Lynn's
Monkfish In Banana Leaves
You just can’t go wrong with this combination of flavors. It’s open to
all white fish, especially swordfish, cod, haddock, and monkfish. Banana leaves
are very easy to buy from Asian stores. Get nice big ones to wrap your fish up
in. Failing banana leaves, you can use grapevine leaves which you can get in the
supermarket -- somewhat smaller, but no less tasty
4 large banana leaves or grapevine leaves
a little olive oil
2 fresh chilies, red, green or both
2 stalks of lemongrass, outer leaves removed, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
2 good handfuls of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped juice and zest of 2
limes
2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
2 heaped tablespoons finely sliced fresh ginger
6-8 oz monkfish per person
14 oz can of coconut milk
4 rosemary sprigs or bay leaf stalks, to secure
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Lay out your banana leaves and rub them with
olive oil. Leaving aside your fish, coconut milk, and herbs, sprinkle a little
bit of everything else on one end of each leaf. Place your fish on top and then
sprinkle what’s left over them, except the rosemary or bay leaf sprigs. Pour
5-6 tablespoons of coconut milk into each parcel before folding the leaf over
the fish, bringing the sides in and spiking it with a rosemary sprig or bay leaf
stalk to secure it. This will look lovely and it’s natural, but I have been
known to use a clothes pin or string to hold it all together. It won’t be a
perfect seal but this allows it to breathe and steam, letting the flavors
infuse. So gutsy and tasty. Put your parcels on a tray and bake for 15 minutes,
then remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
I serve the individual parcels on plates at the table and let my friends dissect
them. When opened, the fragrant steam wafts up and smells fantastic. Serve with
plain boiled rice to mop up the juices -- that’s all it has to be
But it is better to fail in originality than to succeed in
imitation.
- Herman Melville