Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine - April 2022

COMPASS FAVORITE RECIPES
Authentic Caribbean
Ways with Fish
Fish: healthy, delicious, versatile and traditional, it’s
the protein dish of choice across the Caribbean, served
any time of the day.
Escoveitched Fish goes back to colonial times. It is
similar to ceviche, except that the fish is fried and
then pickled — a way of preserving foods in the days
before refrigeration. Now it’s popular breakfast or
brunch treat.
Fish Broth is also popular at breakfast, and has a
reputation as a powerful hangover cure
and aphrodisiac.
Note: When a traditional Caribbean recipe says “fry,”
it means fry. This is no time for any namby-pamby
sautéing. It doesn’t mean, however, that the fish
should be overcooked or dry, just sealed and perhaps
a bit crisp on the outside.
Grenadian chef Desmond Thomas has shared the
following time-tested local recipes with us, which we
know you will enjoy!
Escoveitched Fish
3 pounds fish, sliced in half-inch thick slices
(recommended: kingfish, snapper, jack, dorado
or marlin)
juice of 2 or 3 limes or lemons
4 teaspoons black pepper and
4 teaspoons salt, combined
1/2 cup oil for frying
2 cups cane or malt vinegar (white or brown)
2 large onions, sliced thinly
1/2 Scotch Bonnet pepper, cut in strips, or 1/2
teaspoon dried Tabasco pepper
1 teaspoon pimento seeds or whole allspice
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Wash fish thoroughly in water to which the juice of
limes or lemons has been added. Dry thoroughly.
When absolutely dry, coat the fish on both sides with
the combined salt and black pepper and set aside on
paper towels.
Heat oil in a frying pan and fry fish on both sides
until nice and crisp. Set fish aside in a deep Pyrex dish
or other non-reactive bowl.
In a saucepan, combine vinegar, sliced onion,
pepper, pimento seeds (or whole allspice) and whole
black peppercorns and bring to a boil. Simmer until
onions are tender. Remove from fire and cool. Pour
over fish and leave to steep overnight.
Fish Chowder Caribbean
1 pound fish fillets (fresh or frozen)
3 slices bacon, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped sweet pepper
2 cups diced potatoes
3 cups boiling water
1 green hot pepper, whole
2 teaspoons salt
pinch of sugar
1/4 cup cubed pumpkin
1/4 cup rum
dash of Angostura Bitters
2/3 cup evaporated milk
Chopped parsley to garnish
You can use all one type of fish for this chowder, or
a variety. Cut fillets into chunks about an inch and a
half square.
In a deep saucepan, sauté bacon until crisp, and
then add butter, onion, sweet pepper, potatoes, water,
whole pepper, salt and sugar. Cover and boil gently for
10 minutes, until potatoes are almost tender.
Add fish, pumpkin, rum and bitters. Cover and
simmer for 10 minutes more. Remove the whole hot
pepper. Add evaporated milk and reheat but do not
allow to boil. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve hot.
Yields 6 to 7 Cups.
Fish Broth
1 small onion
1 medium-sized tomato
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium-sized red fish (snapper), cleaned
and sliced
4 cups water
salt to taste
1 lime
2 tablespoons Angostura Bitters
Chop onion and tomato, combine with grated ginger,
crushed garlic, bay leaf and thyme, and fry lightly in
butter, avoiding browning.
Add fish pieces, water and salt to taste. Heat to
boiling, lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove bay leaf.
Add lime and bitters. Adjust seasoning with salt and
pepper if necessary. Serve hot.
Calypso Fish
1 pound fish fillets
herbs and/or spices of your choice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup coconut milk powder
1 egg
1 cup crushed cornflakes
1 cup crushed pineapple (canned or fresh),
thoroughly drained
Oil for frying
Wash fish fillets, pat dry, and season with herbs
and/or spices, black pepper and garlic. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix coconut milk powder with
egg. Set aside. With fingers, combine crushed
cornflakes and drained crushed pineapple in another
medium bowl.
Dip fish fillets into coconut powder mixture and then
coat with crumb-and-pineapple mixture. Fry coated
fillets for about three minutes on each side depending
on thickness, or until golden brown. Drain on paper
towel and serve immediately.
Yield 4 servings.
Poached Fish with Orange Sauce
4 fish fillets (fresh or frozen)
1 medium cucumber
1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
1 cup orange juice
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
Thaw fish if frozen. Rinse fish and dry with paper
towels. Measure thickness of fish. Set aside.
Chop enough of the cucumber to equal 1/2 cup.
Slice the remainder. Set aside.
In an ungreased 10-inch skillet, stir together orange
peel, juice, carrot and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil,
reduce heat.
Add fish fillets. Cover and simmer for 4 to 6 minutes
per half-inch thickness of fish or until the fish flakes
easily when teased with a fork.
Place sliced cucumber on a platter. Use a slotted
spatula to transfer fish to platter atop cucumber
slices. Cover with foil to keep warm.
For the sauce, in a small bowl, stir together the
cornstarch and water. Stir into the mixture in the
skillet. Cook and stir until the mixture is thickened
and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Stir in
the chopped cucumber. Spoon the sauce over fish.
Classic Creole Fish
6 tablespoons oil, divided
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 hot green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 3/4 Cups chopped tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon crushed allspice
Juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons Angostura Bitters
4 small red snappers
2 tablespoons seasoned flour
For the sauce, heat half the oil in a frying pan. Add
garlic and hot green pepper and cook for 2 minutes,
then add the tomatoes, bay leaves, allspice, lime juice,
hot pepper sauce and salt. Cover and cook gently for
15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Coat the fish in seasoned flour. Heat the remaining
oil in a large frying pan and fry the fish on both
sides until just cooked through. Serve the fish with
the sauce.
These recipes first appeared in the April 2016 issue
of Caribbean Compass.
APRIL 2022 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 31
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