Serves 6
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3 lb. whole tile fish, boned and open in butterfly (head and tail on) or
6 fish filet
4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
6 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tbsp. chopped cilantro (coriander)
2 tsps. Tabasco sauce or 1 Malagueta pepper crushed
1 lb. tomatoes, peeled, seeded and quartered or 1 large can whole tomato
1/4 cup fish broth
2 cups small yellow onions
1 tbsp.vegetable oil
4 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup water
8 bananas peeled and cut in 2, length wise
4 tbsp. olive oil or butter
1 tbsp. oil or butter
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups manioc flour
Salt and pepper
1 large banana leave or 6 banana leave squares, 8 by 8 inches if using filet (found in South Asian food stores)
Malagueta Hot Pepper Sauce
1/4 cup preserved malagueta pepper or any preserved chili
4 tablespoons finely chopped onion
6 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
METHOD
Tomato Sauce
1 In a medium size saucepan, heat the vegetable oil and sauté the onions over medium low heat until they wilt. Then add the garlic mixing well and then the chopped cilantro. Stir a couple of times. Season with the salt and pepper. Add the quartered tomatoes and the fish broth. Cook it for 3 minutes and reserve.
2 In a skillet heat the oil, the butter over low heat and sauté the garlic. Pour the manioc flour through the fingers mixing it with the butter, stirring gently with a spoon as you scrap the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper always mixing gently. Cook until the flour becomes moist and lightly golden.
Grilled Bananas
Heat a skillet with 1/4 of the butter. When it is hot but not smoking, place 2 halves of the bananas and grill for 3 minutes or util it turns golden. With a sptaula, turn the bananas and grill on the other side for 3 more minutes. Carefully place the bananas in a ceramic dish and cover with foil. Just before serving the fish, take it to a pre-heated oven for 5 minutes.
Malagueta Hot Pepper Sauce
1 In a bowl or mortar, crush the peppers with the onion and lime juice to make a paste. Add the olive oil and whisk
2 Place in a covered jar and keep refrigerated.
To assemble the fish
1 Pre heat the oven to 325 º
2 Place the fish on top of the banana leave and open the fish. Sprinkle with salted limejuice. Using a spoon place spread the tomato sauce in the center of the filet. On top of that, place lengthwise a mound of farofa.
3 Cut a couple of pieces of the grilled banana and place them on top of the farofa. Alternate with a couple of small onion confit; press slightly with the palm of the hands. Gently fold the fish towards the center. If you are using a whole fish, tied it with a string. Wrap the fish with the banana leave. (If using the filet close both sides with a toothpick.)
4 Place the wrapped fish in a baking dish, pour 1 cup of water and bake it for 20 minutes, or 30 minutes if making a whole fish.
5 To serve, open the banana leave, folding it under the fish filer. Place 1 tsps. of the tomato sauce on top of the fish filet. Carefully place a medium size shrimp on top of the tomato sauce. Place 1 tbsp. of farofa on the plate circling fish, 2 grilled bananas and 2 onions. Serve with Malagueta sauce on the side.
