Easter In The Caribbean

Jamaican Escovitched Snapper Fish

By Minna LaFortune

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Mar. 18, 2016:  Fish is King at the dinner tables in the Caribbean region and the Diaspora at Easter.

Fresh fish dishes in the Caribbean and in the Diaspora are popular year round, but during Easter, fish dishes are on every dinner menu. Fesh fish dishes will be prepared in many homes with the freshest herbs and spices. Fish will be fried, Escovitched, roasted and steamed.

Some of the  types of fish consumed in the Caribbean and by Caribbean nationals the world over during Easter are:

Snapper fish

Goat fish

Parrot fish

Butter Fish

Doctor fish

King fish

Jack fish

Sprat

Because of the high demand for fresh fish at Easter and the unusually long lines at the fish shop, the price of fish usually  increases. Notwithstanding the high prices, fresh fish is King at Easter on the dining tables of Caribbean nationals the world over.

Selecting fresh fish is a skill and critical to a delicious fish meal. To help you select the best fresh fish for your meals use the following to guide you before you make a purchase your fresh fish.

1: Look for bright, clear eyes. Dull-eyed fish may be safe to eat, but they are past their prime.

2: Smell the fish.  A fresh fish should smell like clean water. Never buy smelly fish.

3: Look at the fish’s gills. They should be a rich red. If the fish is old, the color of the gills would be dark red.

For Easter. I will share with you the recipe for the popular Jamaican Escovitched Snapper Fish. You may also use parrot, King, or Sprat fish.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lb. large Snapper

2 medium onions sliced

I small chopped Scotch Bonnet Pepper

Salt & Pepper

12 pimento seeds

Oil for frying

A 1/2 cup of  Vinegar

METHOD:

Wash fresh snapper fish with lime or lemon and season with salt and black pepper.

Marinate for one to two hours.

Dry fish, and fry fish until completely cooked.

Put fried snapper fish in a deep dish to cool.

In a separate pot, sauté the onions, and pepper in 1/4 cup of oil. Add vinegar and pimento seeds. Bring to a boil for one minute. Remove from heat.

Pour hot vinaigrette over fried snapper. Serve with buttered hard dough bread or with Bammy.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Minna LaFortune is a trained Caribbean caterer and also president, Society for the Advancement of the Caribbean Diaspora (SACD). Check out her food group on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/bestfoodscaribbean/