Mojo Banana Leaf Grouper with Fufu De Platano, Kumquats and Spinach
Ingredients
For the Mojo Grouper
2 cups fresh sour orange juice
10 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
Kosher salt, to taste
12 pieces fresh grouper fillets
12 banana leaves, rinsed
For the Fufu De Platano (plantains)
8 semi ripe plantains, peeled cut into 1/2 rounds
2 onion, small dice
8 garlic cloves, minced
6 to 8 tablespoons lard
Juice of 2 limes
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Kumquat Relish
1 cup kumquats
1 cup chopped pineapple
3 tablespoons sour orange juice
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Madeira
For the Sautéed Spinach
6 large bunches spinach, preferably Okinawan, washed and cleaned
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 oranges, zested
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Make the mojo: Combine the orange juice and garlic and blend until smooth. Pour in a bowl, whisk in the oregano and season with salt. Add the fish and marinate while you prepare the rest of the components.
Make the plantains (Fufu De Platano): Put the plantains in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil, cook until soft and drain. Meanwhile, in a sauté pan over medium-high, sauté the onions and garlic in the pork fat until tender. Add the plantains and mash. Mash in the lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Make the relish: In a small saucepan of boiling water, blanch the kumquats for 1 minute. Drain and repeat a total of 3 times . Halve the kumquats and squeeze out the pulp and seeds. Finely dice the skin. In a small saucepan, combine the kumquat skin and remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer, stir occasionally over medium heat, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Let cool before serving.
Make the spinach: Place the spinach in a large bowl. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and orange zest and sauté for 30 seconds. Pour over the spinach and toss to wilt. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook the fish: Preheat a grill to medium high heat. Remove the fish from the mojo and wrap each piece in a banana leaf to enclose. Place on the grill and grill, turning once, until cooked through, about 15 minutes total.
To serve, unwrap the fish and serve with the relish, plantains and spinach.
