Shrimp with Lime Zest Served With Potatoes in Banana Leaves

The following wonderfully creative and tasty recipe comes from Mangos chili and Z

I absolutely love this method of cooking potatoes.  I learned this trick a few years ago from a Whole Foods grilling demonstration.  After a sample of the finished product, I couldn’t get to the produce department fast enough to purchase banana leaves and potatoes.  The only place I can find banana leaves right now is at H-Mart in the freezer department.

Banana leaves are used as a kind of wrap in Thai cooking. Banana leaves not only look beautiful, but also lend a subtle aroma and taste when foods are cooked inside them.  They can be used for grilling,  baking, or steaming foods. While functioning as a wrapping material, they also lend a hint of flavor to your food that is very pleasant.

With our mountains as a backdrop, it gets dark in Denver around 4:30 p.m. these days.   I usually use the grill for this recipe,  but with our dark days, baking works just fine.

Potatoes in Banana Leaves:

• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 6 medium potatoes peeled and thinly sliced, preferably with a mandolin
• Salt and pepper
• Ementhaler Cheese
• olive oil
• 1 banana leaf (thawed if not fresh)

Lay the banana leaf on a buttered baking sheet.  I also sprayed the top of the banana leaf with Pam.  Scatter potatoes and onion on the leaf.  Toss with a bit of olive oil. Generously add salt and pepper and grated Ementhaler Cheese.

Fold and make a packet with the leaf and secure with toothpicks.  Bake 350 degrees 30 minutes.  (Depending on the thickness of the potatoes, you may need to bake up to 40 minutes.)

This photo is steamy rather than blurry.  When you first open up the packet, the steam and flavor pleasantly hit you right in the face.

I served the potatoes with an easy and delicious shrimp dish that I prepared in advance.  I love this recipe.

Shrimp Salad with Lime Zest:

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 6 cups cold water
• 2 1/2 lbs medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 3 Tbs heavy cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 Tbs fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
• 1/4 cup finely diced celery
• 2 Tbs finely chopped dill
• 1 Tbs thinly sliced garlic chives
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water.

2. In a large bowl, dissolve the kosher salt in the water. Add the shrimp and let stand for 30 seconds, then rinse well. Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook until firm and pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the shrimp and transfer to the ice water to cool. Drain again and pat dry.

3. In a bowl, beat the cream until stiff. Whisk in the mayonnaise, lime juice and zest, and stir in the celery, dill and chives. Add the shrimp and toss well. Season with table salt and pepper and serve.

Make Ahead.  The shrimp salad can be refrigerated for up to 5 hours.  Serves 4.