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    BLANK » Recipe Index » Caribbean Dishes

    Caribbean Stewed Fish (Paleo, Gluten Free + Low Carb)

    Last Updated January 9, 2023. Published March 28, 2020 By Charla 24 Comments

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    Delicious fish is cooked down in creole sauce
    Delicious fish is cooked down in creole sauce

    This Caribbean Stewed Fish recipe is so flavoursome it's a seafood lovers dream. Whole fish is marinated, baked in the oven and then cooked down in a creole sauce. The ultimate weeknight dinner or make it the perfect crowd pleaser.

    Two fish in a skillet

    When it comes to seafood I'm quite partial to two things - shrimp (or prawns as the Brits call them) and fresh fish.

    Myself and my family consume fish throughout the year but for some reason you will find us going overboard with copious amounts of fish during the month of April.

    With Easter just around the corner I just had to pay homage to my roots with showcasing this Caribbean stewed fish dish.

    Many people find fish intimidating to prepare but in the Caribbean it is very commonplace to cook up a whole fish for example some Jamaican Steamed Fish.

    Moreover, you might even be in luck and be served a whole fish to eat all by yourself. Some people find that excessive but for me it's perfectly normal.

    Although this recipe has a lot of ingredients to it I can promise you it's very simple to bring it all together.

    It's a case of applying the dry rub to the fish, baking it and then preparing the sauce to accompany it, then serve.

    Fish on a silver platter

    Cleaning the fish

    No one likes to clean fish I know I don't. I don't have a step by step tutorial for how to gut fish because I usually ask the fish mongers to do it for me.

    Although I am quite capable of doing so thanks to my mother and grandmother I rarely do it these days.

    If you do not care to scale and gut a fish of your choice then have your fish monger do this for you.

    Alternatively.......

    • Use  a dull knife to descale the fish. Rake the knife from the tail to the head using a quick pushing up motion
    • Make a shallow incision under the fishes belly from the tail to the head
    • Use the knife or a spoon to scoop out the innards (internal organs)
    • Remove the eyes/fin (some people like to leave the eyes)

    You can also check out this post which includes how to clean a variety of meat including fish.

    Neutralizing the fish

    It is customary to clean fish and poultry prior to applying any seasoning.

    You can do so using the any of the following;

    • Lime
    • Lemon
    • Vinegar
    • Salt

    You can use lime/lemon juice from a jar but I prefer to use it fresh and cut into two halves.

    steps 1-4 cleaning the fish

    • Place the fish in a medium sized bowl with some water (Picture 1).
    • Squeeze the juice from the lemon/lime onto the fish in the bowl (Picture 2).
    • Use your hands to massage the lime water over the fish.
    • Rinse off the fish directly under the tap (do this in a colander if it's easier) (Picture 3).
    • Rub the lime halves on the outside and cavity of the fish and rinse off a final time (Picture 4).

    How to make Caribbean stewed fish

    steps 1-2 slashing fish and seasoning fish

    • Place the fish on a chopping board and using a chef's knife (or utility knife) slash the fish diagonally with a 3-4cm gap in between each slash. Be careful not to slash too deep into the fish cavity. Repeat this step on the other side (Picture 1).
    • Generously season each fish with some of the homemade seasoning used 1 tablespoon for each fish and be sure to use seasoning in the cavity and slashes too (Picture 2).
    • Wrap and refrigerate the fish overnight or for at least several hours.
    • Preheat the oven on 180c/356f/gas mark 4

    steps 3-4 wrapping fish and sauteing

    • Coat the aluminium foil with melted coconut/olive oil and wrap the fish tightly (Picture 3).
    • Place on a baking tray and roast for 25 minutes (remove and set aside when done)
    • As the fish is cooking in the oven, prepare the ingredients ready for the fish to be stewed in the creole sauce.
    • On low-medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan, then proceed to saute the onion and garlic until translucent (Picture 4).

    steps 5-6 adding bell peppers and tomato, thyme, scotch bonnet

    • Add the bell peppers, grated ginger, stir and cook for 2 minutes (Picture 5).
    • Then pour in the tomatoes, add the pimento berries, scotch bonnet, pink salt, black pepper, sprigs of thyme and parsley before adding 1 cup of water then stir everything together (Picture 6 &7).

    steps 7-8 adding water and fish

    • Add some more of the homemade seasoning (I added about 2-3 tsp), do a taste test to adjust.
    • Use an egg spatula to carefully lower each fish into the pan (Picture 8).
    • Increase the heat to high to bring to the boil before reducing to a simmer. Use a spoon to baste the fish in the liquid.
    • Cover with the lid and leave to simmer for 25-30 minutes on low heat. Check the liquid levels throughout this time and add ¼ cup of water or more if required.
    • Serve accordingly.

    Do you have to use a whole fish?

    No, you can use fillets or cut the fish up into small pieces if you wish.

    Is it okay to remove the fish head?

    Yes, some people do not care for that part of the anatomy so feel free to remove.

    Can I freeze the fish after cooking it?

    No. I wouldn't advise freezing the fish after cooking it. You may certainly refrigerate any leftovers for about 2 days.

    Serving suggestions

    • Jamaican Steamed Cabbage
    • Mashed Yam
    • Green Banana Mash
    • Bammy
    • Jamaican Festival
    • Caribbean Creamy mashed Potatoes
    • Pumpkin Rice

    Notes and tips

    • Use any fish that you like. Snapper, hake, sea bass, cod, butter fish or parrot fish, all work well.
    • Cut your fish into pieces if you want. You don't have to make this recipe with a whole fish, chopped pieces are fine to use.
    • For best results I recommend applying the dry rub for a few hours if you cannot do this overnight.
    • If there is too much liquid leftover then increase the heat to high (Do this supervised) for a few minutes so that the excess liquid evaporates.
    • I suggest leaving the fish to simmer in the liquid for 25-30 minutes so the flavours are more enhanced and deeply penetrate the fish.
    • Make sure to label and store any leftover seasoning in a spice jar so you can re-use it the next time. It is normal to have some leftover seasoning.
    • Make sure to discard the stems of the thyme, scotch bonnet and pimento berries before serving.
    • The creole sauce is tomato based so definitely add some seasoning to balance the flavour. You may need to add and then taste and adjust.

    Fish on a platter with forks

    More fish dishes you may like

    • Caribbean Style Curry Cod
    • Sweet Chilli Shrimp
    • Mackerel and Rice
    • Shrimp Rundown
    • Jamaican Crispy Oven Baked Sprats

    **Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**

    Two fish in the skillet

    Caribbean Stewed Fish

    Paleo, gluten free and dairy free mackerel dish that's packed flavours
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: Caribbean, Jamaican
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 426kcal
    Author: Charla

    Ingredients

    • 2 fresh whole fish clean and scaled (see post)(Snapper, mackerel, cod etc..)
    • For the homemade seasoning
    • 2 tablespoon of thyme
    • 2 teaspoon himalayan pink salt
    • 2 teaspoon black pepper
    • 2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
    • 1 teaspoon ginger
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 2 teaspoon coconut sugar

    To stew the fish

    • 2 teaspoon homemade fish seasoning see above
    • 3 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 small onion sliced
    • 1 tablespoon ginger grated
    • 1 cup of tomato sauce
    • 1 cup of bell peppers mixed
    • 1 whole scotch bonnet
    • 4 sprigs of thyme
    • 1 teaspoon parsley
    • 1 teaspoon himalayan pink salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 4 pimento berries or ½ teaspoon of allspice
    • 1 cup of warm water

    Instructions

    • Place the fish on a chopping board and using a chef's knife (or utility knife) slash the fish diagonally with a 3-4cm gap in between each slash. Be careful not to slash too deep into the fish cavity. Repeat this step on the other side.
    • Generously season each fish with some of the homemade seasoning used 1 tablespoon for each fish and be sure to use seasoning in the cavity and slashes too
    • Wrap and refrigerate the fish overnight or for at least several hours.
    • Preheat the oven on 180C/356F/gas mark 5
    • Coat the aluminium foil with melted coconut/olive oil and wrap the fish tightly.
    • Place on a baking tray and roast for 25 minutes (remove and set aside when done)
    • As the fish is cooking in the oven, prepare the ingredients ready for the fish to be stewed in the creole sauce.
    • On low-medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan, then proceed to saute the onion and garlic until translucent.
    • Add the bell peppers, grated ginger, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
    • Then pour in the tomatoe sauce, add the pimento berries, scotch bonnet pink salt, black pepper,  sprigs of thyme and parsley before adding 1 cup of water then stir everything together.
    • Add some more of the homemade seasoning (I added about 2-3 tsp), do a taste test to adjust.
    • Use an egg spatula to carefully lower each fish into the pan.
    • Increase the heat to high to bring to the boil before reducing to a simmer. Use a spoon to baste the fish in the liquid.
    • Cover with the lid and leave to simmer for 25-30 minutes on low heat. Check the liquid levels throughout this time and add ¼ cup of water or more if required.
    • Serve accordingly.

    Notes

    • Use any fish that you like. Snapper, hake, sea bass, butter fish, cod or parrot fish all work well.
    • Cut your fish into pieces if you want. You don't have to make this recipe with a whole fish, chopped pieces are fine to use.
    • For best results I recommend applying the dry rub for a few hours if you cannot do this overnight.
    • If there is too much liquid leftover then increase the heat to high (Do this supervised) for a few minutes so that the excess liquid evaporates.
    • I suggest leaving the fish to simmer in the liquid for 25-30 minutes so the flavours are more enhanced and deeply penetrate the fish.
    • Make sure to label and store any leftover seasoning in a spice jar so you can re-use it the next time. It is normal to have some leftover seasoning.
    • Make sure to discard the stems of the thyme, scotch bonnet and pimento berries before serving.
    • The creole sauce is tomato based so definitely add some seasoning to balance the flavour. You may need to add and then taste and adjust.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 2015mg | Potassium: 1251mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1875IU | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 5mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ThatGirlCooksHealthy or tag #ThatGirlCooksHealthy!

     

    « Jamaican Banana Fritters (Gluten Free + Vegan)
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    About Charla

    I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. AJ

      September 11, 2022 at 3:50 pm

      Amazing recipe. I’ve been craving this for a while and glad I found this one.
      P.S. Shrimp and Prawns are not the same thing. In the UK it’s just that prawns aren’t more readily available so people use them interchangeably

      Reply
      • Charla

        September 11, 2022 at 4:55 pm

        Hi AJ, thank you so much for your feedback and additional comment 🙂

        Reply
    2. Utica

      February 27, 2022 at 2:15 am

      What alterations would I need to make to this recipe if I wanted to use shrimp instead of fish?

      Reply
      • Charla

        February 27, 2022 at 5:28 am

        It wouldn't really work for shrimp because the baking aspect of the recipe helps to lock in that flavour and by using shrimp instead of whole fish coupled with the extensive cooking time the texture of the shrimp would be like rubber.

        Reply
    3. kim

      March 28, 2020 at 1:58 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe! It turned out super tasty and was easy too! I will definitely make it again.

      Reply
      • Charla

        March 28, 2020 at 2:05 pm

        Thanks for the feedback Kim

        Reply
      • Zaine

        April 17, 2021 at 5:39 am

        5 stars
        I tried this today and I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was so good. I didn't have to add any more water to mine. In fact, I had to turn up the heat towards the end to get it to dry up, but even the broth tasted like a warm blanket. I had mine with baked cassava fries. Thank you and I'll be looking out for other recipes to try.

        Reply
        • Charla

          April 17, 2021 at 9:09 am

          Hi Zaine. I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for the feedback in respect to cooking off the excess liquid. I will update the notes section in case others are faced with this issue.

          Reply
    4. whitney

      March 28, 2020 at 1:03 pm

      5 stars
      Fish can be so bland but this definitely is full of flavor! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Charla

        March 28, 2020 at 1:07 pm

        Thanks Whitney. Yes it is definitely flavoursome.

        Reply
    5. Ashley

      March 28, 2020 at 12:34 pm

      5 stars
      Incredible!! My family enjoyed this last night outside on our patio!

      Reply
      • Charla

        March 28, 2020 at 1:07 pm

        I'm so glad you liked the stewed fish Ashley

        Reply
    6. Veena Azmanov

      March 28, 2020 at 11:32 am

      5 stars
      Very interesting and looks so yum. A dish full of amazing flavors.

      Reply
      • Charla

        March 28, 2020 at 12:11 pm

        Thank you Veena

        Reply
    7. Nart | Cooking with Nart

      March 28, 2020 at 10:15 am

      5 stars
      Look so delicious! I love how you cook the fish whole...we do that a lot in Thai cooking!

      Reply
      • Charla

        March 28, 2020 at 12:12 pm

        Glad to hear that Thai people also embrace cooking a whole fish too. Thanks for stopping by Nart!!

        Reply
        • Katie

          April 16, 2021 at 12:44 am

          I’m making this tonight using king fish and I’m super excited 🤤 would it be weird if I put a little splash of red wine in the stew?

          Reply
          • Charla

            April 16, 2021 at 6:54 am

            Hi Katie, Nope! it's not weird at all. A splash of red wine should be fine, let me know how it turns out and enjoy!

            Reply
    8. Lauren S Steer

      September 11, 2018 at 7:41 pm

      5 stars
      Only change is I used fresh thyme and ginger and added some vinegar to the stew. My husband loved it! He caught some mackerel while on a fishing trip and I had no idea what to do with it.

      Reply
      • Charla

        September 11, 2018 at 8:55 pm

        That's great to hear Lauren. Thanks for the feedback!!

        Reply
    9. Sean

      March 15, 2018 at 1:10 pm

      what is the advantage of roasting the fish as opposed to laying it on top of the stew and steaming it?

      Reply
      • Charla

        March 16, 2018 at 11:15 am

        There's no huge difference Sean, it's simply a matter of preference. Both methods will heighten the flavour.

        Reply
    10. Jeremy

      May 10, 2017 at 2:10 pm

      5 stars
      You can get parrot fish fairly readily from The Fish Society. Although it is frozen and you write about using fresh. That being said it is better than no parrot fish at all 🙂

      Reply
      • Charla

        May 10, 2017 at 8:09 pm

        Thanks for informing me of that Jeremy

        Reply

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