Immediately after posting the Island Style Chicken Strips Recipe, I started receiving requests for a fish version. A fish nugget recipe which will help encourage kids and picky eaters to give fish a try. When I hear people talk about hating fish and their only experience are those frozen fish sticks heated in an oven or microwave, I’m discouraged as I know that is not a good measuring-stick for fried fish. To achieve what I believe are the ultimate fish sticks or nuggets, we’ll start off with a wonderful Caribbean herb marinade, then dip the seasoned pieces of fish in a modified tempura batter, before frying them until they are golden brown.

You’ll Need…

1 lb Sole (any white fish)
1 teaspoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon peppersauce

Veg oil for frying

Batter ingredients:

1 cup carbonated water (chilled)
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour (+ flour for dusting)
1 scallion (green part)
1/4 teaspoon curry powder (optional)

If you’re using previously frozen fish (I used Sole) as I did, make sure to squeeze the pieces to remove the excess water they are frozen in. Cut into bit sized pieces and get ready to season. Go in with the Caribbean Green Seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper and peppersauce (or finely diced scotch bonnet / your fav hot sauce). Give it a good mix and let it marinate for 5-10 minutes.

Place all the ingredients for the batter in a bowl and whisk (try to have the carbonated water as cold as you can get it – beer will work great as well). Now set up a work station. Seasoned fish, batter and flour.

Heat the vegetable oil on a med/high flame, then take a piece of the seasoned fish (leave the marinade on it for max flavor), dust it in the dry flour and then dip into the batter. Gently add to the heated oil. Fry 2 -4 minutes on each side – until golden brown. Then place on a wire rack or paper towels to get rid of the excess oil from frying.

As you take the pieces of fried fish out of the oil, you can sprinkle on a tiny bit of sea salt (if salt is your thing).

Serve warm – with some ranch dressing (or your fav dipping sauce for fish) or as we do in our home, with some homemade peppersauce and ketchup. Personally I like making sandwiches with these wonderful pieces of battered fried fish, but they just as good with fresh cut fries. Maybe in the coming weeks I’ll share my KILLA seasoned fries recipe with you all.

Gluten Free Seafood

Simple Recipe For Tasty Salmon In The Oven.

December 27, 2014December 27, 20144 Comments

Island life is closely connected to the ocean as well as the land on so many levels. Like the fresh herbs,vegetables and fruits we’re blessed with, the Caribbean Sea is packed with some the most delicious fish and seafood known to man. However when it comes to Salmon, it was more of a Good Friday dish and usually the salmon came in the form of a can (or “tin salmon” as it’s known). But if you’ve ever had stewed or curry salmon (yes the same stuff from the can) done the Caribbean way.. lets just say you’ll be amazed! Living in North America means fresh salmon is readily available in most supermarkets, so this is one of my go-to recipes when Tehya (shes the only one who really deals with the fish and seafood) and I get a hankering for baked salmon.

* You will notice that this is isn’t necessarily a “Caribbean” recipe, but I thought I’d still share it so you have some variety in your fish recipes repertoire. If doing this recipe gluten free do go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

You’ll Need…

2 salmon steaks
1/2 white onion (sliced)
1 cup chopped grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped chives
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 sprigs dill
4 slices lemon

* Parchment paper

In a small bowl place the chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and black pepper and give it a good mix. Now tear off a large piece of parchment paper and in the middle drizzle on 1/2 the remaining olive oil, then layer on two lemon slices, a few onion rings and a sprig of dill. Place one of the salmon pieces on top of it and pour on 1/2 the tomato mixture we made.

Carefully wrap the fish as a package and try to seal it so the salmon steam cooks in its own juices and with the flavour ingredients we added to the parcel. If you want you can add additional black pepper and salt on top of the fish before sealing the parcels. Do the same of the next piece of salmon, then place them in an oven proof dish (you can add a bit of cooking spray or veg oil in the bottom of the dish)

Heat your oven to 375 F and place the dish on the middle rack. After about 15-18 minutes the salmon should be fully cooked (depending on how thick they are). Now you can personalize this by adding a bit of scotch bonnet pepper to give it a wicked kick and you certainly cook it longer if you so desire. But salmon (like all fish) can go dry and have a sort of cardboard texture if its overcooked.

There are so many flavors going on here in this simple baked salmon dish, I dare your kids and picky eaters not to enjoy this one. Well, unless they are Indy and Kieana who refuse to eat any fish but their grandmother’s fried King Fish, dipped in ketchup. They’ve been eating that ever since they could eat solids as toddlers.

Gluten Free Seafood

Festive Saltfish Buljol Recipe.

May 28, 2025December 9, 20146 Comments

This being the holiday season I thought I’d take a classic recipe for making saltfish buljol and put a little festive spin on it, to serve at your holiday party or to take with you as you visit family this holiday season. We’ll follow the same basic rules of making traditional saltfish buljol (basically a fish salad) and add a few other ingredients to help balance and brighten up the overall flavors of this classic dish. You’ll notice that I did post this under the gluten free recipe section, but do keep in mind that you’ll need a gluten free bread or cracker to serve these on, to meet with your complete gluten free dietary needs.

You’ll Need…

2 cups prepared salted fish (cod / shredded)
2 scallions (green part only)
1 cup diced mango
1 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced tomato (seeded)
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 lemon (juice)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 sprig thyme (chopped)
2 birds eye pepper (bird pepper) seeded and diced

The first step is to prepare the salted cod – place in a deep pot with cold water, bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for about 20 minutes (you can watch this video : How To Prepare Salted Fish For Use. Then drain, rinse with cool water and flake/shred. This process removes the majority of the salt (or it will be too salty) and rehydrates the fish. I would recommend using deboned salted fish as it makes for less work. But do remember to still be on the lookout for tiny bones as you flake the fish after boiling. Tip – after preparing the saltish, you can add it to a food processor and give it a couple pulses to get a lovely shredded texture.

Basically all you have to do now is dice the mango, tomato (please remove the seeds), scallion and cucumber. If you want to add more pizzazz to the dish you can also add some chopped grapes or pineapple.. or basically any firm fruit you like.

It’s all about assembling now. In a large blow place all the ingredients and gently fold together so you keep the shape of the mango and any tender fruit you use. I would then allow this to marinate for about 30 minutes, then top on your favourite cracker or bread.. in my case I used slices of French Baguettes. Another great idea would be to use lettuce leaves as wrappers and scoop some of the buljol in the middle and wrap them like spring rolls.

You’ll notice that we didn’t add any salt to this dish as the remaining salt from the salted cod (or whatever salted fish you use) will be enough to season this dish. Be carefully when handling the hot pepper and be sure to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after. I would not recommend assembling these (on the bread etc) until you’re about to serve it as the bread or cracker will go a bit soggy after about 30 minutes.

Gluten Free Seafood

Curry Conch Recipe (conch curry).

May 28, 2025November 16, 20142 Comments

This recipe takes me back to my childhood days when my brother and I would go scavenging for conch (small and large black snails) in the rivers and ravines surrounding our small village (Guaracara). So to be clear, these are not the ocean conchs that’s turned into salads, soups and stews, especially in the Bahamas. It was like a treasure hunt for us, looking between roots, rocks and other debris in the water to find these. Good Times!

Luckily I across these in the frozen section of the Asian market we shop at, so I now have the opportunity to share this curry conch recipe with you.

You’ll Need…

1 lb conch (cleaned and cut into pieces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1/2 medium onion
2 tablespoon veg oil
5 cloves garlic
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (adjust to your liking)
3 cups water (boiling)
2 scallions
1 tomato

Important: In the Caribbean we wash all meats and sea food with lime or lemon juice before seasoning/cooking, but in this case DO NOT do so. Instead rub with a bit of plain flour and water, drain and rinse. The acid from the lime or lemon juice will cause the conch meat to go really tough and no matter how much you cook it, it will not go tender. Also, if doing this recipe according to a gluten free diet, pay attention to the curry powder you use as some manufacturers add flour to the mix and it will not meet your gluten free dietary needs.

Wash and season the conch (cut into 1 inch pieces) with the salt, black pepper, Caribbean Green Seasoning, Scotch Bonnet and a bit of grated ginger (optional – not mentioned in the ingredient list). Give it a good mix and allow it to marinate for a couple hours in the fridge.

Heat the oil on a medium flame in a deep sauce pan (one with a lid) and go in with the diced garlic and onion – turn the heat to as low as it would go and let it cook for about 3 minutes. Then add the curry powder (heat still on low). This step we’re toasting the curry powder to release the flavors of all the spices which make up the curry powder. Cook for about 4 minutes, so you won’t get a raw curry taste when the dish is done cooking. It will go grainy, them clump and go darker and your house will have that lovely aroma of curry! Add a bit more veg oil if you find it’s starting to burn.

It’s now time to raise the heat to high and go in with the seasoned conch and stir well. Place the lid on the pan and bring to a boil. As it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer, stir well and let it go for about 10 minutes. It will spring it’s own natural juices.

Now it’s time to really infuse the conch pieces with the curry, so turn up the heat to high and cook off all that natural juice which you see in the pan (lid off). It may take about 3-5 minutes. Go until you see the oil at the bottom of the pan, then go in with the boiling water and bring back to a boil. it’s important to use boiling water or again the conch will go tough.

Once it comes to a boil (we need patience now) reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, have the lid slightly ajar and let that go for about 1.5 to 2 hours. Yes it does take a while to go tender (this is VERY gamey). Remember to stir every 10 minutes or so.

After you’ve achieve the sort of tenderness you like, taste for salt, then turn up the heat to thicken the gravy. In most cases you’d find that traditionally curry conch is cooked dry (no gravy). The last 5 minutes of cooking is when you’d go in with the chopped tomato and scallions to give the dish a bit of color. You can even add a bit of chopped shado beni or cilantro if you like.

In my case I left it with a thick gravy as I was having this with steamed rice.

Looking back I can also remember mom would never want us to go unsupervised to the river and we would always get into problems with her. UNTIL we figured out how she knew when we went o the river and ravines – our legs would be dry and dirty from the muddy water. So we started taking coconut oil with us to use as lotion after playing in the river. BTW.. we never ate the conchs we’d catch and even today curry conch is not my thing.

Gluten Free Seafood

The Ultimate Garlic Shrimp Recipe.

November 2, 2014October 21, 20148 Comments

In the Caribbean we have an abundance of wonderful seafood in our waters, including some of the most tasty shrimp you’ll ever enjoy. Sadly, I don’t recall this dish ever being made by mom or as a matter of fact.. I had never seen it done on the islands when we were growing up. However this is a go-to recipe for me when I need my shrimp fix! The natural sweetness of the garlic and the creamy texture you get when you add the chilled butter, is just outstanding.

You’ll Need…

1 lb medium shrimp
pinch salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon chilled butter
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (flat leaf)
1 scallion
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
2 heaping tablespoon diced garlic
pinch black pepper

Side Note: For this recipe I used organic garlic which I secured form a local farmer here in Hamilton and I must admit (been using the same garlic since) that without any doubt.. this is the BEST garlic I’ve ever used. Fleshy, sweet and a unique overall garlic flavor. You can use any garlic you have (fresh) access to, but getting organic garlic is well worth the effort (and price).

You’ll be surprised how quick and simple this recipe is to put together. Chop the scallion and parsley and finely dice the scotch bonnet pepper as well as the garlic. Clean, devein and wash the shrimp and drain dry.

Heat the oil in a heavy/wide saucepan on medium heat and go in with the cleaned shrimp. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Remember to stir so the shrimp cooks evenly. Now add all the other ingredients except the chilled butter and cook for two minutes. We DO NOT want to burn the garlic, so stir well.

Turn the heat off (or on very low) the heat and add the chilled butter, stir as you do so you get a rich and creamy sauce.

The diced scotch bonnet pepper (remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers) is optional, but I quite like the slight kick you get to balance the natural sweetness from the shrimp and garlic. Yes, that gentle 2 minute cooking will allow the garlic to take on a gorgeous sweetness.

This gluten free (use gluten free butter – read label) is best served hot/warm and goes well with pasta and on toasted bread as a sandwich. Tehya and I had had them on ‘hops‘ bread.

Gluten Free Seafood

The Ultimate Grilled Stuffed Peppers.

November 17, 2014October 7, 2014Leave a Comment

This past summer our annual Month Of Grilling was a huge success with fans around the world. One of the featured recipes this year was the grilled stuffed peppers, where I played around with some classic “Caribbean” ingredients to achieve what I believe is a delightful way to do stuffed peppers. Though this recipe was done on the grill, you can easily prepare it in your indoor oven with great success.

You’ll Need…

5 bell peppers
3 cups cooked rice (long grain parboiled brown)
2 scallions (chopped)
1/2 medium onion (diced)
1 cup shredded saltfish (salted cod, prepared)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (diced fine)
1 tomato (diced/seeded)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
1 tablespoon parsley
2 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

IMPORTANT: Use boneless salted cod and still check to make sure there are no bones as you prepare the salted fish.If you’re doing this recipe gluten free, please pay attention to the cheese (and every ingredient listed) you use as if it’s processed it may have trace amounts of gluten.

* NOTE : To learn how to prepare the salted cod, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-4xn6sFpIQ

Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the core (seeds etc) and give them a wash and turn over on paper towels to dry. Dice the onion, scallions and tomato into same size pieces. Then finely chop the parsley, thyme and scotch bonnet pepper. Remember to not include any seeds from the scotch bonnet and wash your hands immediately after with soap and water after handing it. Grate the cheese and set aside. You’ll need to precook the rice in salted water.. I used long grain parboiled brown rice.

Above I have a link to a video showing how to prepare the salted fish (cod in my case). Soak in cool water, then place in a pot topped with water and boil for about 20 minutes Drain, rinse with water and shred. The goal is to remove most of the salt the fish is cured in and to re-hydrate the fish.

Heat the olive oil in a deep pan on a medium/low heat, add the diced onion, 3/4 of the scallion, thyme, black pepper, parsley and tomato cook for about 3 minutes on low. Then add the salted cod and cook for another 2-3 minutes. The cod is fully cooked, but we want to get the rich flavors from it in the stuffing.

Allow the filling to cool a bit, then mix it with the cooked rice in a large bowl. Then add 3/4 of the grated cheese, mix well and get ready to stuff the peppers. As mentioned I did these on the grill so I opted to use my cast iron pan to grill these on. Basically all you have to do is drizzle on some oil (or use cooking spray) and place the peppers on there to be stuffed. TIP: If you find that the peppers don’t sit evenly on the pan, you can cut the bottom of them so they level off.

As you grill heats up, top each pepper with a bit of the cheese and scallion we reserved.

Grill indirectly for about 30-40 mins.. be sure to turn the peppers so they cook evenly. My grill was set at about 375 F, the lid was covered and if you’re wondering.. indirect simply means the pan was not directly over the heat source of my grill.

If you’re doing these gluten free stuffed peppers in the oven – 375 F on the middle rack and I would recommend covering with tin foil to start, then remove the foil the last 5 minutes of cooking so you get those lovely charred edges. If you want you can also hit the broil setting for 2 minutes.

I do hope you’re liking the fact that we’re now featuring Caribbean type gluten free recipes (thanks for all your emails). I encourage you to be creative with the stuffing.. even if it means using 2-3 different types of cheese!

It’s important to note that I didn’t use any salt in this recipe as the remaining salt from the salted fish will be enough to season this perfectly. But you can always taste the stuffing and adjust accordingly. If you want you can dice the bell peppers we trimmed off (top) and add it to the stuffing or you can use them as a lid for presenting these tasty stuffed peppers at your dinner party.

Gluten Free Seafood

Jamaican Callaloo With Shrimp.

May 26, 2025September 12, 20143 Comments

As I’ve discussed in my Cookbook, there’s much debate in the Caribbean when it comes to callaloo. In the southern Caribbean it’s a delicious soup-like dish made with young dasheen bush leaves, flavored with crabs (for the most part) and simmered in coconut milk. However in Jamaica, callaloo is the bush or plant (amaranth) which is prepared in several different ways, but most popular is Jamaican Callaloo With Saltfish.

In this version of cooking Jamaican callaloo ((amaranth, chorai bhagi), we’ll bypass the salted fish and go with some precooked shrimp. However you can certainly use fresh shrimp for even more flavor.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs Jamaican Callaloo
1 tablespoon Coconut Oil (or olive)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (your fav salt)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup small shrimp (pre cooked)
1/2 cup water
1 medium tomato diced
1 scallion
2 sprigs thyme

Wash, trim and chop the callaloo into ribbons. If using some of the stem, do try to use the tender ones and try to scrape of some of the outer skin. Thinly slice the garlic, chop the onion, scallion and tomato and finely dice the scotch bonnet pepper.

Heat the oil in a wide pan on a medium flame, then go in with the onion, garlic, black pepper and scallion. Drop the heat to low and let that go for about 3-4 minutes.

It’s now time to add the shrimp (if using frozen-precooked shrimp, wash and squeeze to remove most of the water) , stir well and cook for another 3 minutes. Yes the shrimp is already precooked, so you can easily add them near the end, but I quite like adding them now to enhance the flavor of the dish. If using fresh shrimp, cook for about 3 minutes, then remove them from the pan and set aside. Add back the last 3-4 minutes of cooking.

Turn the heat up to medium high and go in with all the other ingredients (not the water or lemon juice yet) and stir well. It may seem at first that your pot is not large enough, but the callaloo will wilt down. After a couple minutes, add the water and cook until tender.

After about 10-12 minutes, taste for salt and adjust accordingly. Here is where you’ll personalize this dish by checking to see if you like the current texture of it. Some people like their Callaloo very tender, while other like a slight bit of texture to it. In my case it was close to where I like it, so I went in with the lemon juice and turned up the heat to burn off the remaining liquid in the pan.

The lemon juice will help balance the flavors of this dish and quite honestly elevate it. This dish (please review all the ingredients) can be considered gluten free and if you want to add a bit more flavor you can use coconut milk as a replacement for the water. Not the classic Jamaican callaloo with Saltfish or Chorai bhagi with saltfish as we would call it in Trinidad and Tobago, but I assure you… you’ll love this take on cooking Jamaican callaloo.

Gluten Free Seafood

Taro With Stewed Saltfish Caribbean Comfort Food.

May 26, 2025August 12, 20142 Comments

After seeing the price of dasheen at the market, I opted for the much cheaper taro as I had a craving for what we call ground provisions, in the Caribbean. Dasheen, yams, eddoes, sweet potato and cassava all fall under the ‘ground provisions’ umbrella – also known as ‘food’ in Jamaica. The taro is very similar to our beloved dasheen, the main difference being it’s white in color (when peeled) and a bit milder in taste.

You’ll Need…

2-3 lbs taro (dasheen)
1/4 teaspoon salt
water for boiling the taro
2 medium tomatoes
3 scallions
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
2 cloves garlic
3 sprigs thyme
3-5 tablespoon olive oil
pinch black pepper
1 onion
1 cup shredded saltfish (salted cod)

To learn how to prepare the salted cod (any dry salted fish) watch this video (click): How To Prepare Saltfish.

Do wear gloves or coat your hands with some vegetable oil as the sap/starch from peeling the taro can cause some irritation to your hands/fingers. Using a sharp knife or potato peeler, remove the other skin off the taro (discard). Also remove any blemishes and cut off any previously cut areas (like the stem area) to expose the fresh interior. Cut into 2 to 3 inch pieces and place in a pot covered with water on a high flame. As it comes to a boil add the salt , turn down to a rolling boil and cook until tender. Taro cooks faster than dasheen, so in about 10-15 minutes it will be fully cooked. Pierce with a sharp knife and if there’s no resistance you know it’s fully cooked.

Drain and set aside as we get to the next step of the recipe..stewing the saltfish!

Prepare the salted fish by boiling in water, drain, rinse with cool water and shred (watch the video mentioned above). Then slice the onion, garlic, scallions and scotch bonnet pepper. Remember you can use more or less scotch bonnet pepper and do wear gloves when handling them (wash your hands with soap and water immediately after).

Heat the olive oil on a medium flame (large sauce pan) and go in with the shredded salted fish. Let that cook for about 3 minutes (low heat) before adding the onion, garlic and black pepper. Cook for another 3 minutes, then add the thyme.

After 2 minutes add the tomato, scallions and cooked taro. Stir well and cook for another 3-5 minutes to infuse the taro pieces with the stewed salted fish.

We didn’t add any salt to the stewing of the salted cod as the residual salt from the curing process will be enough to season this dish. If you want you can also add some bell peppers for extra flavor and vibrancy (with the colours). Besides being very delicious, this dish can be considered gluten free as well.

Do serve warm.. btw this is a one-pot dish!

Seafood

Sweet Potato Crab Cakes Recipe.

November 18, 2014May 15, 20146 Comments

If you’ve priced or purchased crab meat from the fish market or grocers you’d know how expensive the stuff can be, so making crab cakes can be a bit hard on your pocket. My love for crab cakes is deep, so I came up with this recipe for using canned crab meat which is very inexpensive. With the fresh herbs, the slight kick from the finely diced scotch bonnet pepper and sweet (and creamy) undertones of the sweet potato, you’ll be quite pleased by these budget friendly crab cakes.

You’ll Need…

1 can crab meat (120g)
pinch black pepper
1 tablespoon mayonaise
1 cup bread crumbs
1 lb sweet potato
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon chopped parsely
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (diced finely) – no seeds
1 scallion diced
1 cup veg oil for frying

Notes: You can use 1 egg to bind everything if you find the batter is overly wet or soggy. Remember to drain and squeeze the crab to get rid of water and please don’t don’t use immitation crab nor expensive lump crab.

Peel and cut the sweet potatoes in half, then boil in salted water until tender. To know if they are fully cooked, pierce with a pairing knife and if there’s no resistance it means they’re cooked. Drain and mash in a deep bowl. As the mashed sweet potato cools, you can finely dice/chop the other ingredients.

It should be cool now, so go in with all the ingredients, except the crab meat and bread crumbs… mix well.

Fold in the crab meat, then chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes so everything firms up a bit. Now roll into balls (golf ball size), after-which you’ll need to roll the balls in the bread crumbs, pressing down gently so the crumbs hold on.

Heat the vegetable oil on medium (olive oil will give it a good flavor as well) in a wide pan, then press down on each crab cake ball to form a sort of patty.

All you have to do now is fry them on each side until golden brown, drain on paper towels and enjoy!

I would suggest that after forming the patties that you place them in the fridge to chill and firm up a bit so they hold their shape while frying. These sweet potato crab cakes goes well with the garlic sauce I shared a while back or you can opt for a ranch dressing you’d normally get at the supermarket.

Seafood

Herb Crusted Basa Fillet Done The Caribbean Way.

November 18, 2014April 22, 201411 Comments

Herb crusted what? I’ll be first to agree that during my childhood days in the Caribbean, you’d never come across such a recipe. But the new generation of chefs and home cooks are experimenting with great success. We had fish four ways growing up.. fried, curry, stew and in fish broth (pronounced broff). Mom was a traditionalist and her dishes reflected the mentoring she got from her mother and aunts before her.

Basa (Pangasius bocourt, similar to catfish) is one of the most inexpensive fish you can get in our city at the various Asian markets and the good part is .. they are fillets. So you don’t have to worry about bones especially if you want to get your children eating fish.

You’ll Need…

2 Basa Fillets

Herb crust…

2 slices of bread (white bread with crust removed)
1 tablespoon parsley
1 scallion
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme (fresh)
dill optional
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

dressing…

1 1/2 tablespoon mayo
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
pinch salt
pinch fresh ground black pepper

* You’ll also need about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Remember to wear gloves when handling scotch bonnet peppers (wash your hands with soap immediately after) and don’t use any of the seeds.

Remove the crust off the bread (and break into smaller pieces) , give the scotch bonnet, scallion and parsley a rough chop and remove the tiny leaves off the thyme stem. Add it all to a food processor and blitz until you have a crumbly consistency. Add in the salt, melted butter and grate in some lemon zest. Pulse a couple times and get ready to dress the fish.

Wash and pat the basa fillets dry with paper towels, then drizzle on some olive oil on a parchment lined baking tray and place the filets on it (no oil on the fish itself). The oil will add subtle flavor and prevent the fillets from sticking as it cooks in the oven. Add a bit more oil if using tin foil instead of parchment paper. Preheat your oven at 375 F.

As the oven comes to temperature lets give the fish some more flavor and help keep it moist when it’s done doing it’s thing in the oven. In a small bowl mix all the ingredients mentioned for the dressing, then lather it onto both pieces of fish.

I simply used the back of a spoon to paste this creamy sauce over the Basa fillets. Now it’s time to get crusty! Pour half of the herb crust we made over each fish and gently press down on it so it holds on the creamy dressing.

In the 375 F oven, middle rack for about 15-20 minutes.. depending on how thick your fillets are and how well done you like your fish.

Not you conventional Caribbean fish recipe, but I assure you it’ will be a ‘go-to’ recipe the very first time you give it a try. The herb crust will certainly stand out and the fish itself will be tender and moist from that lovely dressing we started off with.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. Oh yea! Leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated!

Gluten Free Seafood

Simple Oven Jerk Fish Recipe.

November 8, 2014April 14, 20149 Comments

With Easter around the corner I’ve had several requests for fish recipes, so I thought I’d share a simple technique for making Jamaican style jerk snapper (fish), but with store bought jerk marinade and in your oven. I agree that making your own jerk marinade is much better and using a grill with coals and pimento wood is what true Jamaican jerk is all about. However this is all about convenience and exciting flavors.

You’ll Need…

2-4 lbs Red Snapper
1/2 lime or lemon (for washing the fish)
1 heaping tablespoon of jerk marinade (use gluten free for the gluten free version)
1 tablespoon orange juice
pinch salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon veg oil

* Use your favorite store purchased jerk marinade.

Scale, trim (gut) and wash the fish with the juice of 1/2 lime or lemon.. rinse with cool water and pat dry. Cut two slits on the back (both sides) of each fish to allow for the jerk marinade to penetrate and do all-kinda good things. Stuff the cavity of each fish with a bit of thyme and scallions (bruise or crush with your knife to release the flavors) and sprinkle a bit of salt and black pepper.

In a small bowl mix the jerk marinade (use your fav) and orange juice, then brush it onto both sides of each fish. Try to get some in the cuts we made. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate in the fridge for about 1/2 hour (max 1 hr as the marinade will start to cook the fish after that).

Now preheat your oven to 400 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Drizzle on the veg oil so the fish won’t stick as it does it’s thing in the oven. Set the baking tray on the middle rack in your oven and let it go for about 15 minutes. Then flip over and cook for another 8-10 minutes. This depends on how thick your fish are and how well done you like your fish.

There you go, a simple but exciting jerk fish done in your oven.. no need for an outdoor grill. Remember if you’re serving this to kids be mindful of the bones of the fish. If you decide to use fish fillets, try to get some with the skin still on and reduce the cooking time (again, depending on the thickness of the fillets) by about 1/2.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. Oh yea! Leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated! Important, do read the label of the jerk marinade you use to ensure it meets with your gluten free dietary needs.

Gluten Free Seafood

Coconut Curry Mussels Done The Caribbean Way.

November 24, 2014March 18, 20144 Comments

Very much like the ‘Curry Lobster” recipe I shared a while back, Mussels is not something you’ll find normally being prepared in the Caribbean, unless it’s at one of the many high end restaurants we have catering to a mainly tourist clientele. This curry mussels recipe is basically my take on a shellfish which is readily available in Canada.. where we presently call home. I’m sure you’ve heard of PEI mussels!

You’ll Need

2 lbs mussels
1 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoon curry powder (use gluten free)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 Shallot (minced)
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 large tomato diced
3 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 scallion
1 cup beer – optional
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil

Note: I like using a good Caribbean lager beer… like Carib! But you can use any beer you enjoy. I used my fav madras curry blend out of the Caribbean, but you can certainly use whichever curry you enjoy. If doing this recipe gluten free, do ensure that the curry powder has no flour filler to meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Mussel Tip! Their shells should be tightly closed when you buy them, or they should close when you tap them. They will open their shells to try and cool themselves off as they cook, so no open shells at the end of cooking means they were dead to start, and probably not safe to eat.

See the tip above for selecting your mussels. Wash under cool water, remove any debris or strings attached to the mussels and get ready to cook. Dice the tomato, scallion, garlic and shallot. Remember to wear gloves when handling the scotch bonnet peppers, wash your hands immediately after with soap and water and don’t include any of the seeds of the pepper.

In a wide saucepan heat the oil on a medium flame, then add the shallot and garlic. As we’ve done in other curry recipes, turn the heat down to low to help gently cook the garlic and shallot for that exciting base of flavor.

After about 3-4 minutes, go in with the curry powder (low heat still) and cook for another 3 minutes. This will toast the curry to really bring out the flavors of the spices which make up the curry blend. Then add the diced scallion, turn up the heat to high and go in with the mussels.

Top with the finely diced scotch bonnet pepper, coconut milk, salt, tomato, black pepper and beer (stir well). Bring to a quick boil and cook for about 4-5 minutes (until the mussels open).

I like to finish this off with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (not mentioned in the ingredient list as it’s a personal choice) and top with the chopped cilantro. The sauce will be thin compared to other curry dishes we’ve prepared before, so don’t think it’s soupy and a mistake. Get some good bread and tuck in for real flavor.

The sauce will be thin compared to other curry dishes we’ve prepared before, so don’t think it’s soupy and a mistake. Get some good bread and tuck in for real flavor.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. Oh yea! Leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Seafood

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Festive Saltfish Buljol Recipe.

Curry Conch Recipe (conch curry).

The Ultimate Garlic Shrimp Recipe.

The Ultimate Grilled Stuffed Peppers.

Jamaican Callaloo With Shrimp.

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Taro With Stewed Saltfish Caribbean Comfort Food.

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Sweet Potato Crab Cakes Recipe.

Herb Crusted Basa Fillet Done The Caribbean Way.

Simple Oven Jerk Fish Recipe.

Coconut Curry Mussels Done The Caribbean Way.

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