Trevally & taro cakes in banana leaf with cucumber, radish & chilli relish

MAKES ABOUT 30 / PREPARATION 45 MINUTES / COOKING 30 MINUTES

These tasty parcels are a great addition to a Pacific feast. They are best cooked and served immediately, though I have pre-cooked them then heated them quickly for 5 minutes in a hot oven and they were still great. Frozen banana leaves are available from Asian supermarkets. The mixture also makes great fritters if you simply want to fry in a little oil.

1 taro (about 500g), peeled and

chopped into large chunks

1 tablespoon coconut or sunflower oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

5cm piece fresh turmeric, peeled and

grated or ½ teaspoon dried

3cm piece ginger, peeled and grated

2 red chillies, finely chopped

2 spring onions, finely chopped

500g line- or purse-seine caught trevally or line-caught kingfish ½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 tablespoon cornflour

½ cup coconut cream

¼ cup chopped coriander

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice

300g banana leaves

Steam the taro for about 20 minutes until just turning tender. Cool and coarsely grate. Set aside.

While the taro cooks, heat the coconut oil in a frying pan and fry the garlic, turmeric, ginger, chillies and spring onions for about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Cut the fish into small pieces and put in the food processor. Pulse, but be careful not to over mix. Add salt, taro, egg, cornflour, coconut cream, coriander, fish sauce and lime or lemon juice to the fish and pulse to mix all together.

Cut the banana leaves into strips of 10 x 15cm. Place a heaped tablespoon of the filling at one end, leaving about 2cm each side and wrap up. Secure with two toothpicks or one large skewer.

Heat the barbecue to hot and cook for about 1-2 minutes each side until the filling is just cooked through (you could do a test on one first to see how fast your barbecue cooks them). Serve with cucumber, radish & chilli relish. CUCUMBER, RADISH & CHILLI RELISH 1 cup cucumber, finely chopped 4 radishes, finely chopped

3 red chillies, finely chopped 1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon palm sugar 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Put the cucumber, radishes and chilli in a bowl and toss with the salt. Leave for 10 minutes then add the sugar and vinegar and toss well. Leave for at least 10 minutes, or up to two days, before serving.

Many of the leaves used here are interchangeable; certainly banana leaves are very versatile as you can cut them to any desired size and they have a neutral flavour.