FISH WRAPPED IN BANANA LEAF

When I met Tonok, I knew I wanted to cook with him. I was eating a delicious curry chicken salad for lunch at the Bloo Lagoon and I peered into the outdoor kitchen to find Tonok at work. I told him how much I enjoyed his salad and he smiled broadly. He knew his food was good. I don’t mean to be hokey here, but Tonok’s food has that thing, that secret to all tasty food - love. This guy loves to cook and it comes through in the dishes he serves. As we started chatting, limited by his English and my non-existent Balinese and Indonesian, I asked him about cooking and his arms would start waving, he would give me a vigorous thumb’s up, and his smile would grow wide. I had heard that the Bloo Lagoon offered cooking classes so I asked him if he could teach me some of his favorite dishes. With total authority, he planned a meal of traditional Balinese food that we would make together the next day.

The next morning Tonok and I went to the local morning market in Padangbai. Without having my morning “Bali Coffee” aka Balinese jet fuel, I was bleary eyed until the action of the market woke me up. This tiny market, only half-a-block long, was jammin’.

Baskets of bananas, pineapples, and papayas lined the street. Women were weaving palm fronds and selling a rainbow of flowers for offerings.

Fresh, shiny fish were displayed on planks of wood.

And there were so many intriguing hand-made packages of just-prepared treats. With Tonok’s help in identifying the mysterious eats,  I started snapping up goodies: two newspaper packages of cooked yellow rice with spices; another paper-wrapped meal of pork on a stick, herbs and rice; black rice pudding. I even abandoned the squeamish American in me and bought a funky cassava, shaved coconut, and palm sugar treat made by a grandmother as I waited. What would the Health Department say?

I felt hungry and triumphant with this indulgent spree that cost me less than a buck.

Braised Halibut with Pistachios and Preserved Lemons

One evening I was busy with kid activities (homework, baths, art projects etc) and P was in charge of dinner. I expected a simple weeknight meal of grilled halibut and salad. But Paul treated us to a new scrumptious dish - Halibut with Pistachios and Preserved Meyer Lemons. It was so good, I had to share with you. Paul swears this dish isn't difficult to make - hard to believe P when you taste the fish - its flavors are complex and fancy-restaurant-good.

Our neighbor Rich recently gave us a jar of his home-preserved Meyer lemons, a necessary ingredient for this halibut dish. I just started to cure my own preserved lemons today.  See the following recipe to make your own.


INGREDIENTS
adapted from A16 Food + Wine  by Nate Appleman, Shelley Lindgren, and Kate Leahy

•  1 1/2 pounds halibut fillets
• sea salt
• 1 cup pistachios, shelled and lightly toasted
  
• 2 wedges preserved lemons
• 1/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 cups loosely packed parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
  
• 1 fresh lemon, cut into wedges
  

Season the fish with a generous sprinkling of salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to 4 hours before cooking.

30 minutes before cooking, bring fish to room temp.

Preheat oven to 400.

Remove pith and flesh from preserved lemon. Soak to remove excess salt. Rinse and mince.

In a mortar or food processor combine lemon, toasted pistachios and chili flakes. Coarsely blend, then slowly drizzle in olive oil. Add chopped parsley and continue to pulse, or crush until combined with other ingredients. Before adding any salt to the mixture, taste. There may be enough salt from the preserved lemons. If not, add a little sea salt to taste.

Place fish in a baking dish. Cover the top of each fillet with the pistachio/ lemon mixture. Press in gently so topping stays put.

Pour enough water into the pan so that it reaches half way up the sides of the fish. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes until fish is just cooked through.

Transfer each fillets onto a warm plate. Finish with a drizzling of olive oil and lemon wedges on the side.

Give this recipe a try, and you will not be disappointed.

Serves 4

Halibut Wrapped in Fig Leaf

I love when Paul grills halibut this way. Wrapping the fish in a fig leaf infuses a subtle earthy favor that is completely unique. Plus, unwrapping something at the table always gives me a childlike thrill.

Last night, it was warm enough to eat on the back patio - a rare thing in Berkeley any time of year. After a week of flat tires and burst pipes, it felt good to put a delicious meal on the table. Along with this fish, we had roasted french fingerlings, and a butter lettuce salad. All were easy to make, and I will post the recipes for you in case you want to try them.

Like most of my favorite dishes, this one can be attributed to Alice Waters.

Ingredients
1 1/4 pound halibut, cut into four pieces
4 large fig leaves (you can also use grape leaves)
olive oil
sea salt

Because this recipe is about technique, we decided to try a photo essay to show you all you need to know.

First, take large fig leaves and place halibut slices in the center of each leaf. Drizzle with olive oil to avoid sticking, and sprinkle fish with salt.

Next, wrap the fish tightly.




Put wrapped fish on a preheated grill - set to high heat. Start by placing the folded sides against the grill to keep the wrap in place. 3 minutes per side should be plenty to cook this delicate fish.


Here they are ready to eat....


Serve the fish fully wrapped and let each person open the fig leaf at the table. (Don't eat the leaf itself). The halibut should be nice and moist.

Serves 4