Barramundi in banana leaf with coconut rice

Heat your banana leaves over an open flame to soften and make more pliable to wrap your fish. The kitchen twine technique helps to lock in the juices of the fish, making it more flavoursome.

Barramundi in banana leaf with coconut rice Credit: Kitti Gould

• serves

  4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  55 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 1 plate-sized barramundi, 550-650 g
• salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 banana leaf
• 1 long red chilli
• 3 cm x 4 cm piece ginger, finely grated
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 400 ml coconut cream

Instructions

1. Season the whole barramundi with salt, pepper and brown sugar inside and out.
2. Place the fish on the banana leaf and layer chilli, ginger and spring onion over and in the fish.
3. Wrap fish in the banana leaf tightly, tie with kitchen twine to hold it together, then wrap the banana leaf fish parcel in foil.
4. Place in 180˚C fan-forced oven for approximately 45 - 55 minutes, depending on the size of your fish.
5. Add rice (no need to wash!) and coconut cream to saucepan (add a little water if needed to bring the liquid level to your first knuckle when placing your fingertip on the surface of the rice), cover with lid and cook over low heat for approximately 10 - 12 minutes. Leave to rest with lid on for 10 minutes. Serve the barramundi with the coconut rice.

Note

• Ask your fishmonger to scale, gut and clean the barramundi for you. You can substitute coconut milk for the coconut cream to cook your rice, it simply won't be as creamy.

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Tastes Like Home

Watch the full episode here.

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Watch the full episode here.

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