GRILLED FISH IN LEAFY PACKAGES

Long before grills and gridirons were invented, people cooked with live fire. Often they grilled meat or fish on a stick over the fire -- the precursor of the modern shish kebab. Sometimes they wrapped the food in edible leaves and cooked it right on or in the coals. This practice survives as a popular alternative to grilling and you find it in countries as diverse as Mexico, Turkey and Thailand. And while any type of meat or poultry can be grilled in leaves, the most popular food is fish.

Why would you bother grilling fish in leaves? First, of all the foods we grill, fish is the most delicate and prone to drying out. The leafy wrapping seals in flavor and moistness, keeping the fish from sticking to the grate or falling apart. Moreover, the leaf imparts a distinctive flavor all its own, especially when seared by the fire.

So which leaf? There are many to choose from. Turkish pit masters wrap fish in grape leaves for grilling. Uzbeks swaddle quail in pumpkin leaves and roast them in the embers. In Mexico and Southeast Asia, banana leaves are the wrap of choice, indeed, the versatility of the banana leaf makes it Nature`s aluminum foil. And speaking of foil, the popular North American practice of grilling fish or vegetables in foil is a high-tech descendant of this ancient technique.

The following recipe comes from the Yucatan in Mexico where fish, chicken, even pork are marinated in fragrant (ITAL) recado (uñTAL), a spice paste made with annatto seeds, sour orange juice and grilled vegetables, then barbecued in banana leaves. The leaves seal in the spice flavors and impart a nutty flavor all their own. This dish is big on wow power. Your guests will be amazed when they open the leafy package (be sure to have each guest open his own) to reveal the spectacularly moist, flavorful fish inside.

This recipe calls for bluefish, a fat, rich, tender, highly flavorful fish that is loved by most people and loathed by some. That`s because fresh bluefish is as sweet as butter, but when it`s old, it`s as fishy as musty hip waders. The best place to buy bluefish is from a fishmonger who turns his stock frequently. Good substitutes for bluefish include salmon, halibut and mahi-mahi.

The spice paste calls for roasted onion and garlic. Traditionally, the vegetables would be roasted in a dry skillet, but there`s no reason you can`t grill them. Work over a medium-high fire. I try to grill them a day or so ahead of time when I`m grilling something else so that I only need fire up my grill once for the bluefish.

You`ll need to know about a few special ingredients. Annatto is a rust-colored, Caribbean spice with a tangy, iodiny flavor. Caribbean markets sell it in seed form; Mexican markets in paste form. (If unavailable, substitute 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads. The color will be right; the flavor, different; but the final result will be equally tasty.) Sour orange is a citrus fruit that looks like a lumpy orange but tastes like fresh lime. If unavailable, substitute lime juice. Epazote is a jagged-edged leaf with a fresh, antiseptic flavor. If unavailable, substitute fresh cilantro or mint. Look for these ingredients at Mexican and Caribbean markets.

The wrapping used here is banana leaf. If you live in an area with a large Mexican, Caribbean or Southeast Asian community, you may be able to find fresh, or at the very least, frozen banana leaves at an ethnic market. When working with fresh leaves, grill them briefly, as shown below, to make them pliable for wrapping.

If you can`t find banana leaves, you can use bottled grape leaves. Soak them in several changes of cold water to remove the excess salt. Use several leaves to wrap the fish. Alternatively, you can use foil for wrapping.

This recipe may seem difficult because it contains some unfamiliar ingredients. But the principle of leaf grilling is remarkably simple. Feel free to season the fish with your favorite rub or marinade instead of the recado. Grill it in leaves or even in foil.

By the way, the variations to this recipe are limited only to your imagination. You could certainly use a different type of fish, or even chicken breasts or sliced pork tenderloin. You could likewise vary the leaves. Turkish grill masters would stuff trout with sliced lemon, ground walnuts and dill and grill it in grape leaves. Uzbeks grill spice-rubbed quail in squash leaves. Finally, you could vary or simplify the spice paste for seasoning the fish, using a simple rub or marinade.

YUCATAN SPICED BLUEFISH GRILLED IN BANANA LEAVES

Spice Paste:

1 small onion, cut in half

3 garlic cloves, skewered on wood pick

1/2 teaspoon annatto seeds

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 whole allspice berries

2 cloves

1 (1-inch) piece cinnamon stick

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 bay leaf

6 tablespoons fresh sour orange juice or lime juice

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

Fish:

2 pounds bluefish, skin removed, cut into 8 even 4-ounce portions

8 pieces of banana leaves, each 8x10 inches

8 sprigs epazote or cilantro

To prepare Spice Paste, grill onion and garlic over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side for garlic, and 5 to 6 minutes per side for onion. Alternatively, brown them in dry skillet over medium-high heat or on baking sheet under broiler.

Grind annatto seeds, peppercorns, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, oregano and bay leaf in spice mill or coffee grinder to fine powder. Transfer mixture to blender with sour orange juice, water, onion, garlic and salt. Puree until smooth.

To prepare Fish, arrange pieces in baking dish. Pour spice paste over top, turning pieces to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Set up grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. If using fresh banana leaves, grill each piece until pliable, 10 to 20 seconds per side. Place piece of leaf, dark side down, on work surface. Place piece of fish in center with sprig of epazote on top. Wrap up fish in banana leaf, as shown above, pinning down ends with wood picks. (Wrap fish like you would eggroll or blintz.)

Place fish bundles on grate and grill until banana leaves are nicely browned and fish is cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. (To test for doneness, unwrap 1 bundle.) Serve fish in banana leaves and let each person unwrap his own. Makes 4 servings.

(Steven Raichlen is the author of ``The Barbecue Bible`` and ``Barbecue Bible Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades.`` You can reach him at his web site: www.barbecuebible.com.

(c) 2000, Steve Raichlen. Distributed by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate.

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Author: Steven Raichlen