banana leaf baked snapper

It's been a crazy week here in Casa de Cooker.  The farm has been busy as everyone tries to tidy up their yard before the Mother-in-Law arrives Christmas day.  And the time between now and then just keeps evaporating.

Time for another Keeping Christmas Merry Menu recipe.  This time, my suggestion for Christmas Eve dinner - banana leaf baked snapper, with delicious Asian flavours.  I've adapted the recipe from a dish I saw on one of my favourite cooking shows - the Cook and the Chef.  It's another beaut cooked on the barbie recipe, so deputise your spouse and put your feet up for five!

Ingredients:

whole snapper, 3kg+  in the interests of keeping it simple, ask your fishmonger to gill, gut and scale it for you.

1 bulb garlic

1 bunch coriander roots

1 lemon

1 piece galangal

2 pieces lemongrass

Marinade

5 medium chillis I used a mix of green and red chillis - it seemed more Christmassy!

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 thumb ginger, finely sliced

2 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 lime, juiced

1 kaffir lime leaf, shredded

2 teaspoon white pepper

Banana leaf for wrapping.  Substitute foil if you cant get your hands on a banana leaf.

Method:

Make deep cuts into both sides of the fish.

Prepare the stuffing for the fish:

Bruise the lemongrass and the galangal with the heel of a knife or a rolling pin.

Juice the lemon

Wash and scrape the coriander roots.

Slice the garlic bulb in half

Add the lemongrass, galangal, lemon juice and skin, coriander roots and garlic to the cavity of the fish.

Prepare the marinade:

Combine the garlic, ginger, chopped chillies, oyster and soy sauces, sugar, lime juice, kaffir lime leaf and pepper.  Cover the entire fish with the marinade, stuffing the larger pieces of chilli, garlic and ginger into the slices in the fish.

Wrap the fish in the banana leaf, using string or skewers to secure the ends.  Bake at 180C for 30 minutes or until cooked.

Serve with jasmine rice and steamed greens.