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This dish is usually made with pickled or salted fish, but it’s simpler (and, in my opinion, better) when made with lightly salted fresh fish. To be truly authentic, the chile should be a Scotch bonnet (habanero), which has a distinctive though fiery flavor, but any chile will do in a pinch. Serve this with Coconut Rice (page 516) or, even better, Coconut Rice and Beans (page 516).

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Salt to taste
1 1/2 to 2 pounds fillets of cod, red snapper, sea bass, or other white-fleshed fish, in 1 or 2 pieces
2 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 Scotch bonnet or other chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced, or to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 to 2 cups coconut milk, homemade (page 584) or canned
1 cup chopped tomato with its juice
Juice of 1 lime
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Salt the cod lightly on both sides and let rest refrigerated for about an hour, but at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

    Step 2

    Put the oil in a deep skillet or wide saucepan and place over medium-high heat. A minute later, add the garlic, onion, chile, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and tomato, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reduces by about half.

    Step 3

    Rinse the fish and add it to the pot. Adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles steadily but not violently. When the fish is done, after about 10 minutes—a thin-bladed knife will meet little resistance—add the lime juice, garnish, and serve.

The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
TagsStewSoup/StewChowderSoupJamaicanCaribbeanLatin AmericanCodFishSeafoodSea BassBassSnapperCoconut MilkScotch BonnetChileVegetableMainDinnerDairy FreeGluten FreeKetoSimmerKwanzaaJuneteenthCookbooks
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