Vegan Fish and Chips (made of banana blossom)

Jackfruit, tofu, and seitan - there are numerous meat alternatives on the market! Fortunately, preparing a schnitzel based on kohlrabi, soy or seitan is no longer a problem. You can usually find the products reliably in supermarkets and organic food stores, and the selection of recipes is immense. But when it comes to preparing fish, the selection looks quite different. We are not talking about ready-made products from the supermarket, though, because there are now quite a few of them as you can see(here). However, products that come close to the consistency of fish and are easy to prepare at home are rare.

And now you probably know what follows. Of course, we didn't write this introduction to present you with a fait accompli. In the meantime, an ingredient has become established that can be used wonderfully in the preparation of fish: Banana blossoms. But what exactly is a banana blossom? Hold on tight, here comes a little excursion into the anatomy of the banana plant: From pictures, vacations, or documentaries, you probably already know what a banana plant looks like. Bananas grow in so-called "clusters" on a herbaceous perennial. At the bottom of these clusters, shoots are forming, on which banana flowers appear. If you look at pictures of banana plants, you can spot the banana flowers directly by their purple color. So you can think of banana flowers as corn on the cob, where many leaves also protect the inside. (source)

In Southeast Asia, banana blossoms are sold in many markets and are an integral part of curries or vegetable dishes. In European cuisine, however, they are still quite unknown. Nevertheless, you can find them in organic markets, larger supermarkets, Asian stores, or online. The consistency reminds us of jackfruit because the preparation is very similar. (Source) Banana blossoms are quite suitable as a fish substitute due to their many layers, but they taste quite neutral. So when preparing them, you should not be sparing with spices. Furthermore, we cut nori leaves into our flour breading to give the banana blossoms a slightly fishy character. You probably already know nori leaves if you like eating sushi. They are made of dried, roasted, and seasoned seaweed. You usually find them in the supermarket or Asian market in square shapes, but you can easily cut them with scissors into small pieces. (source)

Of course, we served French fries with the "fish" and prepared our own tartar sauce. If you are particularly diligent, you can even prepare the fries yourself. If you want to save time, though, just buy a package of fries and use a ready-made product for the tartar sauce. Adapt the recipe to your taste, but don't forget to sprinkle your fish with fresh lemon juice.