This is a snapper stew from Martinique: Sophie Grigson who i stealed it from spells it w/o the exclamation mark but — tho daughter of POET she be – – she is clearly WRONG, as proven by Bopkids Lollardry heretofore. Can be served with rice if you need it bulking up, or hot crusty bread, but as with all fish stews it is DECEPTIVELY FILLING, and will probbly last for days if you have the tupperware. It takes minimum of 90m mins to make: most of this is standing time, tho, as the prep is not arduous
you will need:
1xcasserole/large pan that can take direct heat
4-6 small to medium RED SNAPPERS or equiv* (cost = £12-13, and get the shop to prepare viz descale, gut and fillet) (you can use the head if ur not silly abt FISH EYES)
2-3 red onions, sliced)
4-6 x cloves garlic, sliced (1-2 are for MARINADE)
6-8 allspice berries, crushed (3 are for MARINADE)
juice of 6-10 limes (half juice is for MARINADE)**
red pepper, sliced
1-2 scotch bonnet red chillis DESEEDED*** and sliced small (half of this is for MARINADE)
three pints fish stock (ie water w.2xfish stockcube unless you STOCKPILE yr own STOCK)
B’OKAY GARN(I)ER = bay leaf, thyme, parsley
sunflower oil to soft-fry onions/garlic
salt & pep
DO THIS:
make marinade — half lime juice, garlic, allspice, chilli, salt&pep — and pour over chunked fish (inc heds). Coat well, leave to stand for 1-2 hours. I turn them a fair amount — this may not be necessary.
“sweat” — ie soft-fry — half the onions and remaining garlic for c.10 mins (until onions are seethru, try not to let them brown much)
add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT FISH IN MARINADE: so you have sliced onions, sliced garlic, crushed allspice, lime juice, sliced pepper, sliced chilli, B’OKAY GARN(I)ER, fish stock and water, salt & pep in the bowl
bring to boil (SG sez “roiling boil” — her dad wz an POET)
throw fish and marinade into soup and bring back to boil — BLAFF! is noise fishes make when hit roiling surface (disclaimer: fishes do not make this noise when hitting roiling surface)
IT IS READY — serve and eat****
notes:
*ie my fish ppl only had three so i went with 3xred and 3xYELLOWTAIL SNAPPER (which is similar tho more sea-tasting and smokier) (note portrait is of YELLOWTAIL which is pretty — but this shd really be RED) (there are 200+ difft types of snapper)
**original calls for fewer limeses but i likem and frankly think it could stand MORE
***for full heston b. effect don LATEX GLOVES and GOGGLES while workin with chillis this potent — you will feel the oil airborne and chances are if you use naked mitts you will not wash em properly and later in evening touch eye or nose or gentle organ of choice w/o thinkin and MICHAEL CORLEONE SAYS HULLO!
****OK snapper is BONY! So provide a bowl for everyone’s bones, and be prepared to use fingers. Fish will fall off bones easy enough — you won’t need knives or anything.