Fish casserole

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 200 g white cabbage
• 5 kaffir lime leaves
• ½ bell pepper(s), red
• 500 g redfish fillet(s), alternatively cod or pollock
• 4 garlic cloves
• ½ tsp pepper, freshly ground black
• 3 tbsp curry paste, red
• 1 can coconut milk, unsweetened
• 1 egg(s)
• 4 tbsp fish sauce and two large banana leaves
• ½ tsp cornstarch

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes

Hoo Mog Plaah

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Clean the white cabbage, remove the stalks, and cut into fine strips. Blanch in boiling water for about 1 minute. Drain well in a sieve. Wash the lemon leaves, roll them up lengthwise, and cut into wafer-thin strips. Wash the bell peppers, remove the stems, white membranes, and seeds, and also cut into fine strips. Rinse the fish fillet in cold water, pat dry, and set aside about 100 grams. Cut the rest into wafer-thin, approximately 4 cm long strips. Peel the garlic and blend it with the 100 grams of fish and pepper until creamy. Stir in the curry paste. Remove 4 tablespoons of the thick part of the coconut milk and set aside. Add the rest to the fish cream and blend with the blender on the lowest speed for about 3 minutes. Add the egg, fish sauce, and most of the chopped lemon leaves to the cream and blend for another minute. Then transfer the cream to a bowl and carefully stir in the fish fillet strips. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (gas mark 2). Wipe the banana leaves and, using a bowl about 15 cm in diameter, cut 12 circles. Make four 5 cm cuts in the banana leaf circles from the edge to the center. Lift the cut edges, overlapping slightly at the sides, and secure with a toothpick. Line the banana leaf molds with the white cabbage, spread the fish mixture on top, and place them side by side in an oiled baking dish. Cook the casserole in the center of the oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, mix 4 tablespoons of thick coconut milk with the cornstarch and 4 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan until lump-free. Bring to a boil while stirring. Garnish the finished casserole with the thickened coconut milk, lemon leaf strips, and bell pepper strips, and serve.