The Global Kitchen

 



This is our second recipe from Steven Raichlen's Planet Barbeque. The original recipe calls for halibut but I had good mahi in the freezer so I used that.

We loved this! With the sauce the flavors popped into a party in your mouth. Hot salty sour and sweet! I thought it required less cooking on our charcoal grill but on a gas grill 5-7 minutes is about right.

I served it with brown rice and baby bok choy stir fried in sesame oil with garlic and soy sauce.

Herb Paste

2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and cut crosswise in 1/4 inch slices
1/4 cup lightly packed  Thai basil leaves
2 cloves garlic peeled and halved
1 tbs chopped corriander root or 2 tbs coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
1-2 Thai chiles or serrano peppers, chopped
1 tsp coarse kosher salt
2 tbs Asian(dark) sesame oil

Place the lemongrass through the salt in a mortar and pestle and pound into a paste. Work in the sesame oil. If you don't have a mortar and pestle use your food processor.

For the Fish

4 banana leaves cut in 8x8 squares(you can also use foil but it's not as fun)
2 firm white fish fillets

Honey Lime Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce or soy sauce (I used fish sauce)
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 Thai chili chopped

Mix everything

1. Prepare the herb paste and spread a spoonful on the banana leaf(to soften the leaf heat it over a burner for 15-30 minutes). Place fish on paste and spread another spoonful on top of fish. Fold banana leaf like you fold a burrito and secure with butcher string or a toothpick. Marinate 20 minutes to 2 hours.

2. Prepare a grill for direct heat on high

3. Grill fish packets 5-7 minutes on each side. To check for done-ness insert a metal skewer through the packet and let sit for 15 seconds

4. Serve the fish with the dipping sauce. Cut the string, open and enjoy.