Fish in banana leaf or often referred to as Liboke de Poisson (Congolese dialect) which means pouches of food cooked in banana leaves – in this case fish. Just like the French term en papillote, which means baked in? This way of making fish is not only healthy but super easy to make – the leaves or package holds the steams and it penetrates the fish beautifully creating a moist fish with Amazing flavors. . People often ask; do plantain/banana leaves alter food taste? They certainly do – Banana/Plantain leaves leave a very distinct flavor and are fundamental in lots of dishes – throughout Africa, Central America, Caribbean, Mexico and some parts of Asia. What do they taste like? Well, I would say they do have an earthy flavor and sometimes can leave a hint of bitterness- if you cooking them too long, that is especially true with the ones I have purchased at the international markets or Hispanic stores abroad. The spice blend can range from a variety of spices to traditional and exotic spices specific to ones location. Here, I used garlic, ginger, tomatoes, basil, parsley and green Seasoning (one of my favorite spice blend) – when am using white fish I usually go all out. If using salmon, I try to keep it simple. The two important factors involved in cooking a successful fish in banana leaves are: ensure your leaf is wrapped tightly, so the steam does not escape.
You may use two bananas leaves one place on top of the other or use a foil paper to prevent any juice from escaping and adjust cooking time to the thickness of fish. Enjoy!
