Serves 4 · Prep 20 min (plus 30 min marinating) · Cook 30 min
This is a Sunday lunch favourite. Whole snapper is seasoned, fried until crisp, then simmered in a rich brown gravy with onions, sweet peppers and carrots. The crisp skin soaks up the sauce and the fish stays tender. Serve with rice and peas and fried plantain.
Ingredients
For the fish
- 1 pack Red Snapper (Medium), 2 lb / 907 g, thawed
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 tbsp green seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup flour, for dusting
- Vegetable oil, for frying
For the brown stew
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, sliced into rings
- 1 red and 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 medium carrot, cut into thin sticks
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 wiri wiri pepper, whole
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp browning (burnt sugar sauce)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tbsp chopped eschallot (scallion)
Method
- Thaw and score. Thaw the snapper in the fridge (0–4 °C) overnight. Pat it very dry and score two or three diagonal slashes on each side.
- Season. Rub the fish all over with lime juice, green seasoning, salt and pepper, working into the cuts and cavity. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Fry the fish. Dust the fish lightly with flour. Heat 1 cm of oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Fry for 4–5 minutes a side until golden and crisp. Remove and drain.
- Build the stew. Pour off all but 2 tbsp of oil. Sauté the onion, peppers and carrot for 3 minutes until just softening. Add the garlic, thyme and wiri wiri pepper and cook for 1 minute.
- Make the gravy. Stir in the ketchup, browning, soy sauce, sugar and water. Simmer for 3–4 minutes until glossy and slightly thickened.
- Simmer together. Return the fish to the pan and spoon the gravy and vegetables over it. Cover and simmer gently for 6–8 minutes so the fish soaks up the sauce.
- Serve. Scatter with eschallot and serve with rice and peas and fried plantain.
Cook's note: Rock Snapper or Grey Snapper Cutlets work well too. For cutlets, cut the frying time to 3 minutes a side.
