🇼🇸 Samoan Cuisine

I'a Umu

Earth Oven Fish

Prep Time 20 min

Servings 4

Difficulty Medium

Calories 272 kcal

Whole fresh fish seasoned with lime and garlic, wrapped in banana leaves, and slow-cooked in the traditional umu until the flesh is flaky and infused with smoky, earthy flavor.

Ingredients

1 whole snapper or similar reef fish (about 1 kg)
3 limes, juiced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 onion, sliced
200ml coconut cream
Salt and pepper
Banana leaves

Instructions

1 Clean and score the fish on both sides.
2 Rub with lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stuff cavity with onion slices.
3 Lay fish on banana leaves and pour coconut cream over.
4 Wrap tightly in banana leaves, then in aluminum foil.
5 Cook in umu on hot stones or bake in oven at 180C for 40-45 min.
6 Unwrap carefully and serve with the coconut sauce that forms inside.

Did You Know?

Samoan fishermen use traditional star navigation to find the best fishing grounds, a skill passed through oral tradition for over 2,000 years.