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Jamaican Brown Stew Fish

May 11, 2015 By Tekesha 25 Comments

Jamaican Brown Stew Fish

I have been craving fish something serious lately! I popped into my local seafood market and spotted two gorgeous red snappers. I knew immediately what I was going to make with them. This is a classic Jamaican dish. I have vivid memories of sitting at the dinner table carefully removing little bones from the fish and shoveling rice, fish and gravy into my mouth. Cooking the fish still on the bones helps thicken the sauce. Despite the name, this isn’t a soup. It’s fish and gravy. The lady at the market asked me if I wanted the heads still on the fish when she cleaned them. Yes! Best part of the fish are the eyes! Just me?? 😀

4.8 from 9 reviews
Jamaican Brown Stew Fish
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
25 mins
Total time
35 mins
 
Jamaican-style red snapper cooked in a sweet and spicy gravy
Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 whole red snapper, gutted and de-scaled
  • 2 small yellow onions, cut into rings
  • 2 orange bell peppers, thinly sliced
  • 3 scallion, cut into large pieces
  • 1 tbsp garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp ground thyme
  • 1 tbsp ground ginger
  • 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp browning (optional)
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Chop the onions, peppers, scallion and garlic.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the flour and water. Put the flour into the bowl first and then slowly add water while stirring so that the flour doesn’t end up in clumps.
  3. Cut the snapper into large pieces. I remove the side and top fins with kitchen shears and cut each fish into 3 pieces: head, body and tail.
  4. Add oil to a nonstick pan and heat on medium high heat.
  5. Gently fry each piece of fish for 1 minute per side, until slightly brown.
  6. In a large pot on medium heat, sauté the onions, peppers, scallion and garlic in butter for 5 minutes, until onion is slightly translucent.
  7. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the large pot, including the flour and water mixture.
  8. Snuggle the fish into the pot.
  9. Cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, flipping fish over halfway through.
  10. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 240 Fat: 4 Saturated fat: 2 Carbohydrates: 16 Sugar: 8 Sodium: 1513 Fiber: 3 Protein: 33 Cholesterol: 58
3.2.2929

 

You’ll need:

  • 2 whole red snapper, gutted and de-scaled
  • 2 small yellow onions, cut into rings
  • 2 orange bell peppers, thinly sliced
  • 3 scallion, cut into large pieces
  • 1 tbsp garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp ground thyme
  • 1 tbsp ground ginger
  • 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp browning (optional)
  • Salt and pepper

 

Look at this fish!

Jamaican Brown Stew Fish

Next to sea bass, snapper is my favorite fish! You want to get fish with nice, clear eyes. That’s how you know it’s fresh.

Chop the onions, peppers, scallion and garlic. (or cheat like me and use pre-minced garlic)

Jamaican Brown Stew Fish

In a small bowl, mix together the flour and water. Put the flour into the bowl first and then slowly add water while stirring so that the flour doesn’t end up in clumps.

Jamaican Brown Stew Fish

Cut the snapper into large pieces. I remove the side and top fins with kitchen shears and cut each fish into 3 pieces: head, body and tail.

Jamaican Brown Stew Fish

Add oil to a nonstick pan and heat on medium high heat.

Gently fry each piece of fish for 1 minute per side, until slightly brown. We aren’t looking to cook the fish all the way through, just to give it some color and firm up the flesh so it doesn’t fall apart in the sauce.

Jamaican Brown Stew Fish

In a large pot on medium heat, sauté the onions, peppers, scallion and garlic in butter for 5 minutes, until onion is slightly translucent.

Jamaican Brown Stew Fish

Add all of the remaining ingredients to the large pot, including the flour and water mixture.

Jamaican Brown Stew Fish

If you’ve never seen it before, this is what we call browning.

Jamaican Brown Stew Fish

I love the giant drip right above the “new dripless spout!” on the label. #fail

I use it in this dish out of habit mostly. It just adds a little background something to the dish and makes the sauce look lusher. You can skip it if you can’t find it, but if you have the opportunity, give it a try!

Snuggle the fish into the pot.

Jamaican Brown Stew Fish

Cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, flipping fish over halfway through.

Jamaican Brown Stew Fish

Season to taste with a little salt and pepper.

I serve this with rice and salad.

Jamaican Brown Stew Fish

Filed Under: Fish & Seafood

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Comments

  1. Andrea @ Cooking with Mamma C says

    May 13, 2015 at 9:20 PM

    I love the sound of this stew, Tekesha! I need to try finding snapper. It looks wonderful! I will pass on the eyes, though. Like I once told my father-in-law, I don’t want my food to be looking at me!

    Reply
    • Tekesha says

      May 13, 2015 at 9:48 PM

      Ha ha ha! I had a professor who traveled a lot to Asia for business. His entire stay, he would only eat steak. People said “How can you pass up the fresh sushi and unusual things?!” He said the same thing. “I don’t want my food looking at me.” It’s only fish I can do this with. I once had to steam a lobster and I called my husband in tears asking if he would be okay with having a lobster as a pet. I couldn’t get past the “face”. 😀

      Reply
  2. Charlene @ That Girl Cooks Healthy says

    June 5, 2015 at 7:01 PM

    I cannot believe I missed this recipe, this certainly brings back childhood memories. The pictures look so tasty and crisp, thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Tekesha says

      June 5, 2015 at 7:12 PM

      Thanks, Charlene!! I could eat this every day, lol 😀

      Reply
  3. Vincent Samuels, Jr says

    March 26, 2017 at 1:13 AM

    Very nice, my granny use to cook this a lot and serve with rice and peas and stem cabbage. Definitely a winner, thanks dear.⬆️

    Reply
    • Tekesha says

      March 26, 2017 at 7:46 AM

      Thank you, Vincent! That’s just how we used to eat it! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Walida says

    July 16, 2017 at 3:52 PM

    Thank you! I just made this, using your recipe. I used to eat this all the time when my ex husband made it. It’s my first time making, I also made yellow rice and Caesar salad. Wow! It’s a blast from the past. So delicious!!

    Reply
    • Tekesha says

      July 16, 2017 at 9:27 PM

      You’re welcome!!! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Blackwomaneluding says

    July 24, 2017 at 3:32 PM

    Recipe looks good. Have you ever tried this with Pollock? Do you know if it’d still taste good?

    Reply
    • Tekesha says

      July 24, 2017 at 4:23 PM

      Thanks! I haven’t tried it with Pollock, but you should give it a shot! 🙂

      Reply
      • Blackwomaneluding says

        July 24, 2017 at 5:02 PM

        Ok! Will do!

        Reply
  6. Kaydene says

    July 26, 2017 at 3:50 PM

    I do this all the time with salmon.

    Reply
    • Tekesha says

      July 26, 2017 at 4:47 PM

      Sounds excellent, Kaydene! 😀

      Reply
  7. Wenona says

    August 21, 2017 at 9:57 AM

    I made this dish the other night and it was absolutely amazing!..it taste even better the next day!I did omit the soy sauce and salt due to the sodium count and added fresh tomatoes and Mrs. Dash seasoning. Thank You so much for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
    • Tekesha says

      August 21, 2017 at 10:05 AM

      Yay!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Nykky says

    January 1, 2018 at 10:59 PM

    If I can’t find red snapper what other fish can I use? This looks really good and I would like to make it.

    Reply
    • Tekesha says

      January 2, 2018 at 4:12 PM

      Hi Nykky!
      Halibut and grouper have a similar texture and flavor to red snapper. One of the other commenters suggested the recipe also works well with salmon. Hope one of those options works for you! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Norma says

    April 29, 2018 at 7:06 PM

    I have made Brown Stew Chicken before so I am happy to find your recipe for fish. The only thing I changed was the amount of vinegar to 2 teaspoons. Very tasty!

    Reply
    • Tekesha says

      April 29, 2018 at 7:09 PM

      Thanks, Norma! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Renee says

    June 5, 2018 at 1:20 AM

    Do I have to use the head of the fish? I would eat it but I don’t think my children will.

    Reply
    • Tekesha says

      June 5, 2018 at 8:16 AM

      Hi, Renee! No, you don’t have to use the head of the fish. I think it adds to the flavor of the sauce and I like eating it, but feel free to not use it. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Tomoko says

    September 30, 2018 at 6:07 AM

    very nice dish. Thanks for sharing. I live in Japan and I can find all the ingredients at a local supermarket with no problem. This will be my tomorrow lunch.

    Reply
    • Tekesha says

      September 30, 2018 at 6:58 AM

      Thank you, Tomoko! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Michelle Fuller says

    September 13, 2020 at 1:14 PM

    girl I have been craving stew fish for a minute now…you just made it possible for me to make it myself…thank you!:)

    Reply
    • Tekesha says

      September 14, 2020 at 7:58 AM

      You are very welcome, Michelle! The weather is starting to cool down a little bit and I am craving all those comforting recipes myself 😀

      Reply

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About Me

Hi, I'm Tekesha! I started this blog to chronicle my attempts to eat more "real" food -- the kind of items generally found in the perimeter of the supermarket. I take step-by-step photos of all the recipes on the blog, many of which are low in sugar.

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