Culinary Explorer
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Umu Ika (Cook Islands Earth-Oven Reef Fish)
Created by Chef Makoa
A whole Cook Islands reef fish wrapped in banana leaf, kissed with coconut and lime, and cooked slow the umukai way until the flesh lifts clean from the bone.
The first thing is the lagoon. Before the leaf, before the fire, before anybody talks about seasoning, this Cook Islands dish begins with the reef and the hands that know when to take and when to leave it alone. Umu ika means fish cooked in the umu, and in the Cooks the bigger feast is the umukai, the earth-oven meal where the hot stones, the leaves, and the people all do their part.
Ingredients
whole reef fish
Quantity
1 (2 1/2 to 3 pounds)
cleaned and scaled
sea salt
Quantity
1 1/2 teaspoons
plus more to taste
fresh coconut cream
Quantity
1 cup
or thick canned coconut cream
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| whole reef fishcleaned and scaled | 1 (2 1/2 to 3 pounds) |
| sea saltplus more to taste | 1 1/2 teaspoons |
| fresh coconut creamor thick canned coconut cream | 1 cup |
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