Fish Tea

Does that title sound disgusting to you?  It sounded very unappetizing to me when I first saw it on a menu in Jamaica last year.  But our Jamaican companion insisted it was delicious, so Eddy and I gave it a try.  All I can say is, YUMMY!

Fish tea is a traditional Jamaican dish.  It's not really a tea, but rather an aromatic, deliciously spicy soup.  We enjoyed it so much, that the next day we went back to the very same place and ordered the very same thing! 

Last week, Eddy came up to me and announced, "I'm in the mood for fish tea."  Well, it was 10:00 at night and there wasn't much I could do about it then, but the next day I searched online for a recipe.  Most of the recipes I could find online were for a clear broth with fish.  What we had enjoyed in Jamaica was a hearty soup filled with root vegetables, called ground provisions in Jamaica. 

I decided to improvise a recipe of my own and it turned out great.  I bought most of the ingredients at Saigon grocery store on Calhoun St. where they sell whole red snapper (frozen and cleaned) at a very good price.  I spent $33 but ended up with a big pot of soup that fed us for several days.




Here's how I made my Jamaican Fish Tea.....

Ingredients:

4 lbs whole red snapper, cleaned (you can use any other fish you'd like)

10 whole black peppercorns

3 bay leaves

handful of fresh thyme sprigs
2 bottles of clam juice

6 cups root vegetables peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes (I used sweet potatoes, malanga, and yuca)

2 chayote squash, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes

12 scallions, chopped

2 medium onions, diced
3 large cloves garlic, crushed

1 habanero pepper (more or less to taste)
juice of 1 large, juicy lime
salt to taste

Method:

1.  Make sure fish is free of scales.  Cut in half and place in large soup kettle.  Dump in the clam juice and then cover the rest of the way with water.  Add the bay leaves, peppercorns and the thyme.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce to a simmer, cover pot and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.

2.  Strain the broth and return to the kettle.

3.  Add the yuca, malanga, sweet potatoes (Caribbean sweet potatoes have white flesh), chayote, scallions, onions, garlic, and habanero and bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

4.  While the soup is simmering and once the fish has cooled enough to handle, use your fingers to remove it from the bones.  Add the fish to the pot as soon as you are done picking it from the bones and allow it to continue cooking with the vegetables.

4.  When the vegetables are tender, add the lime juice and salt to taste.

*Note: traditional Jamaican fish tea has plantains in it.  As I don't like them, I left them out.  If you like them, add them, but reduce the root vegetables appropriately. *