Equipment
Ingredients
Proteins and Produce
- 600 g firm white fish, cut into 5cm chunks
- 1 yellow plantain, peeled and sliced into 1cm rounds
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 garlic, minced
- 15 g fresh ginger, grated
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, whole
Liquids and Base
- 30 g coconut oil
- 400 ml full-fat coconut milk
- 250 ml fish or vegetable stock
- 400 g diced tomatoes, canned with juices
Seasonings and Herbs
- 5 g fresh thyme, sprigs whole
- 3 g ground allspice
- 5 g fine sea salt
- 30 ml fresh lime juice
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 563 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbohydrates
- 39 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 667 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 26 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 62 mg
- Potassium
- 1342 mg
- Calcium
- 155 mg
- Iron
- 6.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 136 mg
- Phosphorus
- 496 mg
- Zinc
- 2.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 141 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 75 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 3.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.17 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.28 mg
- Niacin
- 4.1 mg
- Folate
- 82 mcg
- Water
- 373 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a chef's knife and cutting board, dice the onion and bell pepper. Grate the ginger and mince the garlic. Slice the plantain into rounds.
Cut the firm white fish into 5cm chunks. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Ensure all cutting surfaces and utensils are thoroughly washed after handling raw fish to prevent cross-contamination.
Heat the coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and bell pepper, stirring with a wooden spoon until softened and fragrant.
Stir in the minced garlic, grated ginger, and ground allspice. Cook constantly for one minute until the spices release their oils.
Pour in the coconut milk, stock, and diced tomatoes. Add the fresh thyme sprigs, whole scotch bonnet pepper, and sliced plantains. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer at 90°C/195°F, cover, and cook until the plantains are tender.
Gently nestle the fish chunks into the simmering liquid. Cover and poach gently until the fish is opaque throughout and reaches a safe internal temperature of 63°C/145°F.
Remove the pot from the heat. Carefully locate and discard the whole scotch bonnet pepper and thyme sprigs. Gently stir in the fresh lime juice and season with salt.
Chef's Notes
- For a milder heat, keep the scotch bonnet perfectly intact so it only infuses its fruity aroma. For extreme heat, you can puncture it with a knife tip or finely mince a quarter of the pepper to sauté with the aromatics.
- Selecting the right plantain is crucial. It should be mostly yellow with a moderate amount of black spots. Green plantains will be too starchy and hard, while completely black ones will fall apart into mush during the simmer.
- When preparing your fish, aim for thick, uniform chunks. Delicate, thin fillets like sole or flounder will disintegrate in this heavy broth; stick to robust species like cod, snapper, or mahi-mahi.
- Lime juice loses its vibrant freshness when cooked and can curdle coconut milk if added over direct heat. Always stir it in as your final step once the pot is off the stove.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The spice level may intensify as it sits.
Freezer: 1 month — Fish texture may become slightly softer upon thawing, but the broth freezes well.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat until simmering to avoid overcooking the fish.
Troubleshooting
The stew is overwhelmingly spicy.
Cause: The scotch bonnet pepper burst during cooking, releasing all its capsaicin-heavy seeds into the broth.
Fix: Remove the pepper immediately. Stir in a small amount of extra coconut milk or serve with a neutral starch like white rice to dilute the heat on the palate.
Prevention: Ensure the pepper has no cracks before adding it, and maintain a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil.
The fish is tough and rubbery.
Cause: The fish was cooked at too high a temperature or boiled for too long.
Fix: Cannot be fixed.
Prevention: Only add the fish at the very end of cooking and ensure the liquid is kept at a gentle sub-boiling poach.
The broth looks curdled or greasy.
Cause: The coconut milk split due to high heat or acid added while boiling.
Fix: Remove from heat immediately and whisk in a splash of warm water vigorously, though full emulsification may not be restored.
Prevention: Simmer gently, never boil. Always add acidic ingredients like lime juice off the heat.
Cultural Context
Coconut milk and ground provisions like plantains are foundational elements of Caribbean coastal cooking, reflecting a deep history of resourcefulness and local agriculture. Stews like this are often referred to as run-down in regions like Jamaica, where seafood is cooked until the rich coconut milk reduces heavily into a spiced, custard-like sauce. The inclusion of the scotch bonnet pepper provides the signature fruity fire that distinguishes island cuisine globally.
