Sea Bass Grilled in Banana Leaves

COMPLIMENTARY RECIPE

"As I kick around Jakarta, where I discover foods from all over Indonesia, one cuisine I really enjoy is Sundanese. It’s from the western part of Java and the way they eat there is to sit down to basically a smorgasbord of pre-cooked dishes. A typical meal has a huge variety of vegetables, meat and fish options, with plenty of rice and herbs, too. A dish that always catches my eye is this grilled fish in banana leaves – so vibrant in colour." - Chef Luke Nguyen

SERVES 2-4

INGREDIENTS

500 g piece sea bass, skin on, cut into 4 even pieces
sea salt, to season
4 banana leaf sheets, about 40 cm long
1 long red chili, sliced
8 coriander sprigs
steamed jasmine rice, to serve
MARINADE
2 tsp pounded galangal (about 2 cm piece)
1 tbsp pounded fresh turmeric (about 4 cm piece)
1 tbsp pounded lemongrass (1 stalk)
1 tsp pounded garlic
½ tsp red curry powder
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp fish sauce

METHOD

Marinating time 20 minutes

To make the marinade, combine the pounded galangal, turmeric, lemongrass and garlic in a mortar and pound with a pestle to make a fine paste. Transfer the paste to a mixing bowl, add the remaining marinade ingredients and stir to combine.

Season the fish with sea salt, then add to the marinade, turn to coat well and stand for 20 minutes.

Preheat a chargrill to medium.

Wrap each piece of fish in a banana leaf to completely enclose, then chargrill, folded-side down first for 6–8 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the fish.

Transfer the banana leaf parcels to serving plates, then use scissors cut the top of the parcels. Scatter with the sliced chili and coriander sprigs and serve immediately with steamed rice.