Cinco De Mayo : Splendor in the Leaves : Techniques: Cooking food wrapped in leaves and husks may be trendy in U.S. restaurants, but it’s been a basic method of Mexican cuisine for hundreds of years.

During one of my prolonged visits to the States this year, a friend treated me to dinner at a trendy restaurant in New York’s Greenwich Village. On the stylish menu I spotted a red snapper fillet steamed in banana leaves. Just thinking about it, I was suddenly and magically transported home to Mexico.

The bright lights and loud music quickly faded; there I was at one of the simple Veracruz restaurants where I have often savored this precise dish. I could feel the sand between my toes and the velvet embrace of a tropical night. And I could just taste the succulent steamed fish and tangle of sweet onions tucked inside the emerald-green package on my plate.

Cooking in leaves may be trendy stateside, but it has been a basic method of Mexican cuisine for hundreds of years. Ancient cooks discovered early the many culinary virtues of leaves and husks. First and foremost, these natural wrappers prevented food from burning and helped retain natural moisture and flavor. This was important because everything was cooked without lard and depended largely upon the uneven heat of open fires. (Europeans introduced lard as a cooking medium much later.)

Ancient cooks also knew that leaves and husks added flavor to their food. Whether spit-roasting an entire turkey in banana leaves or steaming delicate trout in fresh corn husks, they found that the wrappers literally perfumed meat and fish with their subtle flavor. Smaller bundles also served as convenient portable meals for hunters and tradesmen who spent long days away from home. Even the ancients had their version of “fast food.”

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From our humblest homes to Mexico City’s most sophisticated restaurants, natural wrappers continue to play a key role in the Mexican kitchen. We use them to make tamales (those ubiquitous corn masa dumplings most often wrapped in corn husks) and a whole universe of meat, fish and vegetable dishes. We love using leaves and husks as much for their special cooking qualities and flavor as for the dazzling presentation they make at our dining tables.

The leaves we choose to cook with often depend upon what is grown nearby. For example, in the state of Oaxaca and on the Yucatan Peninsula, cooks prepare tamales with locally grown banana leaves instead of corn husks. They fill these plate-sized beauties with such hearty fare as turkey in lusty black mole sauce, roasted pork or virtually any treasure caught from the sea.

Because banana leaves are large and quite durable, they are particularly wonderful for roasting meat and fish. Homey restaurants on both coasts use them for steaming freshly caught fish, which are then sprinkled with lime juice, cilantro and chiles. The Yucatan’s Mayan cooks wrap entire baby pigs in banana leaves and roast them under the sand until the meat falls right off the bones. In my kitchen, these leaves and others help me prepare healthful, low-fat chicken and fish dishes because steaming cuts the need for heavy fats and oils.

When it comes to adding flavor, few leaves can rival the hoja santa, a heart-shaped beauty with an exquisite anise taste and velvet-like surface. Because of its assertive flavor, hoja santa is best when wrapped around such subtly flavored foods as fish, chicken and cheese. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to find in Los Angeles.

One of my favorite preparations comes from the state of Tabasco, where chunks of sea bass are wrapped in hoja santa and served in steaming bowls of herb broth. In our cities, chefs wrap hoja santa around prawns, fresh mozzarella cheese and even scrambled eggs flecked with black truffles.

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The avocado leaf, which is easier to find here, is another favorite in the Mexican kitchen, both as a wrapper and as an ingredient in moles and soups. However, only the leaves of mature trees boast the distinctive flavors of anise and bay leaf for which they are loved, so don’t be tempted to pluck the leaves off your house plants!

There are numerous places where you should be able to find natural wrappers in Southern California. Corn husks are sold at Latino and Caribbean grocery stores, as well as at an increasing number of gourmet specialty shops. You can often find banana leaves at these same locations, as well as at Southeast Asian and Filipino stores. These and the hoja santa leaf (as well as other Mexican ingredients) are also available through mail-order houses, such as El Aficionado, 2365 N. Quincy St., Arlington, Va. 22207, (800) 622-4317.

When cooking with leaves, be sure to wash them thoroughly and cover them with a moist kitchen towel while you work. Folding each package takes a bit of practice, so be sure to buy enough to allow for errors. If you are not confident about wrapping or don’t have the time, you can achieve similar results by steaming food between two thick layers of leaves in a casserole, Chinese bamboo steamer or double boiler.

If you’re watching fat and calories, you’ll want to add this recipe to your file. If you don’t have time to prepare the broth, the fish bundles for this dish are also perfectly delicious on their own.

SEA BASS STEAMED IN GREENS

18 large Swiss chard leaves

6 (1/2-pound each) thick sea bass, salmon, pompano or red snapper fillets

Salt, pepper

1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 small green peppers, finely chopped

2 Caribe chiles or 2 Anaheim chiles, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups cilantro leaves with stems

1 pound plum tomatoes, finely chopped

Aromatic Fish Broth

Line large steamer, Chinese bamboo steamer placed over wok or double boiler with layer of 6 Swiss chard leaves. Wash and dry remaining 12 leaves. Lay leaves out in pairs, with edges of each set slightly overlapping. Place 1 fish fillet in center of each pair of leaves and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mix onions, garlic, green peppers and chiles in bowl. Then sprinkle evenly over fish. Drizzle fish lightly to taste with olive oil. Cover each fillet with some cilantro and tomatoes. Fold leaves around fish and wrap each bundle in foil to make sealed pouch. Place pouches in steamer, making 2 layers. Cook covered over medium heat until fish is moist but flaky, 10 to 15 minutes.

Ladle Aromatic Fish Broth into 6 deep soup bowls. Remove fish bundles from foil pouches and float 1 in each bowl. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

347 calories; 1,397 mg sodium; 133 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 41 grams protein; 2.59 grams fiber.

Aromatic Fish Broth

8 cups fish broth or clam juice

10 Swiss chard leaves, chopped

1 1/2 cups chopped cilantro

2 jalapeno chiles, chopped

2 cups chopped onions

4 large cloves garlic, chopped

6 whole allspice

Salt

Heat 6 cups fish broth in large saucepan.

Meanwhile, puree Swiss chard, cilantro, chiles, onions and garlic with remaining 2 cups broth in blender until smooth. Strain twice to remove any large solids. Add mixture to broth and boil 8 to 10 minutes. Add allspice and season to taste with salt.

This healthful and delicious Mayan dish is best when the chicken is marinated overnight.

YUCATAN CHICKEN

IN BANANA LEAVES

6 banana leaves, washed and dried

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved

Achiote Marinade

4 to 5 red onions, thinly sliced

4 to 5 tomatoes, thinly sliced

4 bay leaves

4 guero chiles, thinly sliced (also known as banana peppers)

1 cup chicken broth

Place 3 banana leaves in bottom of large oven-proof casserole. Rub surface of leaves with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place chicken breasts on top. Pour Achiote Marinade over chicken.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove onions from pan and place over chicken. Add tomato slices to pan and saute briefly on each side. Place tomatoes over chicken. Crumble bay leaves over top. Distribute sliced chiles evenly over entire surface. Pour chicken broth into pan.

Cover with remaining 3 banana leaves. Run 2 kitchen strings underneath bottom layer of banana leaves and tie securely at top. Cover dish with foil and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight.

Bake chicken breasts at 350 degrees 35 to 45 minutes. Remove strings and top leaves. Serve very hot with fluffy white rice and fried beans. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Each serving, based on 8 servings, contains about:

526 calories; 673 mg sodium; 72 mg cholesterol; 45 grams fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams protein; 1.41 grams fiber.

Achiote Marinade

4 ounces achiote paste

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons ground marjoram

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground paprika

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/3 cup grapefruit juice

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup orange juice

Combine achiote paste, cumin, marjoram, pepper, chicken bouillon powder, garlic, paprika, olive oil, vinegar, grapefruit, lemon and orange juices in blender and process until well blended.

FISH TAMALES

8 thin grouper or red snapper fillets

Salt, pepper

Tamale Stuffing

48 fresh corn husks, whole, plus 8 fresh husks sliced into thin strips

Poblano Chile Sauce

Season both sides of fillets to taste with salt and pepper. Spread 1/8 of Tamale Stuffing on one side of each fillet and roll up each into neat bundle.

Open 6 corn husks flat, with edges overlapping to form continuous surface. Place 1 fillet in center. Cover fish with Poblano Chile Sauce and fold husks over it, wrapping well and tying closed with thin strips of husk. Do not use all of sauce. Repeat process until there are 8 packages.

Place tamales on steamer rack lined with foil. Cover and steam until tender, about 20 minutes. Do not overcook, and do not let boiling water come in contact with fish tamales.

To serve, place fish tamales on individual dishes. Unwrap and cover each with Poblano Chile Sauce. Serve remaining sauce in bowl. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

662 calories; 637 mg sodium; 137 mg cholesterol; 58 grams fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 20 grams protein; 1.85 grams fiber.

Tamale Stuffing

3/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 medium onions, sliced

6 poblano or Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, sliced into strips and soaked in salted water 15 minutes, then drained

Salt, pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 cup creme fraiche

Heat butter and olive oil in saucepan. Add garlic and saute until light-brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add onions and saute until transparent, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Add chile strips and cook over low heat 20 minutes.

Season to taste with salt, pepper and allspice. Add creme fraiche and cook, stirring, until thick and creamy. Remove from heat.

Poblano Chile Sauce

1 1/2 cups fish stock

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic

2 medium onions, sliced

8 poblano or Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, sliced into strips and soaked in salted water 15 minutes, then drained

1 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

1 1/2 cups half and half

1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in little water

Salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup butter, cut up

Heat fish stock in saucepan over high heat until reduced by half.

Heat oil in separate saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until brown. Discard garlic. Add onions and saute until brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chile strips and cook over low heat 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in reduced fish stock. Add creme fraiche, half and half, dissolved cornstarch, salt to taste and pepper.

Cook and stir over medium heat until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Keep warm in double boiler. Add butter and stir until melted.