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If it’s not because of this recipe, I would not be buying coffee beans. I’m quite sensitive to caffeine, so I hardly ever drink coffee. Hardly is probably not the right word to describe it as well as I haven’t drunk any coffee for the past…I can’t even remember anymore. I love the smell of coffee though. So, when I saw this recipe from the Memories of Philippine Kitchen by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan, I just had to try it. Besides, I’m a big fan of fish. It is quite a flavorful dish with all the spices, herbs, coffee beans and the banana leaf. Highly aromatic. And oh…I, surprisingly, slept pretty well. Perhaps the dose of caffeine from this dish wasn’t enough to keep me awake 😉
COFFEE-ROASTED POMPANO
Ingredients
- 1 large piece banana leaf wiped clean with a damp cloth
- 1 whole pompanos or red snapper 1 1/2 to 2 lb, cleaned
- Salt to taste
- 3 Tbsp canola oil
- 3 whole shallots
- 6 garlic cloves
- ½ stalk lemon grass trimmed, bruised and cut into 2-inch diagonal pieces to release flavor
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 whole fresh red chilies
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cardamon pods
- ½ Tbsp black peppercorns
- ½ Tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 cup whole coffee beans
- ¼ cup cacao beans optional- I didn't use it
- 1 ½ cups coconut milk
- ½ Tbsp fish sauce or to taste
- Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime or to taste
Instructions
- line a baking sheet with the banana leaves and preheat the oven to 400 F. Cut 2 widthwise slits across both sides of each fish. Liberally coat both sides with salt. Warm 1 1/2 Tbsp of the oil in each of two large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the fish until the skin is lightly browned and crisp, about 2 minutes on each side. Tip the fish, along with the oil it was cooked in, into the other pan
- In the empty pan, combine the shallots, garlic, lemongrass, bay leaves, chilies, cinnamon, cardamon, peppercorns, coriander seeds, and coffee beans. Stir over medium-high heat until the shallots and garlic are lightly browned and the mixture is aromatic, about 3 minutes
- Spread the spice mixture over the banana leaves on the baking pan and lay the fish on top. Roast, turning the pan halfway through cooking, until the fish is cooked through and soft to the touch, about 25 minutes. Transfer the fish to a serving plate and tent with foil while you make the sauce
- <img src="http://whattocooktoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/coffee.jpg" alt="COFFEE-ROASTED POMPANO" title="COFFEE-ROASTED POMPANO" width="600" height="298" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6390" />
- Transfer the coffee bean and spice mixture from the baking sheet to a large saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Add the coconut milk and simmer for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the fish sauce and lime juice, and let steep for a minute. Taste and add more fish sauce or lime juice if needed. Strain and serve over the fish. Garnish with a few of the shallots, garlic cloves, and coffee beans
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