In honour of Father’s Day there is only really one recipe I have to share with you. Jamaican Steam Fish. You may be wondering what beautifully tender Red Snapper fillets, perfectly crisp vegetables and aromatic scotch bonnet peppers that fascinate your taste buds have to do with Father’s Day. My dad has a collection of dishes that he cooks to perfection, and Jamaican Steam Fish is probably the one he cooks most often. Since I couldn’t be with him this year, it is even more important that I show him how special he is by dedicating this week’s post to him. Traditionally this dish is prepared using a whole fish and doesn’t include sweet potatoes but I wanted to take this traditional dish and add some finesse to truly emulate my dad. Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients, many items are optional and the method is quick and simple. Enjoy your trip to paradise with this Jamaican culinary experience.
Live, Love, Eat!
April x
- 2 Red Snapper Fillets (~8oz each)
- One sachet of Maggi Fish Seasoning (~1.5 tbsp)
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/4 onion, diced
- 1/2 cho cho (also called chayote), peeled and thinly sliced
- handful of okra (~10)
- 1 scallion, chopped
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper (if you’re afraid of heat leave it whole, if you can handle it chop it)
- few sprigs of fresh thyme (~4)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- half lemon/lime
- salt and pepper
- 5 grains of pimento (optional)
- 1/2 sweet potato, cubed (optional)
- 2 mini bammys (optional) (FYI bammy is made from cassava)
- avocado, sliced (optional)
- hot water (~2-3 cups)
- 1/2 cup of milk
- Prepare all your ingredients (this is the most time consuming part I promise). Rinse your fish fillets in water and lime juice before adding fish seasoning.
- Add sweet potato cubes to a small pot of boiling salted water, cook until tender.
- Soak bammy in milk and sprinkle with salt.
- In a saute pan, add 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, cook until onions are translucent.
- Add cho cho to the onions along with enough hot water to cover the ingredients.
- After 2-3 minutes the cho cho should begin to appear more translucent, at this point add scallion, thyme, okra, pimento and scotch bonnet, and mix. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover saute pan for a minute, before adding fish fillets on top of the vegetables and letting it cook covered for 6-10 minutes, until the centre is completely opaque. Make sure to check this pan occasionally, adding more hot water if necessary so that the vegetables do not burn.
- Once you have added the snapper, cook bammy in a lightly greased frying pan using the remaining 1/2 tbsp of olive oil. Cover it with a small pot cover and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side.
- Bammy is made from cassava.
- Do not attempt to eat pimento, they are only there for flavour, you don’t have to plate the dish with them.
Reblogged this on THE ISLAND JOURNAL.
Fun times! Thank you.
no problem.
April , just getting a chance after all these months to to take a good luck at what you have been doing with yummytruth , its great that you have continue to fallow your dreams of being a top class restauranteur, I share your obvious passion for what you are turning into a art form, I look forward to sharing the kitchen with you one of theses fine days, and hope to see you soon.
Thank you for taking the time to visit the site, I hope it will encourage you to visit more regularly. See you soon!
Boops, your snapper is nearly as good as the gloriously delicious love we share, being your father is the greatest pleasure
xoxo
aaahhh, I would have me some nice steamed snapper now. hmmmmm