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1
Soften the Banana Leaves
5 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
Rinse the banana leaves and wipe them dry. Cut them into 4 rectangles about 30 × 35 cm and strip out the thick centre rib from each. Pass each piece briefly over a low gas flame, or dip it in a pot of boiling water for 10 seconds, until the leaf turns glossy dark green and bends easily without splitting. Cut kitchen twine into 4 lengths.
Work over a low flame and keep the leaf moving — a few seconds is enough, and a scorched leaf will tear when you fold it.
Done when: Leaves are glossy, dark green and fold without cracking.
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2
Make the Peppery Ginger Sauce
10 Mins
Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
In a small bowl, stir together the grated ginger, minced garlic, minced Scotch bonnet, the white parts of the scallions, thyme leaves, lime juice, olive oil, salt and black pepper. Taste it — it should be bright, salty and hot, with the ginger leading.
Grate the ginger finely so the sauce coats the fish instead of sitting in lumps — a microplane is ideal.
Done when: A loose, spoonable sauce that smells sharply of ginger and lime.
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3
Season and Wrap the Fillets
10 Mins
Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Lay a softened leaf on the work surface and place one snapper fillet in the centre. Spoon a quarter of the ginger sauce over the fillet, top with a quarter of the halved cherry tomatoes, and fold the leaf around the fish to form a neat packet. Tie with twine to hold it together. Repeat with the remaining fillets.
Fold the leaf like an envelope and tie it firmly but not so tight that the steam cannot reach the fish — the parcel should feel full, not strangled.
Done when: Four snug parcels, each sealed so the juices stay inside while steaming.
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4
Steam the Parcels
15 Mins
Steaming, 100°C (212°F)
Set a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water and arrange the parcels inside in a single layer, seam-side up. Cover and steam for 15 minutes, until the fish is opaque all the way through, flakes easily with a fork and reaches 63°C (145°F) at the thickest part.
Do not lift the lid in the first 10 minutes — the trapped steam is doing the cooking, and every peek lets the heat escape.
Done when: The flesh is opaque and flakes cleanly, and the leaf has darkened and smells sweet and grassy.
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5
Rest and Unwrap
2 Mins
Resting off the heat, ~60°C (140°F)
Lift the parcels out of the steamer and let them rest for 2 minutes so the juices settle. Open one parcel to check the fish, then unwrap the rest over the plates so the juices run onto the fish. Spoon over any sauce left in the leaves.
Open the parcels over the plate, not over the work surface — the leaf holds a spoonful of ginger-scented juice you do not want to lose.
Done when: The fish is hot through and moist, with the sauce pooled in the leaf ready to spoon over.
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6
Serve with Lime Wedges
0 Mins
Serve hot, ~60°C (140°F)
Scatter the green parts of the scallions and the toasted sesame seeds over the fish, tuck the lime wedges alongside, and bring the plates to the table at once with the steamed broccoli and rice and peas.
Steamed fish waits for no one — serve it the moment it is unwrapped, while the flesh is still moist and the ginger is at its brightest.
Done when: The fish is steaming hot, the sauce is bright, and the lime is juicy.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Unwrap each parcel over the plate so the juices run onto the fish, spoon over any sauce left in the leaf, scatter with scallion and sesame, and serve at once while the fish is still steaming hot.
Saint Lucia
2h 35m
France
Vietnam