Gilthead sea bream in banana leaves with plantain salad
The chilli-marinated fish is baked in banana leaves and then served with a deep-fried plantain and okra salad.
Ingredients
For the sea bream
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú onion, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 5g Scotch bonnet red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- 450g/1lb cherry tomatoes, deseeded
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 4 gilthead sea bream fillets, scaled and pin-boned (ask your fishmoger to do this for you)
- 8 banana leaves
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the plantain salad
- 55g/2oz red onions, thinly sliced
- 1 small head of fennel, thinly sliced
- pinch of demerara sugar
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for deep-frying
- 250g/9oz plantain, thickly sliced
- 85g/3oz okra, thickly sliced
- 2 yellow or red chicory, thinly sliced
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú cashew nuts, toasted
- 5g fresh flatleaf parsley leaves
- ¼ lemon, juice only
- 1 lime, cut in half
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
For the sea bream, heat the oil in a frying pan and sweat the onion, garlic and Scotch bonnet for 8–10 minutes, or until softened. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook for around 1 hour, stirring occasionally, or until very soft and reduced down.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Add the vinegar to the tomato mixture and then blitz to a smooth paste in a blender or food processor. Leave to cool then spread all over the bream fillets. Place the fillets between two banana leaves and wrap in foil like a parcel. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the fish has cooked through.
Meanwhile, for the plantain salad, place the onions, fennel, sugar and 2 tablespoons of oil in a bowl. Heat some oil to 180C in a deep saucepan. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Deep-fry the plantain until golden brown. Transfer to kitchen paper and keep warm.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and cook the okra for 2–3 minutes. Add the okra to the onion mixture, along with the chicory, cashews and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and add lemon juice to taste.
Just before serving, heat a frying pan over a high heat and cook the limes, cut side down, until charred.
Divide the plantain between four warmed plates and spoon over the onion mixture. Top with the sea bream fillet and serve with the charred limes alongside.
