Jamaican Brown Stew Fish Recipe

Method9 steps · about 35 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Wash the cleaned fish with the lime or lemon juice, vinegar (1 teaspoon) and as-needed rinse water. Drain and pat the fish thoroughly dry with paper towel. Keep the measured cup of sauce water aside.

   Uses 632 grams fresh firm fish, such as sea bream, cleaned and scaled · Juice from 1 lime or lemon for the fish wash, drained away · 1 teaspoon vinegar for fish wash, drained away · Water as needed for rinsing the fish, drained away; separate from sauce water

2. 2

   Step 2: Mix about 1 teaspoon salt with all ½ teaspoon ground black pepper and rub all over and into the dried fish. Keep bell pepper and sauce vegetables for later.

   Uses Complete cleaned and dried fish batch · About 1 teaspoon salt for seasoning the fish · ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

3. 3

   Step 3: Pour the measured 1 cup vegetable oil into a large frying pan that fits the fish or allows batches. Put it on the stove; this is the single frying-oil (1 cup) stock used in the next step.

   Uses 1 cup vegetable cooking oil for frying; only about 1 tablespoon left in the pan for sauce

4. 4

   Step 4: To the same pan of oil, add all 5 whole allspice berries, 1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper kept uncut and unpierced, and 2 garlic cloves cut in half. Heat until the garlic just starts to colour and the oil is hot enough to fry; keep the oil from smoking. Reserve the chopped ¼ Scotch bonnet and remaining 1 garlic clove for the sauce.

   Uses Complete measured frying oil in the pan · 5 whole allspice berries (pimento) · 1 whole uncut Scotch bonnet pepper for frying oil · 2 garlic cloves, each halved, for frying oil

5. 5

   Step 5: Carefully add the salt-and-pepper-seasoned fish to the hot flavoured oil. Fry on both sides until golden brown and crisp, working in batches if needed; set each fried batch aside. Use these same measured fish and oil stocks once across batches.

   Uses Complete salt-and-black-pepper-seasoned fish batch · Actual hot oil with whole pepper, garlic and allspice

6. 6

   Step 6: Once all fish is fried and set aside, take the pan off the heat. Remove the frying pepper, garlic and allspice berries. Drain away excess oil, leaving about 1 tablespoon of the frying oil in the same pan for the sauce.

   Uses Actual used flavoured frying oil after removing fried fish

7. 7

   Step 7: Return the pan with its retained oil to medium heat. Add all chopped tomato (56 grams), bell pepper (74 grams), onion (28 grams), scallion (23 grams) and fresh thyme (5 sprigs), plus the remaining 1 chopped garlic clove and the deseeded finely chopped ¼ Scotch bonnet pepper. Sauté about 2–3 minutes.

   Sauté sauce vegetables · 3 minUses About 1 tablespoon retained frying oil · 56 grams tomato, diced · 74 grams bell pepper, chopped · 28 grams onion, chopped · 23 grams scallion, chopped · 5 sprigs fresh thyme · 1 remaining garlic clove, chopped, for sauce · ¼ remaining Scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded and finely chopped, for sauce

8. 8

   Step 8: Reserve a little cold water (1 cup) from the measured 1 cup sauce-water stock to mix smoothly with all ½ teaspoon cornstarch. Add the rest of that same cup to the sautéed vegetables with all browning sauce (1 teaspoon) and ketchup (2 tablespoons). Simmer about 10 minutes, then stir in the prepared cornstarch slurry; no extra water or second cornstarch dose is needed.

   Simmer brown vegetable sauce · 10 minUses Complete sautéed sauce vegetables in retained oil · 1 cup water total for sauce; reserve a little cold water from this cup for the cornstarch slurry · 1 teaspoon ready browning sauce · 2 tablespoons ketchup · ½ teaspoon cornstarch

9. 9

   Step 9: Return all fried fish to the sauce. Lower the heat and simmer about 5 minutes, gently turning the fish once to coat both sides, until the fish is cooked through with opaque flesh that flakes easily and the sauce has thickened. Remove thyme stems and serve 4 portions.

   Simmer fried fish in sauce · 5 minUses Complete actual fried fish batch set aside · Complete cooked brown vegetable sauce with cornstarch slurry