Natalie's Trinidadian fish stew

Natalie's Trinidadian fish stew

This dish of Caribbean sunshine is perfect for sharing with friend - make sure you marinate the fish in lemon and lime to get a really zingy taste

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 2

Easily doubled

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Ready in 40 minutes, plus 1 hour marinating

Method

  1. Pour the juice and scatter the zest of the first lime into a shallow dish big enough to fit the fish in one layer. Swirl the juice around so it covers the entire surface of the dish. Lay the fish on top and pour over the lemon juice.
  2. Strip the thyme leaves off the stalks and crush them with a pinch of salt and the white pepper using a pestle and mortar to make a rough paste. Tip the thyme paste over the fish and gently massage it in, taking care not to break up the flesh at all. Pour the rum over and give it one last rub. Cover and leave to marinate out of the fridge for about 1 hour.
  3. Heat the oil in a wide shallow pan with a lid. Throw in the onion rings and cook for 4-5 minutes until they begin to soften. Tip the coriander, garlic, tomato slices and sugar in with the onions, stir and cook for about 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes begin to release their juices and everything smells sweet.
  4. Lift the fish from its marinade and nestle it in the pan among the onions and tomatoes. Pour over the marinade, 3 tbsp of water and the Angostura bitters, if you are using it.
  5. Cover the pan and gently cook for 6-8 minutes until the fish flakes easily and the onions are softened but still have some bite to them. Season with salt and pepper. The authentic Trinidadian dish is tangy-sweet with lots of thyme flavour and very limey, so taste the sauce and if you want more tang, squeeze over the remaining lime. Serve with basmati rice or boiled potatoes and steamed vegetables.
Try

Using Angostura aromatic bitters

Angostura aromatic bitters is a very concentrated flavouring for food and drink, made from a secret blend of herbs and spices. Use it to add a splash of the exotic to all sorts of recipes, from fruit pies and sorbets to soups and salads.

388 kcalories, protein 35g, carbohydrate 17g, fat 19 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 2g, sugar 5g, salt 0.31 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2002.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo Tizzie'sFood

    09 January 2008

    Tizzie'sFood rated this recipe

    3 stars

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  • Binder photo Michelle

    10 September 2008

    Michelle commented on this recipe

    This was amazing, am making it again this weekend for some friends.

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  • Binder photo Michelle

    10 September 2008

    Michelle rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo KatyFifield

    02 February 2009

    KatyFifield rated and commented on this recipe

    1 stars

    I thought this was horrible, sorry! The lemon juice overpowered all the other ingredients and my husband couldn't even finish it.

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  • Binder photo Suzanne

    01 March 2009

    Suzanne rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    This was really strange. When my friend and I first started eating it, I thought I would have to throw it away as it was so sharp and bitter, due to the lemon and lime. However the more we ate it the better it was and by the end we could have eaten more. I think I would make it again.

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  • Binder photo Katypie

    03 May 2009

    Katypie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This worked really well, I used more rum than the recipe stated and gave it a good shake of angostura bitters which really enhanced the flavours. Made it for a carribbean themed evening, served it with rice, plantain bharjees, and jerkstyle sweet potatoes. Would cook this again.

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  • Binder photo olivertwist

    25 May 2009

    olivertwist rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Backfoot!

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  • Binder photo archangelrich

    07 September 2009

    archangelrich rated and commented on this recipe

    2 stars

    It wasn't dreadful, but it certainly wasn't anything spectacular. I won't be making it again.

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  • Binder photo vwatkins

    19 December 2009

    vwatkins rated this recipe

    1 stars

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  • Binder photo aufpet

    27 January 2010

    aufpet rated this recipe

    1 stars

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  • Binder photo christine

    15 March 2010

    christine rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo teapot

    31 March 2010

    teapot rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    It was nice but it definitely needs some side dishes as it's not filling enough as a main course by itself.

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  • Binder photo christine

    12 April 2010

    christine commented on this recipe

    I made this for monday supper, l used lemon instead of lime and half a tin of chopped tomatoes. I did it for my husband and me we found it was really lovely definately do it again.

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  • Binder photo JoandJelly

    14 April 2010

    JoandJelly rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Delicious, will definitely cook again.

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  • Binder photo Emma

    05 June 2010

    Emma rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Served it with hot and spicy sweet potatoes and green beans. Loved it. I used much less sugar than the recipe said and only 1 lime. Didn't seem to need anymore.

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  • Binder photo dieharder

    23 January 2011

    dieharder rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    The first time I cooked this dish, it was far too acidic for my liking, with the lemon and lime flavours overwhelming everything else. I have since cooked it again, but this time I used a single lime and a single lemon, compensating with 5 tbsp of water instead of 3. This was much better and I will cook this again!

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  • Binder photo maza

    03 February 2011

    maza rated this recipe

    4 stars

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  • Binder photo Recipia

    17 March 2011

    Recipia rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Gorgeous, had with hot and spicy sweet potatoes and green beans, definitely a keeper!

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  • Binder photo Jen_Atkinson

    10 July 2011

    Jen_Atkinson rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Cooked this last night ansd we really enjoyed it but definitly needs potatoes to go with it as it's not really filling by itself. Also made Sly's Honey Mule cocktail, which was AMAZING!!

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  • Binder photo arrukin1@gmail.com

    07 March 2012

    arrukin1@gmail.com rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Ting a ling knife and fork fight the plate on this one

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 2

Easily doubled

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Ready in 40 minutes, plus 1 hour marinating

Ingredients

  • 2 limes , juice and grated zest of 1, the other halved for serving
  • 1 skinned white fish fillets, such as cod or hoki, about 175-200g/6-8oz each
  • 2 lemons , juice only
  • 2 x 15g packets fresh thyme (you need a lot for the aroma)
  • ¼ tsp white peppers
  • 1 tbsp dark rum
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion , cut into thin rings
  • a handful of fresh coriander , chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves , chopped
  • 1 beefsteak or 3 normal tomatoes , sliced
  • 2 tsp dark muscovado sugar
  • shake of Angostura bitters , optional
  • basmati rice or boiled potatoes and steamed vegetables, to serve
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388 kcalories, protein 35g, carbohydrate 17g, fat 19 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 2g, sugar 5g, salt 0.31 g

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