jamaican fish recipe Archives

There’s always the call for more fish recipes from fans of my work and I really wish I could share others. While lake and river fish (what I call sweet-water fish) are very accessible in Ontario, I’m not a fan of them. I find that they lack flavor and the texture tends to be very mushy. And YES, I can secure ocean or salt water fish at the different West Indian and Asian markets, but most days they’re VERY expensive. I don’t mind paying the price eh.. however I’m the only one in my home who eat the stuff, so logically it makes little or no sense to spend the money. The only fish my daughters will eat is their grandmother’s fried King Fish. Hopefully I can get Zyair on the fish train soon.

You’ll Need…

2 red snapper (about 3/4 lb each)
8 sprigs thyme (divided)
4 scallions
1 medium onion (sliced)
1 medium tomato (diced)
2 cups fish stock
1 teaspoon sea salt (divided)
1 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
8-12 okra (trimmed)
1/2 yellow bell pepper (chopped)
1/2 orange bell pepper (chopped)
5 cloves garlic (smashed)
2 tablespoon Olive oil
1 lb pumpkin (large cube)
1 medium christophene aka chayote, chocho (sliced)
1 lemon (divided)
1/2 lime
2-4 tablespoon coconut cream
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
8 Pimento berries (allspice)
2 bay leaves | 1 tablespoon tomato concentrate puree
1 carrot (small) (julienne)
2-3 tablespoon parsley (chopped)

Notes. I encourage you to personalize things according to your likes and be as creative as you like. If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary requirements (especially the fish stock you use). May I recommend you use the video below as a guide when preparing the recipe in the event you have any further questions not covered in this recipe post.

VERY IMPORTANT! – Lovingly called “steamed”, but in fact it’s somewhat simmered in liquid and not technically steamed. Here is my truly Steamed Fish Recipe.

Wash, chop and generally prep all of the ingredients.

Clean and wash the fish with cool water and the juice of the lime, then make a cut across the belly (thickest part – both sides) of each fish to allow for even cooking and for the flavors to go deep within the flesh later. Season with the 3/4 of the salt and 1/2 of the black pepper (in and out), then stuff the cavity with 1/2 of the thyme and 1 scallion each. I explained why I don’t use all-purpose seasoning in the video below.

Most recipes online will tell you to start with butter, but being mindful of salt, saturated fats etc, I opt for olive oil. In a wide pan on a medium heat add the oil, followed by the onion, remaining thyme, bell peppers, remaining black pepper, scotch bonnet pepper, allspice berries (aka pimento seeds), bay leaves and the remaining salt (you may adjust later on). Turn the heat down to low and cook for 2-3 minutes.

It’s now time to add the pumpkin, carrot and Christophene and mix well. After 2-3 minutes, make space in the center of the pan and add the tomato paste. Yes this is not an ingredient traditional to the recipe, however with my tested application I can tell you with certainty it works well. Making that space in the pan means the tomato paste will be in direct contact with the hot pan, thus the natural sugars in the tomato will shine through with the caramelization.

After 2-3 minutes stir everything well, turn the heat up to medium and add the fish stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and allow it to cook for about 7 minutes. As it comes to a boil add the remaining scallions, garlic and coconut cream. Reduce to a simmer.

It’s now time to tuck the seasoned fish into the pan as well as the tomato and okra. With the okra (say ochro) you’ll want to trim off the stems and I like to also trim off the pointy ends. Try your best to tuck everything into the liquid in the pan as best you can. You’ll want to try and spoon on some of that liquid onto the fish before putting a lid on the pan.

I used a pan which I didn’t have a lid for, so I used a cookie sheet to cover the pan. Should that fail, use foil to make a temporary lid.

Depending on the size of the fish you used, in about 10 minutes they will be fully cooked. As you turn off the stove be sure to spoon on some more of that liquid on the bottom over each fish. Keep in mind that the residual heat in the pan will continue cooking the fish. Top with the lemon juice and chopped parsley!

A classic fish dish out of the Caribbean, with it’s origin being Jamaica but with versions found throughout the region.

Oven Roasted Sardines.

March 22, 2016March 22, 2016Leave a Comment

It’s kinda funny that in the Caribbean we quickly reach of a can of sardines more often than taking advantage of the abundance of fresh sardines from the Caribbean sea. It’s probably a convenience thing, plus if you ever had to clean sardines you’d know that it’s a bit time consuming (and smelly). Admittedly I’m a HUGE fan of tin sardines.. done with thinly sliced onion, tomato and scotch bonnet peppers.. with a bit of freshly ground black pepper, lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil.

You’ll Need…

1 lb sardines
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
1 scallion
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon
3-5 birds eye pepper

* If doing this recipe gluten free be sure to go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Finely chop the scallions, garlic and parsley. If you’re concerned about the raw heat from the bird’s eye pepper (say bird pepper in the Caribbean), you can leave them whole and the natural oils from the skin will be released as they roast in the oven.

Try to get the people at your fish market to clean and gut your sardines.. or be prepared for a bit of a mess as you scale and remove the innards. Rinse with lemon juice and cool water and drain dry. Then cut two shallow slits at the thickest parts of the belly (both sides). This will help the flavors to really penetrate.

Drizzle a bit of the olive oil on the bottom of your roasting pan, then place the sardines and go in with the other ingredients. Mix well. Top with the lemon juice and the rest of the olive oil. I like placing a few slices of lemon between the fish as well. Allow this to marinate for about 15 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 375 and then place the baking pan on the middle rack. Roast for 10 minutes.

To really intensify the flavors, I then crank up the oven’s heat to ‘broil’.. which is about 500 F and give it another 4-5 minutes. Then get ready to enjoy an amazing gluten free, fish dish unlike the canned stuff we normally reach for.

You can certainly do these on your grill, or if you wanted you can even dust then in flour and fry in vegetable oil until crisp. Remember if you’re doing the fried version it will NOT be gluten free, unless you use a gluten free flour.

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!

Seafood

Curry King Fish.

November 12, 2014September 7, 201236 Comments

A while back while doing one of those internet “20 Questions” I was asked “what would be your last meal?” and without even blinking my eye I said “my moms curry king fish”. Every winter before our parents head back down to the Caribbean to revel in that wonderful Caribbean sunshine, it’s my dad’s job to search out a huge King fish at the local Asian grocery stores and mom’s chore, is to ress ah curry on it.

My dad is very picky when it comes to choosing the ‘right’ King fish, so he starts his search about a month in advance. Maybe I’ll get him to share his tips with us in a coming video in the Food FAQ channel. After making a huge pot of curry king fish, she them place a slice along with some of the rich gravy into freezer containers (yup, we have special containers just for this yearly tradition) and they’re then sent down to me to last the winter. That woman’s curry fish is absolutely divine and though I’ve tried, I’ve never been able to really duplicate her recipe as she does.

You’ll Need…

4 slices King Fish (about 1.5 lbs)
1 onion
1 tomato
1 tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
2 cloves garlic
3 leaves shado beni (or cilantro)
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup water
4 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoon veg oil
oil for frying the fish
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup bell pepper (optional)
1 scallion (green onion/spring onion)
1/2 teaspoon amchar masala

Notes: You’ll need the juice of half a lime or lemon to wash the fish as it’s typically done in the Caribbean. The King fish slices will have a center bone, so do let your guests know when serving. The bell pepper is not a traditional ingredient, but I’m making use of it before it goes bad in my fridge.

To make your own amchar masala, toast the following in a dry frying pan… 4 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp black peppercorns, 1 tsp whole fennel seeds, 1 tsp brown mustard seeds, 1 tsp fenugreek seeds and then grind in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.

Wash the slices of King fish with the juice of half a lime or lemon and some cool water, drain and set aside as you chop the onion, scallion, garlic, tomato and scotch bonnet pepper. As we’ve discussed in the past try not to use any of the seeds in the scotch bonnet of you don’t want that raw heat, remember to wear gloves if you’ve sensitive skin and don’t forget to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling them. Give the shado beni a rough chop as well and set aside for later.

Place the fish slices in a large bowl and season with the salt, black pepper, tomato, scallions, scotch bonnet pepper, amchar masala, 1/3 of the curry powder, 1/2 of the onion, green seasoning and bell pepper if you choose to use it.

Seal the bowl with some plastic wrap and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 1 hour. After which it’s time to quickly fry each slice of fish as part of this tasty curry fish recipe. I basically had a small station set up. The seasoned fish, a plate with the flour, the oil for frying (about 2 cups veg oil) and a wire basket lined with paper towels to drain off extra oil after frying.

Shake off any extra marinade on the fish, then dust in flour and place in the hot oil. Be gentle when placing the fish in the hot oil, so it doesn’t splatter and burn you. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes (until you start getting a bit of colour) as we don’t want to overcook the fish. We will be cooking it further when we create the curry sauce. Place the fried pieces of fish on the paper towels to drain as we create the tasty curry sauce.

In a deep saucepan, heat the 2 tablespoon of veg oil on med/high heat, then toss in the remaining half of the onion and garlic. Reduce your heat to low and let that gently cook for a couple minutes. You should have a nice flavor base started at this point, so it’s time to toss in the remaining curry powder (I used a madras blend from the Caribbean) and stir well. It will start to go darker and grainy. Stir and allow to bloom for 3 minutes! Your kitchen should have that ‘wicked’ scent by now. It’s now time to empty all the marinade (chopped stuff) into the pot and give it a good stir. Turn your heat to medium and bring to a boil. In the same bowl you had the fish marinating, add the 1 cup of water to is and swish it around to pick up any remaining marinade.

Pour in that water into the pan and bring to a boil and allow to simmer for about 3-5 minutes to allow all those flavors to marry and make good things happen in that pan.

It’s now time to gently add back the pieces of fish to the pot to help complete the curry fish dish. I simply used my hands to do this part as I didn’t want the fish to fall apart and I had to shake the fish pieces so they would make it among the lovely sauce. Allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes and if you can.. flip the pieces of fish. If not, spoon some of that curry sauce all over the fish as it simmers away.

The sauce will start to thicken up, the fish will be infused by all the wonderful flavors we created and your curry fish will now be ready to serve. Rice, roti, ground provision.. even on it’s own, this curry fish will be a hit! As you turn off the stove, top with the chopped shado beni (or cilantro) and place the lid on the pan. The remaining heat will heighten the natural flavor of the shado beni and it will add a lovely undertone.

Note: Remember the sauce will thicken further after it cools down and the residual heat form the pan will also contribute to this, so don’t worry if the sauce seems a bit runny at first.

Admittedly this is an excellent curry King fish, but it’s nothing as scrumptious as the curry fish our mom makes… among other things.

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

Jamaican Style Escovitch Fish.

November 12, 2014July 14, 201261 Comments

This Jamaican style escovitch fish takes be back 21 years, when my friends and I would head down to Toronto to shop for records (remember 45’s and 33’s?) for our aspiring DJ business. That trip usually had us end up in the Jamaican community on Eglinton Ave where there were not only many record stores selling the latest dancehall tracks from Jamaica, but quite a few restaurants where we would get our curry goat, rice and peas and this lovely escovitch fish.

Over the years I’m had the opportunity to sample escovitch fish from many sources (even in Jamaica), but I have to admit that this recipe I’m about to share is as classic as it gets and I’m sure you’ll be quite please with the results.

You’ll Need…

1 Red Snapper (about 2 lbs)
1 scallion (green onion/spring onion)
3 sprigs thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 lime
Vegetable oil for frying (about 1 cup)

Sauce….

3/4 cup vinegar
1/4 teaspoon allspice (see note below)
1 large onion
1 carrot
1 cup green pepper
1 scotch bonnet pepper
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon white sugar

Notes: I used the entire scotch bonnet pepper (including seeds). You can control the heat by using less and by not including the seeds. Typically pimento berries (allspice) are used in the sauce, but all I had available is the ground allspice. By adding the sugar it really balances the escovitch sauce, so though it may sound strange.. give it a try. If you don’t have a lime for washing the fish, you can use the juice of a lemon or a couple tablespoons of vinegar.

Clean and trim your fish even if your fishmonger already scaled it, do pass a knife over it to ensure there are no scales. Then pour the juice of the lime over it, give it a massage, then rinse with cool water and pat dry. Then using a sharp knife cut a couple slits across the belly of the fish (both sides) as you see in the picture below. This will allow for faster cooking and to help the salt, black pepper as well as the escovitch sauce to really infuse the fish.

Using the back of your knife hit the scallion to bruise it a bit to release it’s flavor, then fold it and tuck into the cavity of the fish. Also add the springs of thyme.. we want to perfume the fish from the inside as it cooks. Now rub the salt and black pepper onto the fish (both sides) and get ready to fry.

Make sure to pat your fish dry after you washed it as I mentioned earlier, or you will have a lot of hot oil splattering when you start the frying process. Heat the vegetable oil on a medium flame, then gently add the seasoned fish to the pan. Allow this cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until you have a nice golden colour and crisp outside. You’ll need tongs and a fork or spoon to flip the fish.. do be careful as we’re working with hot oil.

Remove from the pan and place on paper towels to soak up some of the excess oil

Next up it’s time to put the escovitch sauce together. Julienne the carrot, sweet pepper (use different colours if you like) and chop the onion and scotch bonnet pepper (slice thin.

In a saucepan add all the ingredients for the sauce, then place on medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Allow this to simmer for 3-5 minutes.. basically until the onion and sweet pepper (bell pepper) gets a bit tender. Here’s is where you can personalize this sort of pickle a bit. I like my sauce with a bit of crunch so I cooked it for 3 minutes.. you can cook for longer if you wish.

I know the average person from the Caribbean reading this recipe will shake their head thinking.. “vinegar”? Vinegar is not something we use or like in foods in most of the Caribbean (except for washing meats). But I assure you that the raw taste of the vinegar will be infused with the lovely flavors of the pimento (allspice) and the vegetables we add. The hint of sugar will also give it a sort of sweet and sour kick, which works well on the fish.

Place the fried snapper on a platter and pour the excovitch sauce all over it.. enjoy! You can store any remaining escovitch sauce in the fridge for a couple weeks.

Back in those days we never had enough money to get a fish each, so it usually meant sharing a plate with each other… the little extra money we had went to getting the latest Shabba Ranks record. Good times for sure! My good friend still does the DJ thing (he’s very passionate about music) and have made it into a huge business for him.

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.

jamaican fish recipe

Steamed Red Snapper (fish).

Oven Roasted Sardines.

Herb Crusted Basa Fillet Done The Caribbean Way.

Curry King Fish.

Jamaican Style Escovitch Fish.

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