Hmong-Style Roasted Fish in Banana Leaves
Usually when you see a recipe for a stuffed fish, you’ll see 3 slits cut into the flesh of the fish on both sides, then stuffed. This is completely different and quite a genius way to stuff a fish. Pockets are cut across entire spine of both sides of the fish so the herb stuffing flavors the entire fish’s flesh. After the fish is stuffed, it is wrapped in a banana leaf and foil, kind of like a papillote, then baked. You can also through this on a grill and cook for the same amount of time. You can use pretty much any type of whole fish. I used a whole tilapia, but snapper, porgy, or pompano are all suitable for this dish.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time45 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Hmong
Keyword: East Asian, fish, Hmong, main course, Southeast Asian
Author: Alex Gorgos
banana leaves
foil
food processor
- 1 whole tilapia (or any other whole fish) scaled, cleaned, and gutted
Herb Stuffing
- 2 tbsp lime leaves chopped
- 2 stalks lemongrass chopped
- 2 Thai chilies chopped
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 3/4 cup fresh dill chopped
- 3/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 3/4 cup green onions chopped
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1/2 tsp mushroom seasoning
Place all of the stuffing ingredients in a food processor.
Pulse a few times until everything is evenly chopped.
Cut deep pockets across both sides of the fish’s spine.
Stuff each of the pockets with the herb stuffing, saving a 1/4 cup of the stuffing.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line the bottom of a baking sheet with foil. Lay the banana leave across the top.
Place the fish in the center of the banana leaf. Cover the fish with the rest of the herb stuffing.
Fold the banana leaf over the fish, tucking in the sides to seal.
Cover with more foil, making sure all of the seams are sealed.
Bake for 30 minutes. Take off the foil and the banana leaf.
Bake for another 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.