Liboke ya Mbisi

Ingredients

• 4 whole tilapia or sea bream, about 350 g each, scaled and gutted
• 4 large banana leaves, or 4 sheets of baking parchment plus foil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• 1 celery stalk with its leaves, finely chopped
• 2 scotch bonnet chillies, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp red palm oil, or vegetable oil
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• Kitchen string

Before you cook

• Rinse the fish inside and out and pat them dry.
• Slash each fish three times on both sides, cutting down to the bone.
• Rub the fish with the lemon juice, salt, black pepper and ground ginger, working the seasoning into the slashes and the cavity.
• Mix the onion, tomatoes, garlic, spring onions, celery, chillies and palm oil together in a bowl to make the stuffing.
• Hold the banana leaves over a low flame for a few seconds each side until they turn glossy and flexible.
• Lay a fish on each leaf, pack the stuffing into the cavity and over the top, then fold the leaf into a parcel and tie it with string.

Steps

1. Light a charcoal grill and let the coals burn down to a steady medium heat with no flames, or heat the oven to 200C.
2. Lay the parcels on the grill rack directly over the coals.
3. Cook for 12 minutes, until the underside of the leaf is scorched and smells strongly of toasted banana leaf.
4. Turn each parcel over carefully with tongs.
5. Cook the second side for 12 minutes.
6. Move the parcels to the cooler edge of the grill and cook for a final 8 minutes so the fish steams through.
7. Open one parcel at the seam and press the thickest part of the fish near the backbone to check the flesh flakes cleanly and looks opaque.
8. If it still clings to the bone, close the parcel and give it another 5 minutes.
9. Rest the parcels unopened for 5 minutes so the juices settle.
10. Serve each parcel closed and let people open their own at the table, with rice or chikwanga.