Lemongrass-grilled Mako Shark with Sticky Rice and Roasted Banana-Mint Sauce
Sticky rice forms a bed for grilled shark fillets. The fillets are marinated in a mixture of lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and citrus before they are grilled. The roasted banana sauce is an unusual choice, but adds to the Pacific Rim flavors in the dish.
Ingredients
- Sticky Rice
- Thai sticky rice - 1 cup
- Water - 6 cups
- Marinade
- Lemongrass stalks - 6, white part only, finely chopped
- Fresh Ginger - 2 teaspoons, minced
- Chili Paste with Garlic - 1 teaspoon, minced
- Limes - juice of 2 limes
- Lemons - juice of 2 lemons
- Orange - juice of 1 orange
- Asian sesame oil - 1/2 cup
- Roasted Banana-Mint Sauce Base
- Bananas - 4
- Sesame Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Star anise pods - 6
- Fresh Ginger - 4 tablespoons, grated
- Lemongrass - 2 stalks, white part only, chopped
- Sake - 5 cups
- Mirin or Sweet sherry - 2 cups
- Fresh Cilantro - 1/2 cup, minced
- Plain rice wine vinegar - 2 tablespoons
- Peanuts - 2 tablespoons, toasted and chopped
- Fresh mint - 4 tablespoons, shredded
- Lettuce Leaves - 4, oak leaf
- Red ogo or other seaweed (optional) - 1 cup
- Green Onions - 4, green part only, cut into julienne
Instructions
To prepare the rice: Soak the rice in the water overnight.
To prepare the marinade: In a medium bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients. Add the fillets, cover, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or up to 12 hours.
To make the sauce base: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Peel the bananas and coat them with sesame oil. Roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Dice the roasted bananas into 1/4-inch pieces. In a large pot, combine the remaining sauce ingredients and cook over medium heat to reduce by half. Strain the mixture. Add the bananas to the strained sauce. Set aside and keep warm for at least 30 minutes; this allows the banana flavor to be infused.
To finish the rice: Drain and rinse the rice. Place in a medium saucepan and add water to cover 1 inch above the rice. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, swirl the rice, and cover. Lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. When the rice is ready it will be stuck together and translucent. Set the covered pan aside and keep warm.
Meanwhile, remove the fillets from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking. Light a charcoal or wood-burning grill. Just before serving, drain the fillets and cook over a medium-hot fire for 2 minutes per side, to desired degree of doneness.
To serve: Place some sticky rice in the center of each plate and sprinkle with the toasted peanuts. Place a shark fillet on top of the rice. Stir the mint into the sauce and pour the roasted banana sauce around the rice. Garnish with lettuce leaves, seaweed, and green onion julienne.
