Tag Archives: Jamaican

Jamaican-Style Chili-Lime Fish Stew

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This dish truly showcases the wonderful fruitiness of habanero and the heat* is a lovely combination with the rest of the ingredients. This simple skillet stew is rich with Caribbean flavors. It’s inspired by a dish called Jamaican run-down, which simmers mackerel in coconut milk, along with tomatoes, thyme and aromatics.

The cooking liquid reduces to a luxurious sauce with spiciness and fruity notes from the habanero chili, tropical flavor from the coconut and brightness from the lime juice. Instead of mackerel, which can be difficult to source and also has an assertiveness that’s polarizing, (and we just flat out don’t like it) mild, firm sea bass or cod fillets are used. Serve with steamed jasmine rice, fried plantains or rice and beans.

TIP: Don’t touch your face if you’ve handled the habanero with bare hands, as there will be residual capsaicin on your fingers. If you have food-safe gloves, consider slipping them on before prepping the chili. And don’t use light coconut milk, as its flavor and consistency are too lean and watery.

*Word to the wise: Do not substitute a Carolina Reaper chili for the Habanero (a Serrano would be an OK choice). The supermarket didn’t have habaneros at the time so we just grabbed a reaper chili and didn’t bother looking at how they compared with the habanero heat-wise on the Scoville Heat Unit Scale. As we ate dinner, while The Hubs was sweating, had teary eyes and a flushed face, I quickly Googled only to find out while habaneros rate between 100,000 and 350,000, the Carolina Reaper clocks in at 2.5 million!! (Luckily when I was prepping the ingredients, I wore food-safe rubber gloves.)

A few changes that we made included adding a 1 1/2-inch piece of ginger cut into fine slices, increasing the coconut milk to one cup and reduced the water to a 1/2 cup.

Jamaican-Style Chili-Lime Fish Stew

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. grapeseed or other neutral oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger sliced into thin circles
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 habanero chili, stemmed and sliced into thin rings
  • 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
  • 12 oz. ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk
  • 2 large thyme sprigs
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 lbs. skinless sea bass or snapper fillets, about 1 inch thick, cut into 1½-inch chunks (we used cod, much more economical)
  • 2 Tbsp. lime juice, plus lime wedges to serve
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

  1. In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and ginger slices and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, habanero and allspice; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to break down and release their liquid, 3 to 4 minutes.
  2. Add the coconut milk and 1⁄2 cup water; scrape up any browned bits. Add the thyme, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, then bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have fully broken down and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
  3. Nestle the fish into the sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring gently and occasionally, until the fish is opaque throughout, 4 to 5 minutes. Off heat, remove and discard the thyme, then stir in the lime juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with lime wedges.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Calvin Cox for Milk Street

Jamaican-Style Ginger-Chili Pot Roast with Sweet Potatoes

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This Instant Pot take on a Jamaican-style Sunday meal was in a recent issue of Milk Street Magazine. It is adapted from “Caribbean Cooking Made Easy” by British-Jamaican reggae musician and chef Levi Roots.

Changes that Milk Street made included swapping in flavor-packed beef chuck and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, bolstered by bright chilies and ginger, savory scallions and earthy thyme. Then tomato paste and soy sauce added umami-rich depth, while brown sugar and warm allspice rounded everything out.

For faster, more even cooking, divide the chuck roast into two pieces by pulling it apart at its natural seams and trimming away excess fat. Tying both pieces with kitchen twine compacts the meat, allowing the roast to fit comfortably in the pot. You can pressure cook the beef quickly or slow cook it for a hands-off, all-day affair—regardless, it will emerge fragrant and fork tender. We did the fast method which took about 2 hours and 45 minutes, all said and done.

It’s difficult at best to find a 5-pound chuck roast, so if you have the same experience, just purchase two 2 1⁄2 pound roasts. Break each one down along the seam, remove large deposits of fat, then tie the two strips back together with kitchen twine.

Our habaneros were on the large size and I was a bit concerned they might be overwhelming. However, when the meal was ready for plating and we tasted the stew, the chili kick was mild and added a perfect depth of flavor.

Probably one of the few people on earth who don’t own an Instant Pot, we used our large pressure cooker which worked just as well. We both agreed, this was one wonderful pot roast, and the tender sweet potato chunks and velvety sauce just enhanced the meal even more! Full of fruity, sweet and spicy notes, this roast is great garnished with scallion greens or cilantro and served with a crisp, green salad.

Jamaican-Style Ginger-Chili Pot Roast with Sweet Potatoes

  • Servings: 5-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp. neutral oil
  • 1 Tbsp. plus 1 teaspoon packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens reserved separately (reserve some greens as a garnish)
  • 2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
  • 2 habanero chilies, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 4 thyme sprigs
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
  • 5 lb. boneless beef chuck roast, separated at the seams into 2 pieces, trimmed of fat, the 2 pieces tied with kitchen twine at intervals
  • 1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp. lime juice

Directions

  1. On a 6-quart Instant Pot, select More/High Sauté. Heat the oil until shimmering, then add the sugar, tomato paste, scallion whites, ginger, chilies and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, thyme, allspice and ½ cup water, then nestle in the beef.
  2. Lock the lid in place and move the pressure valve to Sealing. Press Cancel, then press Pressure Cook or Manual; make sure the pressure level is set to High. Set the cooking time for 1 hour.
  3. When pressure cooking is complete, allow the pressure to reduce naturally for 25 minutes, then release the remaining steam by moving the pressure valve to Venting. Press Cancel, then carefully open the pot.
  4. Transfer the beef to a cutting board and tent with foil.
  5. Skim off and discard the fat from the cooking liquid. Stir in the sweet potatoes and ¼ teaspoon salt. Select Normal/Medium Sauté and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
  6. Transfer the potatoes to a platter.
  7. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with 3 tablespoons water, then whisk the mixture into the cooking liquid. Add the scallion greens and simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Press Cancel to turn off the pot.
  8. Remove and discard the thyme, then stir in the lime juice. Slice the beef and arrange on the platter, then pour on some sauce. Garnish the platter with some scallion greens or chopped cilantro, and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe from Milk Street Magazine