Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons 2 Tablespoons whole achiote seeds (also known as annatto)*
- 2 teaspoons 2 teaspoons whole allspice
- 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon whole black pepper
- 1-1/2 teaspoons 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3 Tablespoons 3 Tablespoons cider vinegar
- 6 6 garlic cloves, chopped (about 2 Tbsp.)
- 1 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons (sea or kosher) salt
- Water, as needed
- 3 Tablespoons 3 Tablespoons fresh sour orange or lime juice
- 1 1 to 1-1/2 lb. skinless Wild Alaska Halibut fillets, fresh, thawed or frozen, cut in 4 pieces
- Banana leaf (2 to 2-1/2 ft. long, 10 to 12-inches wide), defrosted, if frozen
- OR 4 heavy duty foil pieces, about double the length of each halibut piece
- 8 8 to 12 corn tortillas, kept warm
- 1 cup 1 cup favorite salsa
Servings:
Units:
Instructions
- Prepare paste: Finely grind the achiote, allspice and black pepper in a spice/coffee grinder; transfer mixture to a small bowl. Mix in the
- oregano and vinegar. With a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic and salt together (or use the back of a spoon against the garlic placed in a
- small bowl). Stir in enough water, about 1 to 2 tablespoons, to form a thick spreadable paste. In a shallow glass dish (large enough to
- hold the halibut), whisk together half (about 3 tablespoons) of the seasoning (reserving the remainder for later use) and sour orange or
- lime juice. Rinse any ice glaze from frozen Alaska Halibut under cold running water; pat dry with paper towel. Add halibut to dish; turn to
- coat well with seasoning. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes or up to 3 hours.
- Heat barbeque grill to medium heat.
- For banana leaf packets: Tear off eight 1/2-inch strips of banana leaf, tearing with the grain, about 12 inches long. (If needed, knot two
- pieces together to achieve length.) Cut the remaining leaf into 4 sections, each about twice as wide as the fillets. Place one fish fillet
- onto center of each leaf piece. Drizzle on some of the reservedmarinade, fold the leaf over to enclose the fillet, tucking both sides
- under. Tie in each direction with a banana leaf strip. Place the packets into a steamer (a vegetable steamer placed in a large saucepan
- filled with 1/2-inch of water) and heat to boiling. Cover and boil 1 minute. Turn off heat; let stand 10 minutes, covered. Place packets on
- grill; cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes.
- For foil packets: Spray-coat dull side of foil pieces. Place a fish fillet onto each foil piece, adding some reservedmarinade over fish.
- Crimp foil edges over and roll up sides to seal. Place on grill; cook 8 to 13 minutes.
- To serve: If in a banana packet, gently open packets, fold the leaves back and under or remove from leaves, transfer to serving plate. If
- in foil packets, remove to serving plate, drizzling on juices. Serve with warm tortillas and salsa.
- *Can be found in Hispanic or specialty food stores. Substitute 1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder, if achiote is not available.
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