Banana Leaf-Wrapped Snapper & Breadfruit Tostones
Chillo en Hoja con Tostones de Pana
César Pérez
•
June 4, 2025
If you ask any Caribbean person about their favorite fish, especially for a whole fish preparation, they'll almost certainly say snapper. With its mild, slightly sweet flavor and firm yet delicate texture, snapper is a versatile fish that's delicious fried, grilled, or baked. Cooking it in banana leaf imparts a subtle, earthy aroma, steams the fish to tender perfection, simplifies cleanup, and creates a visually striking presentation. Breadfruit, also known as pana or panapén in Puerto Rico, is double-fried into crispy tostones to serve alongside the fish. If you can't find fresh breadfruit, some Latin grocery stores carry pre-made breadfruit tostones in the freezer section. If all else fails, plantain tostones are just as delicious.
Ingredients (18)
Ingredients (18)
Snapper
Stuffing
Breadfruit Tostones
Instructions
Marinate fish: with a sharp knife, make three diagonal incisions on either side of the snapper (1 medium).
Place snapper into a large bowl and season with adobo (1 Tbsp), salt (to taste), and pepper (to taste).
In a mortar and pestle or food processor, process garlic (3 cloves), oregano (1 Tbsp), lime zest (1 lime) and juice (1 lime) along with a pinch of salt.
Add mixture to the bowl along with the annatto oil (1 Tbsp) (or olive oil with paprika). Rub the marinade into the fish, ensuring it gets into the slits and cavity.
Prepare the stuffing: In a small bowl, combine cherry tomatoes (¼ cup), sweet peppers (¼ cup), cilantro (1 Tbsp), salt (to taste), and pepper (to taste). Set aside the sliced lime (½) and ginger (1 1-inch piece).
Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
Lay out 2 large sheets of aluminum foil shiny side down. Place 2 banana leaves on top of the aluminum foil overlapping slightly, shiny side down. Place fish in the center of the leaves.
Stuff the cavity with the lime and ginger slices, followed by the tomato and pepper mixture. Top the fish with any remaining stuffing.
Wrap tightly in the foil and banana leaves. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily.
Cut the breadfruit: Wash the breadfruit (1) well with cold water. Trim an inch off of the bottom of the breadfruit to stabilize it on the cutting board. Slice the breadfruit in half. Lay the breadfruit cut side down.
Optionally, you can peel the breadfruit at this point by carefully trimming the skin off the same way you would a potato.
Slice each half into 6 half moons. Cut the spongy core off of each half moon and cut those pieces into 2 inch chunks.
Once all of the breadfruit has been cut, soak the chunks in a large bowl of cold salted water to remove excess starch.
Make the breadfruit tostones: In a large frying pan, heat 2 inches of neutral oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 °F.
In batches, fry for about 3 minutes per side while keeping a close eye on them ensuring they don't burn.
Remove from the oil and continue with the rest of the breadfruit. Once all of the breadfruit chunks are fried, smash them flat with either a plate, sheet tray, or tostonera.
Return to the oil for a second fry for about a minute per side.
Remove onto a wire rack lined baking sheet or paper towel lined plate and finish with a sprinkling of salt.
Place the banana leaf wrapped fish onto a large plate or platter and unwrap. Serve directly from the banana leaf and surround the snapper with the breadfruit tostones and finish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
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