I heard about the Buford Highway Farmers Market in Atlanta before we even moved from our home in DC. It has made numerous appearances on Alton Brown’s ‘Good Eats‘ and even Anthony Bourdain’s ‘The Layover‘. The first time I walked through the doors of the market, it was complete sensory overload! There was an endless array of fruits, vegetables, and spices, many of which I had only read about, but never seen. As I made my way around the kaleidoscope of chili peppers and through a forest of sugar cane, I came across a table of banana leaves. Immediately I knew I wanted to use these leaves to recreate one of my favorite Thai dishes – fish baked in banana leaves. It’s succulent, full of flavor, and unlike any other fish I have ever eaten. I love the delicate balance of flavors in Thai food. Sweet, sour, salty, spicy; they all work harmoniously together to give you a full-bodied flavor experience. Even my husband, who is not a big fan of fish, loved this dish.
- 2 salmon fillets (or try snapper, cod, rock fish)
- 1 package of banana leaves, cut into approximate 12×12 inch squares (if you are using frozen, allow to thaw for at least 30 minutes). You may also use parchment paper or foil if you cannot find banana leaves.
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 shallot
- 1 Tbs ginger
- 1 stalk lemongrass, white bulb only
- 1 handful of Thai basil (use sweet basil as a substitute)
- 2 Thai chiles (use 1 fresh cayenne or serrano chili as a substitute)
- 1 Tbs curry
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cardamon
- 2 Tbs fish sauce
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 1 lime, juiced and zested
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place all of the marinade ingredients into a blender or food processor. Process for approximately a minute or until finely processed.
- Place the fish fillets in a large bowl and cover both sides with half of the marinade. Reserve the other half of the marinade for later. Allow to marinate for 10 minutes.
- Place each fish fillet in the middle of the banana leaf/parchment paper/foil. Fold each side in to form a packet. Place each packet seam side down into a baking dish or pan.
- Bake in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes or until the inside at its thickest point is opaque.
- In a small saucepan, heat the reserved sauce/marinade over low heat.
- Serve fish with a side of jasmine rice, spooning the coconut curry sauce over the entire dish.
Wow! So happy I found this fun blog as I was hunting for corroboration of my idea for a hunk of salmon baked in a banana leaf in an improvised Asian-fusion marinade (I lived in Asia for many years). This recipe sounds super-fantastic, so I will try it the next time I prune my banana plants…well…hopefully coordinated with the next crop of limes! Now I am extra-motivated to hop on my new scooter and ride up Sunset Blvd. to Thai Town and see if anyone is selling fresh-squeezed coconut milk, as that is just so much more awesome than the canned stuff. Is that coconut rice on the side? C’mon, twist my arm 😉
Thanks, Brenda! I’m so happy you found me too! 🙂 Hey, if you can get fresh coconut milk, GO FOR IT! I’m including a hyper-link to a Miso Glazed Salmon with Coconut Rice, if you’re interested in my coconut rice recipe as well.
A surplus of banana leaves in your backyard sounds fantastic! We just moved from the east coast to the Bay Area, so I’m really loving all of the fruit trees that are in everyone’s backyard! I can do half of my produce shopping in my PJ’s… gotta love that! 😉