Oven Roasted Yellow Tail Snapper.

April 28, 2020April 5, 20204 Comments

I’ll be honest, I grew up eating fish three ways. Fried, Stewed and in a lovely Curry Sauce (mommy’s repertoire). Never grilled, steamed, smoked (well except for the smoked herring we get in the Caribbean), oven roasted or broiled. However that quickly changed when I started traveling through the Caribbean and seeing how we do fish and seafood differently. Sadly, I wish I knew sooner (when I lived on the islands) as getting good fish here in Canada is very expensive. Understandable, but painful to see. I’m not a fan of fresh-water (lakes and rivers) fish.. only ocean fish please.

You’ll Need…

1 Snapper (about 2 lbs)
1 tablespoon salt (divided)
1 1/2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
4-5 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
2 scallions (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cloves garlic (smashed)
8-10 Brussels Sprout (optional)
8-10 cherry tomato
8-10 olives
4 sprigs thyme
1/2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
1 teaspoon lemon juice (to finish)
*juice of a lime or lemon (to wash the fish)

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Wash the fish, then cut slits across the thickest part of the back/belly – to help cook faster and to allow for absorption of the marinade.

Salt (1/2 of it) the fish, especially in the cuts and belly of the fish. Then in a small bowl mix the Caribbean Green Seasoning and 2 tablespoon of Olive oil and paste it all over the fish, including the belly cavity.

Then in your roasting dish (oven proof) go in with the 1 tablespoon olive oil and place the fish on it. Add the Olives, Brussels Sprouts, Scallions, Garlic (smashed) and Thyme and pour any remaining marinade over everything. The Brussels Sprouts is optional as I found some in my fridge and tossed them in there… great addition yea.

Top with black pepper and the remaining salt. Drizzle on the remaining olive oil. This will help develop some color during roasting. You may need to go in with you hands and make sure everything is coated. Try to marinate for about 30 minutes.

Now into a 400 F oven uncovered on the middle rack. 25 minutes.. then 5 minutes on broil (525 F) But be mindful it can burn easily at this high temperature.

As it comes out of the oven, drizzle with the lemon juice and top with the chopped parsley. This will brighten the finished dish a bit. I didn’t add any Caribbean Sunshine (Scotch Bonnet) nor anything spicy, but you can certainly add your fave heat source if you wish.

Today moms got a ton of fish recipes in her arsenal, including a to-die-for baked salmon. Maybe I’ll convince her to share that recipe soon. If you can, please support. And should you have questions about this recipe or anything food related, be sure to Ask Chris.

Gluten Free Seafood

Ginger Chive Roasted Snapper Recipe.

April 28, 2019April 6, 2019Leave a Comment

We’ve discussed how as a child on the islands, I (and my siblings) gave mom ‘hell’ when she tried to get us to eat fish. Now I’m thousands of kms away from the ocean (I only like ocean fish) and it’s now that I crave fish and seafood on my plate. Poor woman tried her best back then, but we were just stubborn kids I guess. I’ll give mommy a big hug and apologize when I visit her next week… hopefully she won’t mind making her famous Curry King Fish for me.

You’ll Need…

2 lane snapper (about 2-3 lbs total)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 shallot (sliced thin)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger (grated)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 chive tops
baby bell peppers
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lemon (juice)

Important: If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the Soy Sauce, which you will need to replace with a gluten free version like Tamari.

Have your fish monger clean, gut and trim the fish if you don’t know how to do so. Wash with cool water and some lemon juice and pat dry… set aside as we make the marinade.

Combine the olive oil, salt, black pepper, ginger, shallot, garlic, soy sauce and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk well.

With my fish clean, I cut two slices down the thickest parts of the belly (both sides) to help the marinade penetrate the flesh of the fish. Then in the same baking dish I would use to roast the fish off in the oven, I poured the marinade over the fish. Then using my hands I worked the marinade into the cavity of the fish as well as into the cuts I made. TIP! Line your baking dish with parchment paper for easy clean-up after. Marinate for 10 minutes. Nothing more or you risk having the lemon juice cook the fish.

I found some baby bell peppers in the fridge so I went in with a few and to help perfume the dish as it roast in the oven, I tucked the chive stems/glowers between the fish. You may top the peppers etc with a tiny bit more salt and black pepper if you wish. (I did)

Into a preheated 400F oven on the middle rack. It will take between 18-24 minutes to cook fully, depending on the size of the snapper you use. BTW just about any fish will work with this recipe. There’s no need to cover the baking dish as you want to help develop a lovely golden color on the fish and peppers. Plus if you were to cover with foil, it may cause the dish to go soup-like and we don’t want that.

Feel free to drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil as you take it out of the oven.. or maybe some fresh lemon juice? With Easter around the corner, I’m sure your family will appreciate this fish dish come Good Friday.

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Gluten Free Seafood Soups & Stews

Simple Coconut Stewed Fish.

June 2, 2025June 13, 20181 Comment

I’m a huge fan of fish and seafood in general, the same cannot be said for when I was a kid on the islands and had access to the good stuff, fresh from the ocean. Funny how life is yea! I try to eat fish as least once a month, so I’m always looking for creative ways to put it to use. Here’s a quick coconut stew putting some pieces of Haddock to use. Back to life and how funny it can get.. not only did I hate fish when I had access to it on the islands, I must now dig deep into my pockets to satisfy my fish cravings (such is life in Canada).

You’ll Need…

1 lb Haddock (boneless)
2 scallions – chopped
2 cloves garlic – diced or crushed
4 sprigs thyme
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper – diced
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 lemon (juice / divided)
1 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
2 pimento peppers (aka seasoning peppers) – diced

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Cut you fish into 2-3 inch pieces and wash with the juice of 1/2 the lemon and cool water. Rinse and drain.

Heat the coconut oil (use any oil you may have or like using) in a deep pan over med/high heat. Then go in with the garlic, seasoning peppers (use bell peppers if you can’t source seasoning peppers) and the scotch bonnet pepper. Turn the heat down to as low as it can go and cook for a minute. Next add the thyme (little leaves), scallion and black pepper. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Turn the heat up to med, then gently add the pieces of fish (feel free to use any fish you like) and stir to coat with the flavors we started off with. Then add the coconut milk, salt and juice of the remaining 1/2 of lemon. Bring to a simmer. (don’t allow it to boil rigorously)

If you’ve got some roucou (annatto) liquid, you may add about a tablespoon for added color and flavor (not mentioned in the ingredient list). Cook on a simmer for about 5-7 minutes (depending on how thick your fish is), taste for salt and adjust to your liking… then the dish is done!

You may top it with some finely chopped parsley and serve with hot steamed rice (your choice), pasta, ground provisions or dip in your fav crusty bread. A quick and tasty fish recipe packed with flavors of the Caribbean. A dish which is sure to please the pescatarians in your life! Be mindful that the scotch bonnet pepper can make this spicy and to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such hot peppers.

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Gluten Free Seafood

The Ultimate Grilled Salmon Recipe.

September 5, 2017August 19, 20172 Comments

As we wrap up the annual July Month of Grilling for 2017, I thought I’d share one of my favorite salmon recipes with you. While we had a lot of fresh-from-the-ocean fish and seafood on the islands when I was growing up, for some reason our salmon always came from a can (say ‘tin’) for some reason. Especially around Easter-time when mom would prepare a host of ground provisions, topped with stewed canned salmon. While I still use the canned stuff, I do enjoy the fresh (as can be expected since I don’t live near the ocean) salmon we get here Ontario.. when I can afford such!

You’ll Need…

2 large salmon steaks
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 birds’s eye pepper (diced fine)
1 scallion (chopped)
1 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic (crushed)
1/2 lemon (juice)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

IMPORTANT! If doing this recipe Gluten Free, please go though the list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the Soy Sauce.. please substitute for a gluten free version.

Basically all you have to do is place all the ingredients into a bowl (except the fish) and give it a good whisk to combine the flavors. As I mentioned in the video below, I forgot to include the diced pineapple in this version of the recipe, but I strongly recommend you include it.

Then pour 1/2 of the marinade over the cleaned/dry salmon steaks and marinate for ONLY 5 minutes. IMPORTANT – any longer and lemon juice and pineapple the marinade will start breaking down the salmon.

Then it’s just a matter of grilling them over a coal fire (propane gill works fine too) until they are cooked to your liking. I grilled indirectly for the first 5-7 minutes, flipping and basting with the reserved marinade. Then I had them over the direct heat for 2-3 minutes.

Do keep in mind that the sugars in the marinade will cause the fish to char very easily (I like a bit of that char though) and the cooking time will vary on how thick your salmon steaks are, the temp of your fire and how ‘cooked’ you like your fish. I’d also recommend saving a tablespoon of the marinade to drizzle over the cooked salmon after you remove them off the grill (but while still warm).

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Gluten Free Seafood

Caribbean Fish Stew Using Fresh Cod.

April 8, 2017April 1, 20172 Comments

I may have mentioned in previous ‘fish’ recipe posts that as a young fella on the islands (along with my siblings) we had NO luv for fish or any sort of seafood, except for shrimp and fried slices of King Fish. However as an adult I can’t get enough of everything coming out of the ocean. With many requests for fish recipes, especially with Easter and Good Friday just around the corner, I thought I’d share this one using cod with you.

You’ll Need…

1-2 lbs Cod (cubed 1 inch pieces)
1 med onion (sliced)
2 cloves garlic (diced fine)
1/2 orange bell pepper (cubed)
1/2 yellow bell pepper (cubed)
2 scallions (chopped 1 inch)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
1/2 teaspoon smoky paprika (hot)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon achiote oil (or olive oil)
2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
1 stalk celery (sliced thin)
4 sprigs thyme (remove leaves off stems)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 med tomato (diced)
splash of water
1/2 lemon (juice)

IMPORTANT! If doing this recipe gluten free, be sure to go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the tomato paste.. in the event there’s any thickening agent with gluten in it.

How To Make Achiote Oil (roucou | occo): Video Tutorial Here!

Heat the oil in a wide pan (one with a lid) on a low heat, then go in with the onion and garlic. Make sure the heat is now on very low as we don’t want to burn the garlic. Allow this to cook gently for 3-4 minutes.

Up-next we can add the diced bell peppers, sliced celery and scotch bonnet pepper (be mindful that you can control the heat level by how much scotch bonnet you add). Take the heat up to medium and stir well. Cook for 2 minutes.

Now add the tomato paste and paprika and stir well. Go in with the black pepper, thyme, salt and tuck in the pieces of Cod fish. I used frozen Cod which was thawed and I squeezed out the extra liquid. Stir well, add the tomato and parsley, (heat at med/low) cover the pot and allow to cook for about 5 minutes. You will need a splash of water to help steam-cook the fish. Less than a 1/4 cup.

Remove the lid. The Cod should be fully cooked by now so it’s time to taste for salt and adjust accordingly as your tolerance for salt will be different than mine. Turn the heat off, toss in the scallions and squeeze in the lemon juice.

A delicious fish dish in under 10 minutes! I served this batch with some steamed rice, but you can treat it as you would any fish side dish. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling the scotch bonnet pepper. If heat is not your thing, you can leave out that spicy pepper.. do keep in mind that the spicy smoked Paprika will have a heat element. Yes, any ocean white fish will work for this dish.

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Gluten Free Seafood

Oven Roasted Sardines.

March 22, 2016March 22, 2016Leave a Comment

It’s kinda funny that in the Caribbean we quickly reach of a can of sardines more often than taking advantage of the abundance of fresh sardines from the Caribbean sea. It’s probably a convenience thing, plus if you ever had to clean sardines you’d know that it’s a bit time consuming (and smelly). Admittedly I’m a HUGE fan of tin sardines.. done with thinly sliced onion, tomato and scotch bonnet peppers.. with a bit of freshly ground black pepper, lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil.

You’ll Need…

1 lb sardines
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
1 scallion
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon
3-5 birds eye pepper

* If doing this recipe gluten free be sure to go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Finely chop the scallions, garlic and parsley. If you’re concerned about the raw heat from the bird’s eye pepper (say bird pepper in the Caribbean), you can leave them whole and the natural oils from the skin will be released as they roast in the oven.

Try to get the people at your fish market to clean and gut your sardines.. or be prepared for a bit of a mess as you scale and remove the innards. Rinse with lemon juice and cool water and drain dry. Then cut two shallow slits at the thickest parts of the belly (both sides). This will help the flavors to really penetrate.

Drizzle a bit of the olive oil on the bottom of your roasting pan, then place the sardines and go in with the other ingredients. Mix well. Top with the lemon juice and the rest of the olive oil. I like placing a few slices of lemon between the fish as well. Allow this to marinate for about 15 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 375 and then place the baking pan on the middle rack. Roast for 10 minutes.

To really intensify the flavors, I then crank up the oven’s heat to ‘broil’.. which is about 500 F and give it another 4-5 minutes. Then get ready to enjoy an amazing gluten free, fish dish unlike the canned stuff we normally reach for.

You can certainly do these on your grill, or if you wanted you can even dust then in flour and fry in vegetable oil until crisp. Remember if you’re doing the fried version it will NOT be gluten free, unless you use a gluten free flour.

fish recipe

Oven Roasted Yellow Tail Snapper.

Ginger Chive Roasted Snapper Recipe.

Simple Coconut Stewed Fish.

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Coconut Stewed Haddock

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Ingredients

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The Ultimate Grilled Salmon Recipe.

Caribbean Fish Stew Using Fresh Cod.

Oven Roasted Sardines.

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