We’ve discussed how as a child on the islands, I (and my siblings) gave mom ‘hell’ when she tried to get us to eat fish. Now I’m thousands of kms away from the ocean (I only like ocean fish) and it’s now that I crave fish and seafood on my plate. Poor woman tried her best back then, but we were just stubborn kids I guess. I’ll give mommy a big hug and apologize when I visit her next week… hopefully she won’t mind making her famous Curry King Fish for me.
You’ll Need…
2 lane snapper (about 2-3 lbs total)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 shallot (sliced thin)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger (grated)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 chive tops
baby bell peppers
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lemon (juice)
Important: If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the Soy Sauce, which you will need to replace with a gluten free version like Tamari.
Have your fish monger clean, gut and trim the fish if you don’t know how to do so. Wash with cool water and some lemon juice and pat dry… set aside as we make the marinade.
Combine the olive oil, salt, black pepper, ginger, shallot, garlic, soy sauce and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk well.
With my fish clean, I cut two slices down the thickest parts of the belly (both sides) to help the marinade penetrate the flesh of the fish. Then in the same baking dish I would use to roast the fish off in the oven, I poured the marinade over the fish. Then using my hands I worked the marinade into the cavity of the fish as well as into the cuts I made. TIP! Line your baking dish with parchment paper for easy clean-up after. Marinate for 10 minutes. Nothing more or you risk having the lemon juice cook the fish.
I found some baby bell peppers in the fridge so I went in with a few and to help perfume the dish as it roast in the oven, I tucked the chive stems/glowers between the fish. You may top the peppers etc with a tiny bit more salt and black pepper if you wish. (I did)
Into a preheated 400F oven on the middle rack. It will take between 18-24 minutes to cook fully, depending on the size of the snapper you use. BTW just about any fish will work with this recipe. There’s no need to cover the baking dish as you want to help develop a lovely golden color on the fish and peppers. Plus if you were to cover with foil, it may cause the dish to go soup-like and we don’t want that.
Feel free to drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil as you take it out of the oven.. or maybe some fresh lemon juice? With Easter around the corner, I’m sure your family will appreciate this fish dish come Good Friday.
Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2
