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Jamaican roast fish
Roast fish: whole fish stuffed with okra and callaloo, roasted in foil
On the beach at Treasure Beach in St Elizabeth, fishermen's cookshops wrap whole snapper or parrotfish in foil with okra, callaloo, onion and scotch bonnet and set them straight on the coals, opening the parcel at the table in a cloud of steam. The stuffing cooks down in the fish's own juices with a knob of butter, and it is eaten with roast yam or bammy. The common mistake is wrapping the foil loosely, so the juices leak and the fish dries out; seal it tightly. Chef's tip: lay a few lime slices under the fish to stop it sticking to the foil and lift the flavour.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the fish
- 2 whole snapper or sea breamabout 450 g each, cleaned and scaled
- 1 limehalf juiced, half sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the stuffing
- 5 ½ oz callaloo or spinachchopped
- 6 okrasliced
- 1 onionsmall, sliced
- 1 tomatochopped
- 2 cloves garlicchopped
- 2 spring onion (scallion)chopped
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ scotch bonnet pepperfinely chopped
- 1 oz butterin small pieces
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Light a barbecue and let the coals burn down to a steady medium heat, or heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan).
20 minStep 2: Rinse 2 whole snapper or sea bream with half of ½ lime juice and water, pat dry, slash 3 times on each side and season inside and out with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper.
Step 3: Mix 5 ½ oz callaloo or spinach, 6 okra, 1 onion, 1 tomato, 2 cloves garlic, 2 spring onion (scallion), 4 sprigs fresh thyme and ½ scotch bonnet pepper. Pack it into the belly of each fish, spilling the rest over the top, and dot with 1 oz butter.
Step 4: Lay the rest of ½ lime slices on two large sheets of foil, set a fish on each and fold the foil into tightly sealed parcels.
Step 5: Cook on the coals or in the oven for 25–30 minutes, turning the parcels once on the barbecue, until the fish at the thickest part by the bone is opaque and flakes easily.
28 minStep 6: Open the parcels carefully, mind the steam, and serve in the foil with the juices.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 50 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jamaican roast fish take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of lime?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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