grilled fish

One of the things I looked forward too the entire trip to Jamaica was the FISH. From the jerk, to them being steamed with okra and crackers to my favorite… escovitch! Red Snapper (or Parrot fish) seasoned, perfectly fried, then topped with the spicy pickled dressing known as escovitch sauce. For most the thin slices of Scotch Bonnet were to be avoided, but they were like little prizes between the sweet peppers, scallions, onions and other ingredients in the vinegar based sauce. Any trip to the Caribbean is more than just a homecoming, it’s a culinary extravaganza for me and Jamaica did not disappoint!

You’ll Need…

3 red snapper
pinch sea salt
pinch black pepper
3 sprigs thyme
2 scallions
celery leaves (optional)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup vinegar
1 lemon
1/2 large shallot
1/4 red onion sliced thin
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
2 scallions
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds)
sea salt
black pepper
6 pimento berries (allspice)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 sprig thyme

Note: 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.

Wash, clean and pat dry the Red Snapper (I used relatively small fish – on sale). Then I gave then a couple shallow cuts along the belly to allow for the dressing to penetrate after grilling and to help cook faster while grilling as well. Open up the belly cavity and stuff with a sprig of thyme, a piece of scallion and the leaves of the celery (if you have any). Then sprinkle some black pepper and salt on the surface (you can do the same with the cavity if you want, but I’m trying to cut back on my salt intake) of the fish. The final step is to drizzle on some olive oil on the fish (evenly on both sides) so they don’t stick onto the grill.

I would recommend making the escovitch dressing (sauce) about and hour or two in advance so it can marinate in it’s own juices and all the flavors can come together. Basically all you’re doing is slicing all the ingredients very thinly (add the celery and shallot though they’re not traditional – great texture and flavor), add it to a bowl, then go in with the sugar, salt, pimento berries, lemon juice and vinegar. Give it a god mix and place in the fridge. Optionally you can add some thinly sliced bell peppers to the mix if you want.

Remove the dressing out of the fridge about 1/2 hr before you start grilling the fish so it comes back to room temperature (you can also place it in a pan and warm in on the grill if you really want). Brush your grill grates with a bit of veg oil so the fish does not stick (no matter it may still stick) and grill as you would normally do. I did mine directly over a medium flame (coals fire) as I wanted some charred bits and I gave it about 4-5 minutes on each side. Have the escovitch dressing next to your grill as you’ll need it as soon as you take the grilled fish off the fire.

Have a platter ready and as soon as the cooked fish come off the grill, pour the escovitch dressing directly over the fish! The warm fish will brighten-up the flavors of the sauce and really heighten what I believe is the best way to dress grilled fish!

Simple Oven Jerk Fish Recipe.

November 8, 2014April 14, 20149 Comments

With Easter around the corner I’ve had several requests for fish recipes, so I thought I’d share a simple technique for making Jamaican style jerk snapper (fish), but with store bought jerk marinade and in your oven. I agree that making your own jerk marinade is much better and using a grill with coals and pimento wood is what true Jamaican jerk is all about. However this is all about convenience and exciting flavors.

You’ll Need…

2-4 lbs Red Snapper
1/2 lime or lemon (for washing the fish)
1 heaping tablespoon of jerk marinade (use gluten free for the gluten free version)
1 tablespoon orange juice
pinch salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon veg oil

* Use your favorite store purchased jerk marinade.

Scale, trim (gut) and wash the fish with the juice of 1/2 lime or lemon.. rinse with cool water and pat dry. Cut two slits on the back (both sides) of each fish to allow for the jerk marinade to penetrate and do all-kinda good things. Stuff the cavity of each fish with a bit of thyme and scallions (bruise or crush with your knife to release the flavors) and sprinkle a bit of salt and black pepper.

In a small bowl mix the jerk marinade (use your fav) and orange juice, then brush it onto both sides of each fish. Try to get some in the cuts we made. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate in the fridge for about 1/2 hour (max 1 hr as the marinade will start to cook the fish after that).

Now preheat your oven to 400 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Drizzle on the veg oil so the fish won’t stick as it does it’s thing in the oven. Set the baking tray on the middle rack in your oven and let it go for about 15 minutes. Then flip over and cook for another 8-10 minutes. This depends on how thick your fish are and how well done you like your fish.

There you go, a simple but exciting jerk fish done in your oven.. no need for an outdoor grill. Remember if you’re serving this to kids be mindful of the bones of the fish. If you decide to use fish fillets, try to get some with the skin still on and reduce the cooking time (again, depending on the thickness of the fillets) by about 1/2.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. Oh yea! Leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated! Important, do read the label of the jerk marinade you use to ensure it meets with your gluten free dietary needs.

Gluten Free Seafood

Grilled Sea Bass Stuffed With Jamaican Callaloo.

December 9, 2014August 4, 20136 Comments

You knew I’d be ending this year’s month of grilling with a truly wicked recipe.. one that’s very dear to me. This grilled stuffed fish is one of those dishes we try to make at least once a year (summer) when my best friends and I meet. One from Dominica, another from Jamaica and myself the Trinbagonian, connect in a sort of mystical way as we dive into our individual red snapper stuffed with Jamaican callaloo (amaranth, spinach or chorai bhagi) along with some cold beverages. The only talking is after we’re good and stuffed and each of us eying the last piece of boiled sweet potato or fried plantain.

You’ll Need…

2 Sea bass * (medium sized)
3 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 onion
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 lime
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper diced finely
1 scallion

Stuffing

3 cups Jamaican callaloo
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch black pepper
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper

Notes: I much prefer using red snapper for this dish, but the prices were too high for my wallet (the reality of not living in the Caribbean). If you can’t source Jamaican callaloo, you can use spinach or any of your favorite greens (Swiss Chard, Pak Choi.. collard greens?). IMPORTANT: If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Wash, trim and chop the callaloo into 1/2 inch pieces and allow to drain dry in a colander. Heat the olive oil on a medium flame then add the sliced garlic, onion and thyme. Turn the heat down to low and let that soften up for a couple minutes. Now add the cut callaloo and top with the salt, black pepper, scotch bonnet pepper and coconut milk. Turn the heat up to bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium and cook with the pot uncovered for about 7-10 minutes.

It will wilt down and go a bit darker in colour.. that’s normal. If there’s any residual liquid in the pot after 7 minutes, turn up the heat and burn it off. Then set aside allow to cool for stuffing the fish.

As it cools, lets make the seasoned oil for adding extra flavor to the fish as it grills.

In a deep bowl mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley,chopped scallion, juice of a lime and finely diced scotch bonnet pepper. Slice the onion in rings and set aside.

Make sure your fish is scaled, washed and dry. Cut a couple slits (not too deep) across the belly of the fish so some of the seasoned oil can get in to do it’s thing. Then spread a (double) sheet of tin foil and brush some of the seasoned oil where the fish will be placed. Now add some of the onion rings and place the fish on top of that. Take 1/2 of the now cooled cooked callaloo and stuff the cavity of the fish. Then pour some of the seasoned oil on top of the fish (spoon it on) and top with a few of the onion rings. Wrap the tin foil to encase the fish and create a package.Repeat with the next fish!

It’s just a matter of grilling as you would normally grill fish. In my case I did it over a charcoal fire (love the flavors you get) but you can also use a propane grill or if you don’t have a grill.. the oven (about 375 F for about 25-30 minutes). I grilled away from direct flame (so indirect heat) and it took about 30 minutes or so (the last 4 minutes I placed the packages over direct heat to ensure I get a flaky fish when it was done cooking).

Do remember to be gentle when flipping them and when it’s done cooking allow to cool for a minute or two or risk getting burned when you open the packages as steam will form.

Serve with some lemon or lime slices and I love having this with boiled sweet potato or steam okras!

I do hope you enjoy this years month of grilling and I look forward to bringing you some more exciting dishes off the grill in July 2014! BTW, do you have any sort of recipe or tradition in place for when you meet with your dearest friends.. friends like mine who took the place of my siblings when I moved to Canada many moons ago?

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Sauces & Condiments

French Caribbean Creole Sauce For Fish And Grilled Meats.

May 28, 2025April 19, 201315 Comments

This Creole sauce is turning out to be one of the most controversial recipes I’ve shared to date. After posting the recipe video on the Cooking Channel, there’s been a lot of comments about it not being authentic. Here’s the thing about cooking and recipes, it’s usually how you’ve learned to make the dish or how you like it. So when you see me add an ingredient like tomato paste to the sauce, rest assured that’s the way I like it. I use the traditional way (in most cases) of doing a dish as the base and try to add my own little touch. That said, there are some recipes where I will not alter the traditional format of preparing it as I don’t want to disrespect centuries of tradition.

You’ll Need…

1 medium Onion
3/4 cup celery
3/4 cup green pepper
3 cloves garlic
1 large tomato
1.5 cups chicken stock
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
2 scallion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme
tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped parsley.
2 tablespoon olive oil

Start off by chopping/dicing the scallions, green pepper, onion, tomato, garlic (finely), celery, parsley and scotch bonnet pepper. Then heat the olive oil on a medium heat and add the diced celery, onion and green pepper. Turn the heat down to low and let that gently cook for about 8-10 minutes.

Everything will be soft and tender now and you’ll have a wonderful base for this delicious creole sauce. Turn up the heat to med/high and add all the other ingredients, except the chopped parsley.

Stir well, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down so you have a gentle simmer going. Cook for about 25 minutes, with the lid ajar on the sauce pan.

Now remove the lid and let it cook on medium heat to thicken up a bit. Remember to fish out the bay leaf and if you did as I did.. remove the thyme stems and discard. It should only take a few minutes to thicken up. Finish off with the chopped parsley.

This creole sauce is excellent on fish (fried, baked, poached, grilled) and other grilled meats. You can certainly make this in advance and keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for at least a week. Just heat and serve when you’re ready to add a classic French Caribbean flavor to your dishes.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. Oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Seafood

Caribbean Inspired Grilled Red Snapper.

June 7, 2012June 7, 201215 Comments

Today I thought I share a tasty grilled red snapper recipe with you all, as part of my month of grilling (June). This Caribbean inspired grilled red snapper will cause your taste buds to go into a state of frenzy and confusion as they’re hit with bite after bit of exciting Caribbean flavors. I grew up eating fish three ways when I was younger.. fried, curry and stewed, but the past few years have seen me adopt new and exciting ways to prepare seafood. In a few days I’ll share another grilled fish recipe with you, but this time we’ll do an accompanying sauce to go with it.

Special Thanks! I have to take a minute to thank everyone at Chelsea Brand out of Toronto for their generosity in sending me a huge supply of Red Snappers to use in my recipes. Please look for the Chelsea Brand when shopping for seafood at your local grocery store.

You’ll Need…

1 Red Snapper (1-2 lbs)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs dill (optional)
2 slices lemon
1 scallion
1 pimento pepper (see note below)
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
2 tablespoon coconut milk
banana leaves for wrapping the fish

Notes: Pimento pepper is a flavor pepper, without any heat and also known as seasoning or flavor pepper in the Caribbean. When using scotch bonnet peppers, use gloves and if you’re concerned about the raw heat, avoid using the seeds. If you can’t source banana leaves, use tin foil or parchment paper.

Scale, trim and wash your fish. The fish I was using was already cleaned and gutted, but still had some fins, so using my kitchen scissors I trimmed those off. I then washed the fish with some lime juice (use lemon or vinegar) and cool water (pat dry with paper towels). Then using a sharp knife I made shallow cuts every 1 inch or so (see pic).

I then chopped the scotch bonnet and pimento pepper (huge pieces). Using the back of my knife I tapped on the scallion to bruise it to release it’s flavors and I sliced a couple slices of the lemon.

You’ll need to have the bottom part (belly) of the fish cut open to have a sort of cavity to stuff all the wonderful seasonings. Fold the scallion and tuck in into the belly of the fish as well as the other items (thyme, dill, peppers).

Place the now stuffed fish on the banana leaves (see video below) and season with the black pepper and slat. Turn the fish over to get both sides and using your fingers, try to get some into the small cuts we made. Place the 2 slices of lemon on top of the fish, then pour the coconut milk over it.

Fold the banana leaves over the fish (try to tuck it in to secure) to form a sort of parcel (seal the ends as well). Now place on a hot grill (about 375F).. I used a grill with three burners, so the burner to the far left I left on high and the 2 burners directly below the fish I had on med/low). Close the lid of the BBQ and allow ti to cook for about 12-15 mins (depending on how thick your red snapper is). Then flip and let cook for the same amount of time of this side. If you find that your flame is burning off the banana leaf, turn the heat down to low.

It’s normal for the banana leaves to go charred, so don’t freak! Your grilled snapper is now read. Using a pair of scissors (be careful as there may be steam as you open) cut the parcel open and enjoy. You”l be hit with the lovely fragrance of the coconut milk and other good things we used in stuffing the fish. If your lemon slices are charred, you’ll also get that lovely perfume of lemon oil. Remember this is a whole fish your eating, so be prepared for the bones.

I can’t tell you how many requests I get for this grilled fish every summer. I urge you to try this one and share it with family and friends (blow them away with your skills).

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Grilled Jamaican Escovitch Fish.

Simple Oven Jerk Fish Recipe.

Grilled Sea Bass Stuffed With Jamaican Callaloo.

French Caribbean Creole Sauce For Fish And Grilled Meats.

Caribbean Inspired Grilled Red Snapper.

Hi, I'm Chris.

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