Jamaican curried fish with rice and beans

This Jamaican inspired dinner caught my eye when sifting through my bookmarks of “comfort foods for the winter” collection.  Ever since our trip to Jamaica this past February, I try to incorporate more of the Jamaican cuisine in our menu rotation.  We were so fortunate to have actually learned some of the dishes hands-on at a local home when we visited. I did blog about Jamaica and the cooking experience on two separate posts on Safari of the Mind.  If you are new to the blog or have not read about it yet, do browse through it in my travel section. It was an unforgettable experience and might just prompt you to take a trip there this winter.

The fall and winter months brings a whole new excitement in my kitchen.  I love to try an array of cuisines from around the world, I forever joke around with my husband and tell him that he’s the lucky recipient of my trials in the kitchen, which is a good thing really.  Ever since the introduction of my blog, I feel a need to widen my cooking repertoire and introduce new recipes and cuisines which I’ve done in spades I like to think.   I love fish and this meal went down a treat in our home.  Rice and peas are usually served with most meals, cabbage is also a very popular side in Jamaica.

• Servings: 4
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Ingredients

• 4-6 pieces firm white fish
• 1 onion
• 1 large tomato chopped
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• small bunch coriander
• couple stalks of thyme leaves removed
• 1/2 Scotch Bonnet chili chopped
• 1 cup fish stock
• 4 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp Jamaican curry powder
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil + extra for frying the fish
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 1 spring onion chopped

Instructions

1. Place the fish in a large bowl with the salt and pepper, tomato, spring onion, 1/2 the onion, the red pepper, scotch bonnet, thyme leaves, 1 tbsp of the curry powder.
2. Mix together gently, then cover and marinate in the refrigerator for an hour.
3. Place the flour on a plate and heat a few inches of vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium-high heat.  Place each piece of fish in the flour to coat and then into the hot oil for 2-3 minutes on each side.  Place the fish pieces to drain on a paper towel lined plate.
4. Heat the 2 tbsp of oil over a medium heat and add the rest of the onion and garlic and cook gently for a few minutes.  Add the rest of the curry powder followed by the marinade you used for the fish and 1 cup of fish stock.  Cook for 5 minutes or until the fish flakes when tested with a fork.  Garnish with chopped coriander and spring onions.

 

Quick, easy and a positively comforting weeknight meal.