steamed In Banana Leaves Recipes

Steps:

• Heat grill to high. Whisk together juices, oil, and chili powders in a medium baking dish. Add the halibut and turn to coat. Marinate for 5 minutes.
• Remove the banana leaves from the water and shake off excess water. Place the leaves on a flat surface. Remove the halibut from the marinade, season with salt and pepper, and place 1 fillet in the center of each leaf. Wrap the banana leaf loosely around each fillet. Place the packets flat on the grill, close the cover, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until just cooked through. Carefully remove from the grill and serve the fish in the banana leaf, if desired. Serve fish with the Orange-Pineapple Relish.
• Whisk together the lime juice, orange juice, chile de arbol, honey, and oil in a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Roast chiles on racks of gas burners over high heat, turning with tongs, until skins are blackened, 10 to 12 minutes. (Or broil chiles on a broiler pan about 5 inches from heat, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes.) Transfer to a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap, then let stand 20 minutes.
• When cool enough to handle, peel chiles, discarding stems and seeds (do not rinse under running water as this washes away flavor), and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick strips.
• Cook onions with salt in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until onions are tender but still have texture, about 10 minutes. Stir in chiles and cook, stirring, 1 minute, then season with salt.
• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Unfold banana leaves. Cut off (and reserve) tough center rib that runs along bottom edge of each leaf with kitchen shears. Cut ribs into 12- to 14-inch strips for tying packets. Gently cut leaves into 8 (12-inch) squares, being careful not to split them.
• Slowly run a banana-leaf square across flame of a gas burner, just enough to "melt" outer coating on leaf (it will become quite shiny; if you have an electric stove, hold leaf slightly above burner on moderately high). Place a piece of fish in center of square and season with salt, then top with 1/2 cup rajas and 2 tablespoons crema. Fold 2 sides of banana leaf over fish to enclose it, then fold in opposite sides to form a packet. Tie packet with a strip of banana-leaf rib and transfer to a large baking sheet. Assemble 7 more packets in same manner.
• Bake fish packets in middle of oven 20 minutes, then transfer each to a large plate or shallow soup bowl. Cut ties of packets and open them (leaves are not edible). Drizzle fish with additional crema.
• Available at Latino and Asian markets.

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.

Steps:

• Put at least 2 inches of water in the bottom of a steamer. Soak the banana leaves in hot water until soft, just a few seconds.
• Toss together the fish, garlic, ginger, nam pla, sugar, and cayenne. Put a piece of the seasoned fish in the center of each of the banana leaves and top with shallot, cilantro, and a light sprinkling of salt. Fold in the sides of the leaves and seal shut with toothpicks or skewers.
• Steam for about 15 minutes, or until the fish is done (peek into one of the packages to check). Be careful of the steaming liquid when removing the packages. Remove each of the fish pieces from its package before serving and spoon some of the juices over it.
• Lemongrass Halibut (or Other Fish) Steamed in Banana Leaves
• In step 2, toss the fish with 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons minced lemongrass, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, and the nam pla and sugar. Put it in the packages as directed and top with the shallots, 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives or scallion, and 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, preferably Thai basil. Seal and steam as directed.