Catfish in a banana leaf.
01.10.2026
from Nadja Rauss
Catfish meets bold flavours. Local fish. Fresh herbs. A parcel packed with flavour. Max Deuker, head chef at Belétage, combines catfish with Thai basil, ginger and Traunseegarum. The pairing? A Coriander Smash by bar chef Marcus Volsa. A recipe to explore. For curious foodies and an evening worth sharing.
Local fish. A fresh perspective.
For Max, catfish is a fish with a future. He sees it playing an increasingly important role in our region’s cuisine. He also appreciates how easy it is to work with: the fillet is versatile and stays beautifully succulent when cooked with care.
In this recipe, catfish meets vibrant herbs, ginger and the savoury depth of LUVI Traunseegarum. Wrapped snugly in a leaf, it marinates overnight. The oven takes care of the rest.
The world at heart. The region on your plate.
Wrap it. Cook it. Share it.
Your timing
12 hours to marinate. Then around 20 minutes in the oven. The quantities below are for 250 g of fish.
The ingredients
For the catfish:
- 250 g skinless catfish fillet
- A banana leaf or a large savoy cabbage or cabbage leaf for wrapping
- 10 ml lemon juice for the finishing
For the marinade:
- 20 g Thai basil
- 12 g fresh coriander
- 30 g LUVI Traunseegarum or fish sauce
- 35 g ginger
- 5 g garlic
- 10 g mint
- 20 g rapeseed oil
- 70 g shallots
- 5 g sugar
Make it happen.
1. Mix the flavours.
Roughly chop the solid marinade ingredients. Combine with the garum or fish sauce and sugar. Blend until smooth using a blender or hand blender. Slowly add the rapeseed oil at the end.
2. Save some for later.
Set aside 50 g of the marinade in a separate, covered container in the fridge. You’ll use it later for a fresh finish.
3. Wrap it up.
Generously coat the catfish with the remaining marinade. Wrap it tightly in the banana, savoy cabbage or cabbage leaf. Leave the parcel to marinate in the fridge for 12 hours.
4. Into the oven.
Preheat the oven to 140 °C. Place the catfish parcel in an ovenproof dish and cook for about 20 minutes. Max specifies a core temperature of at least 62 °C for his recipe. Check this with a kitchen thermometer: the cooking time depends on the thickness of the fillet.
5. The fresh finish.
Meanwhile, mix the 50 g of marinade you set aside with the lemon juice. Carefully open the cooked parcel and pour the mixture over the catfish. Sprinkle with fresh herbs. Serve immediately.
Fancy a Coriander Smash?
Marcus Volsa’s recommendation for catfish: pisco, lime and fresh coriander. The drink picks up on the herbs from the marinade. The lime provides a fresh counterpoint to the spicy sauce.
For one drink
- 60 ml Pisco Quebranta
- 30 ml lime juice
- 20 ml sugar syrup (4:3 ratio)
- Fresh coriander
Nadja Rauss
As a career changer in the hospitality industry, I bring with me a wealth of experience in marketing, particularly in brand management and the development of holistic brand experiences. Driven by my childlike curiosity and amazement at the wonders of the world, I live by values such as appreciation, courage and friendliness - qualities that characterise both my personal life and my work at GRÖLLER Hospitality.
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