MARSHALL ISLANDS: Fried Fish and Coconut-Pumpkin Rice (Banke)

Fried Fish

1½ lbs whole, cleaned or skin-on white fish, such as parrot fish, snapper, grouper, or cod

¼ cup soy sauce

½ cup flour

1 cup coconut, canola, or vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a sauté pan or Dutch oven, heat oil to 375° F.

2. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, score fish skin on the diagonal. Lightly marinate the fish in soy sauce, salt, and pepper for 20 to 30 minutes to let the savory flavors soak in. Salt and pepper the fish liberally. Spread flour on a large plate and lightly dredge the fish.

3. Cook the fish until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

Banke

1 cup (~½-inch) cubed fresh pumpkin or butternut squash

1 cup jasmine rice

½ unsweetened coconut milk

1. Put the cubed pumpkin or squash into a small, lidded pot. Add in 2 cups of water. Place on high heat and bring to a boil.

2. Stir in the rice. Bring back to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes.

3. Stir in coconut milk and serve.

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FUN FACTS:

• The country protects roughly 2 million square miles of ocean from commercial shark fishing, making it the world's largest shark sanctuary.

• Between 1946 and 1958, the United States conducted 67 nuclear bomb tests on the Bikini and Enewetak atolls in the Marshall Islands—including the detonation of the world's first hydrogen bomb.

•  The two-piece swimsuit was named after Bikini Atoll in 1946 by a French designer who hoped it would cause an explosive cultural reaction comparable to the atomic tests there.