Banana Fish Recipes

FISH WITH BANANAS

Steps:

• Heat butter in a medium sauté pan until melted. Add mushrooms at medium-high heat. Add tarragon. Stir to coat and sauté until the majority of the liquid has been cooked out of the mushrooms. Add salt & pepper as needed. Remove from heat and divide mushrooms amongst the two au gratin dishes.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Once butter is melted, add shallots. Saute slightly until they are fragrant and start to become translucent, about 3 minutes. Add white wine. Turn heat to low and simmer.
• In a separate, small saucepan, heat egg yolks, stirring constantly until they become thick. Once thickened, add 1 tablespoon butter and orange juice. Stir to combine, then add to white wine-shallot mixture. Add whipping cream and tarragon and stir to combine.
• Remove sauce from heat and put in a blender. Blend until combined and whipping cream becomes frothy. Pour back into saucepan and simmer on low heat.
• Once rewarmed, drizzle half of the sauce over the mushrooms in the two au gratin dishes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Season the two pieces of fish with salt & pepper.
• Warm olive oil in a medium sauté pan over high heat. Add seasoned fish and sear lightly (about 2 minutes each side.)
• Place one piece of fish over the mushrooms and sauce on each of the au gratin dishes.
• Drizzle each piece of fish with the remaining sauce.
• Heat butter in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once butter is melted and pan is hot, add slices of banana. Caramelize until lightly golden (about 1-2 minutes each side.) Remove bananas from pan and place slices on top of the sauced fish in the au gratin dishes.
• Place au gratin dishes in preheated 425-degree oven. Bake for about 18 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and golden. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before eating.

BAKED FISH AND BANANAS

Steps:

• Split the fish, put in a greased ovenproof dish and brush over with a little oil, then sprinkle with seasonings and herbs.
• Mix the tomato puree with 2 Tblsp. oil, then add the sugar and water.
• Pour this around the fish and trickle a little down the center of the fish itself.
• Split the peeled bananas lengthwise and put around the fish.
• Bake in a slow oven (3008) for about 1/2 hour, basting occasionally.
• Serve with plain boiled rice.

YJ'S FISH AND BANANA LEAVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Tear the banana leaves in half and place 4 ounces of tilapia in the center of each leaf. Lay vegetables and olives or raisins across the top of fish. Squeeze 1/4 lemon on each piece. Drizzle olive oil over top, season with salt and pepper, to taste and top with orange peels. Wrap ingredients in the leaves and bake for 15 to 18 minutes.

PEANUT-CRUSTED FISH FILLETS WITH FRIED BANANAS

Steps:

• Peel the bananas and cut them lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. In a large ovenproof skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and the oil over moderately high heat until the foam subsides, in the fat sauté the banana slices for 1 minute on each side, or until they are golden, and transfer them with a spatula to a plate. Pat the fish dry and sprinkle it with the cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Have ready in separate shallow dishes the egg beaten with the salt and the peanuts. Dip each fillet in the egg mixture, letting the excess drip off, and dredge it in the peanuts. To the skillet add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, heat it over moderately high heat until the foam subsides, and in it sauté the fillets for 3 minutes. Turn the fillets, top them with the banana slices, and sauté them for 2 minutes more. Drizzle the fish with the lime juice, transfer the skillet to the middle of a preheated 450°F. oven, and bake the fish for 5 minutes. Transfer the fillets with a spatula to 2 heated plates and serve them with the lime wedges.

ARABIAN GULF-STYLE FISH IN BANANA LEAVES

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.

LEMON GRILLED FISH IN BANANA LEAVES

Steps:

• Heat grill to medium.
• In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice with ½ cup olive; add thyme, salt and pepper.
• Brush both sides of fillets generously with lemon mixture and place each in a banana leaf.
• Place 4 lemon slices and a sprig of thyme on each fillet.
• With the short side of the leaf facing you, fold bottom edge over fish; fold sides over fish, then fold package away from you to envelop the fish.
• Secure each packet with 3 wet toothpicks or tie like a girtbox with a wet piece of string.
• Cook the fish packets on grill, about 6 minutes per side ( the leaves will brown, which is OK).
• While the fish grills, sauté garlic in 1 Tbs olive oil over medium-high heat about 1 minute.
• Add the onions through tomatoes and sauté about 5 minutes until vegetables are tender; season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, put a fish packet in the center of each plate, open the leaf and spoon vegetables around fillet.

YUCATáN FISH

Steps:

• Make the pickled onions: Put onion in a bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Add serrano, 3 tablespoons orange juice and 2 tablespoons lime juice, then mix well. Set aside for at least 15 minutes. Combine and reserve remaining citrus juice for marinade.
• Make the marinade: Put achiote, cinnamon, oregano and chipotle in a small stainless steel or glass bowl. In a small dry skillet over medium heat, lightly toast cumin, cloves and allspice until fragrant, 1 minute or less. Grind toasted spices to a powder in a spice mill or mortar, then add to other spices. Add garlic, 1 large pinch salt and remaining citrus juice and stir to make a paste. If very thick, add more lime juice. (Note: achiote may stain surfaces or clothing.)
• Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Using a sharp knife, score skin at thickest parts, if desired. Paint fish on both sides with marinade. Squeeze a little lime juice over fish. Chill for 45 minutes (or up to 2 hours).
• Bring fish to room temperature and heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut banana leaves crosswise into footlong lengths and soften by passing them briefly over a stovetop burner. Rinse leaves and pat dry. Lay a double thickness of leaves on a baking sheet and lay fish on it, skin-side down. Top fish with a large handful of pickled onions. Arrange tomato wedges over onions. Sprinkle with salt and a little more lime juice. Lay more leaves on top, then wrap like a package, tying with string or strips of leaf. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove and let package rest, unopened, for 15 minutes. Serve with remaining pickled onions.

STEAMED CATFISH IN BANANA LEAVES

Steps:

• 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-inch strips (you'll need 8) for tying packets. Gently cut leaves into 8 (10-inch) squares with shears, being careful not to split them (you may want to cut a few extra in case some split while folding). Gently wash banana leaf squares in a large pan of water, then pat dry.
• Heat oil in wok over moderate heat until warm, about 30 seconds, then cook curry paste, stirring constantly, until very fragrant and a shade darker, 1 to 2 minutes. Add stock and fish sauce and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring. Add fish and rice powder and stir-fry until outside of fish just turns white, 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer mixture to a bowl.
• Put a banana leaf square on a work surface, then put 1/3 cup fish curry in center of square and sprinkle with some of sliced Kaffir lime leaves. Fold 2 sides of banana leaf over fish to enclose it (be careful not to split leaf), then fold in opposite sides to form a packet. Tie packet with a strip of banana leaf rib and transfer to heatproof plate. Assemble 7 more packets in same manner, arranging in 1 layer on plate.
• Bring 1 inch water to a boil in wok fitted with steamer rack. Transfer plate with packets to steamer rack carefully and steam, covered with lid, 5 minutes. Serve packets warm or at room temperature.