Grilled Vietnamese Fish in Banana Leaves
Photography Aaron McLean.
Fish bites wrapped in banana leaves coated with chilli and coconut cream. Served with rice and fresh herbs to complete this flavourful vietnamese dish.
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
600 grams firm white fish fillets
2 tablespoons coconut cream
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
pinch of chilli powder
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon caster sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
To cook
2 banana leaves cut into 6 large squares or 6 squares of foil
toothpicks
To serve
Thai basil or mint
hot cooked rice or noodles
METHOD
Cut the fish into large, bite-sized pieces.
Combine all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and season. Add the fish and turn to coat well.
To cook: Place the fish in a single layer on the pieces of banana leaf and fold in the sides to form a package. Secure with toothpicks.
Cook on a preheated barbecue flat-plate or in a hot sauté pan for 3-4 minutes each side.
Unwrap the parcels and serve with rice, fresh herbs and nuoc cham.
Pantry note: Banana leaves are available from Asian food stores in the frozen food section. Thaw before using.
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126
We start by sharing what’s on the dish team’s radar, what we’re watching, listening to and reading. Harry Butterfield puts a twist on his Nonna’s agnolotti, Malissa Fedele reminds us of the importance of fibre, and Phoebe Holden fulfils a long-held dream, sitting down with Yotam Ottolenghi. Autumn is an abundant time, we make the most with pumpkin, kūmara, cabbage, cauliflower, feijoas, apples and pears. We’re dishing up dinners for two, including a Chicken Dumpling Lasagne, alongside easy weeknight meals. We honour our mums, revisit timeless classics, and add a little baking challenge. This issue, we encourage you to slow down, to enjoy writing your shopping list, and spending time in the kitchen. Because even when life feels relentless, there’s always space to share something delicious.







