I love making delicious dishes from unique ingredients and this Grilled Halibut with Chili Banana Tamarind Sauce is a perfect example of an unusual combination of different flavors. Different. Not weird. Starting with pasilla chilis which have a smooth and not too spicy taste and adding bananas and tamarind paste creates an unusual sauce that is tangy, sweet and savory. Tamarind paste is an infrequently used ingredient but it adds a delicious, citrusy tang to sauces. I buy it from Amazon and it keeps refrigerated for a long time.
Pasilla chilis are dried chilis that are reconstituted in boiling water. Once the seeds and stems are removed after soaking, the ingredients for the sauce all come together in the blender in just a few minutes.
I used halibut just because I like its thickness and flakiness but you can use any meaty fish like salmon, mahi or swordfish. The fish is coated in a dusting of spices that echo the spices in the sauce. I am a big fan of layered flavors where each element of a dish complements the others. While the fish is grilling you can make quick work of a corn saute.
The grilled fish looks beautiful plated on a bed of fresh bright yellow summer corn tossed with cilantro and lime. And, when it’s topped with the wonderful sauce and garnished with more cilantro you are going to want to have a dinner party to show this off to all your friends.
Grilled Halibut with Chili Banana Tamarind Sauce
This deliciously different grilled halibut is topped with a sweet, tangy, savory chili banana tamarind sauce. No one will ever guess that the sauce contains bananas!
Ingredients
For the chili banana tamarind sauce:
- 6 Pasilla chilis also known as Chili Negro
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon Ancho chili powder
- 1/3 cup tamarind paste
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- juice of two limes
For the halibut:
- 1 ½ pounds halibut
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the corn saute:
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- 6 ears corn kernels removed
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- juice of 1 lime
For the garnish:
- Additional chopped cilantro
- 1 lime quartered
Instructions
For the sauce:
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Place the dried chilis in bowl and pour over 2 cups boiling water. Let sit for 15 minutes until softened. When cool enough to handle, remove the stem and all of the seeds. Reserve 1/3 cup of soaking liquid for the sauce.
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In a Vitamix or blender, put the chilis, bananas, cumin, chili powder, tamarind paste, oil and lime juice. Blend until the sauce is completely smooth, adding the reserved soaking liquid a tablespoon at a time until thick as pudding and spreadable. It should not be so thick that it cannot be evenly spread on the grilled halibut.
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Preheat a gas or charcoal grill.
For the halibut:
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Rub the fish with the olive oil. Blend the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle over the fish.
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Place the fish, skin side down on a sheet of aluminum foil. Place the fish on the grill and cook for 15 minutes or until the fish is cooked all the way through.
For the corn sauté:
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In a large sauté pan heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the corn and stir the mixture for 5 minutes until it is cooked. Add the cilantro and lime juice.
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To serve, spoon the corn on 4 plates and top with a piece of fish. Spread the sauce on top and garnish with additional cilantro and a piece of lime.
