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Barbecues & Grilling Grilling Fish in Leaves
The ancient secret to great grilled fish is to wrap it
in leaves.
Long before the advent of aluminum foil people found it
easier and more flavorful to wrap food up in leaves. Whether
it’s banana leaves, grape leaves, cornhusks or whatever
you might find growing in your neck of the woods, it’s
just a great way to cook. Of course, back then they used a
live fire and got not only the great flavor of their foods
but also the smoky flavor of the fire. The leaves hold in
moisture, flavors and keep foods from burning and falling
apart in the fire. The most common type of food cooked in
leaves is fish.
The first question you are going to ask, is where to get
these leaves? Bottled grape leaves can be found in most
grocery stores. Cornhusks can typically be found in the
Mexican food section of your store. Banana leaves, on the
other hand, usually have to be bought in specialty food
stores, particularly those catering to Asian and Caribbean
markets. Banana leaves should be relatively fresh. Always
make sure you wash and dry fresh leaves before you use them.
As far as cooking with leaves, it is very similar to cooking
foods wrapped in foil, except that you won’t get an
airtight seal. However, because leaves usually have their
own moisture, this isn’t a problem. Always work with
leaves that are large enough to fit your needs. You can cut
to food to fit and simply cook more packets. Fish can be
prepared whole or in pieces depending on your needs.
To wrap fish in leaves, start with a clean leaf, brush
lightly with oil to prevent sticking and wrap firmly but not
too tight. Leaves can tear so you don’t want too much
tension. Expects can typically wrap up a fish fillet in such
a way as to not need anything to secure it with, but you can
use kitchen twine or toothpicks to secure your package.
Threading a toothpick or skewer through the package will
help it hold up when you flip foods on the grill.
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