In the Yucatan region of Mexico, fish is commonly seasoned with spices like achiote, and wrapped in banana leaves to be grilled or roasted. In this recipe, we coat the filets with an aromatic citrus chile mixture made with cumin and oregano.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 20 min |
| Prep: | 1 hr 40 min |
| Cook: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 5 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 orange (1/2 juiced, 1/2 thinly sliced into 6 half-moons)
- 1 lime (1/2 juiced, 1/2 thinly sliced into 6 half-moons)
- Kosher salt
- 1 (16-ounce) package fresh or frozen banana leaves, thawed if frozen
- 6 (6-ounce) mahi mahi fillets
Instructions
- Put the chiles in a bowl, cover with boiling water and soak until pliable, about 15 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the soaking liquid, then drain the chiles.
- Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, oregano and cumin and cook until the onion is soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender along with the reserved chile soaking liquid, the chiles, orange juice, lime juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; blend until smooth.
- Unfold the banana leaves and cut into six 12-inch-long pieces; rinse and pat dry. Place a banana leaf shiny-side down on a work surface. Coat the fish generously with the pureed chile mixture. Place 1 mahi mahi fillet in the center of the leaf and top with a slice each of orange and lime. Fold 2 opposite ends of the leaf over the fish, overlapping them to tightly enclose the fish, then tuck the open ends underneath. Transfer to a large roasting pan or baking dish. Repeat to make 5 more banana leaf-wrapped fillets, then transfer the pan to the refrigerator and let the fish marinate 1 to 3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the pan from the refrigerator and cover tightly with foil. Bake until the fish is just cooked through, opening a packet to check for doneness, about 35 minutes. Transfer to plates and carefully unwrap just before eating.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 277 |
| Total Fat | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 23 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Protein | 33 g |
| Cholesterol | 124 mg |
| Sodium | 694 mg |