BBQ'd Fish in Banana Leaves

1/3/2017

Out of the Ord - Banana Leaves

Banana leaf is a great way to cook your freshly caught Kimberley Barra on the BBQ and it's so easy. Simply, throw all your favourite ingredients for fish into a food processor (or don't and just mix) then spoon on top of the fish for easy wrapped parcels of flavour.

I used garlic, ginger, lime, lemongrass and chilli which was delicious - but you can use anything, like say.....

red curry paste, coconut milk and lime;
lemon and dill; or
pistachios, coconut flakes, lime juice/rind.

To make the parcels:

Cut each leaf into rectangles about 12cm x 15 cm.
Scald the banana leaves with boiling water in the sink (this makes them more bendy), pat dry with a fresh tea-towel and place on your prep area.
Brush both side of the banana leaves with oil (use fancy oils like coconut for more flavour).
Place the fish and your chosen ingredients on the leaf.
Roll the banana leaf around the filling, using toothpicks to secure the open ends (see picture).
Place the parcels on the BBQ Grill and cook flipping every 2-3 minutes for about 10-12 minutes in total (or until cooked)
Serve with coconut rice, salad and lime wedges.

But wait - still not feeling confident about trying this at home? If you're after a legit recipe for a Thai based fish parcel with proper ingredients and instructions then have a look at this blog post I wrote in 2014 when living in Darwin.