Jamaican dishes are full of complex flavors, and my Brown Stew Porgy Fish is no exception. Don’t be put off by the number of ingredients; it’s simpler than you think. Jamaicans take pride in preserving the traditional food culture and practices.
This traditional recipe has several variations. Despite minor changes in the ingredients, the flavor will remain prominent. This porgy fish dish will go well with any of the following sides:
Yogurt Cornbread with Prune Infused Red Wine
Renz in her blog showcases 17 Caribbean Side Dishes that she claims will turn any meal into a feast.
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If you do not own a Gourmia Air Fryer, here are my links for your shopping convenience.
Jamaican Style Brown Stewed Porgy Fish
Here are all the ingredients you will need.
Below are some amazon ingredient links for your shopping convenience.
Badia Complete Seasoning
Badia Dried Thyme Leaves
Fresh Garlic
Olive Oil
Your kitchen will need one of these kitchen cookwares and utensil. Click on each for more detailed information and your shopping convenience.
Easy Brown Stewed Snapper & Porgy Fish
Jamaican Style Brown Stewed Porgy Fish Recipe.
Equipment
- Aluminum Pot
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Spoon
- Garlic Press
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Fish Ingredients
- 5 lbs 4 Whole Fish (Snapper + Porgies)
- 4 tbsp. Complete Seasoning
- 3 tbsp. Black Pepper
- 3 tsp. Salt
Seasoned Flour
- ½ cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp. Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp. Salt
All In The Brown Stewed Sauce
- 2 medium Onion, sliced
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 medium Romain Tomatoes
- 1 sprig Fresh Thyme
- 2 stalks Scallion (green onions),
- 1 small Scotch Bonnet Pepper
- 2 tbsp Pimento Seeds
- 1 medium Green Sweet Pepper, sliced
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- ½ cup White Cane Vinegar
- 1 medium Carrot, julienne
- 2 tbsp Ginger, grated
- ¼ cup Tomato Ketchup
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
Prepare The seasoning.
- On a cutting board, cut the onions into rings about ½ inch thick with a knife. (b) Cut the scallion into 1-inch pieces.(c) Crushed garlic cloves with a garlic press. (d) Cut the tomatoes into cubes and the sweet pepper into 1-inch strips.(e) Julienne the carrots and half the scotch bonnet pepper. Grate the ginger with a grater or a blender.
Let's Prepare The Fish
- These fish were purchased from my neighborhood fish market. Inflation has driven up the cost of fish and seafood. Any type of fish can be stewed. However, in my experience, fish with bones have more flavor than boneless fillet fish.
- In this recipe, I use three porgies and one snapper fish. Snapper fish is widely used in Jamaican cuisine. Both types of fish have a high meat content, making them ideal for Brown Stewing.This is an optional step. However, this is a must in the Caribbean or Jamaican cooking. Fish should be washed in lemon juice or vinegar water. This is said to reduce the fishy smell and thus enhance the flavor.
- I prefer to score my fish. Scoring fish and chicken is a common practice in Jamaican cuisine. This step, however, is optional. Make 2-3 incisions in the flesh of each side of the fish with a knife. This allows for faster cooking and easier flavor penetration.
- Combine complete seasoning, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Season the fish by rubbing the mixture on the outside and inside of the gut cavity. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Season flour with salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper on a plate or rectangular container. Dredge each fish lightly in seasoned flour.This step served two functions: (1) It absorbs moisture from the fish's surface. (2) The flour and oil combine to form a roux, which thickens and flavors the sauce.
- In a large aluminum or skillet pan, heat oil for 2 minutes. Place each fish gently in the hot oil. This step is not to cook the fish, but to brown the outside and seal its natural juices. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
- Remove the browned fish and set them aside.
Let's Prepare The Sauce
- Dump the sliced onions, crushed garlic, fresh thyme, scallions, pimento seed, grated ginger, hot pepper, sweet pepper, and carrot in the same pan where the fish was fried. If you do not have access to fresh thyme, dried thyme work just as well; see shopping link.
- Toss seasoning in the remaining oil with a wooden spoon. Allow 2 minutes for the seasonings to release their natural oils and juices. Pour the vinegar, ketchup, and water into the vegetable mixture. Stir and continue simmering over medium heat for 3 more minutes.
- Place the browned fish in the vegetable sauce. Allow the fish to stew in a covered pan for 5 minutes. The sauce will reduce to a sweet, thick consistency.
- Turn off the heat and serve while still warm. This recipe serves about 4-6 people. Any starchy side dish can be served with stewed fish (rice, dumplings, pasta, starchy root vegetables: yams, green banana, cassava).I served mine with a delicious buttery broccoli rice.
Video
You will also love this Jerk Chicken Mac and cheese recipe. Click HERE for the recipe.
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This definitely seems delicious!!! I am not a great cook but I think I can pull through this one. Thank you for this great suggestion!
This looks lovely! My hubby is Aussie, and a big fan of fish, so I’d have to give this to him to cook. Then tell him to chop off the head as I can’t eat anything with eyes – lol! Yummo!
Lindsay | https://thetravelvine.blog/
That looks absolutely delicious! Great plate presentation, too! I love snapper, but I’ve never had porgie. I’m going to have to be adventurous! ;)
Appreciate the love Guys. Thanks for stopping by.
This looks amazing! I never tried porgies or snappers, so I have to try this asap! I have to show this to my sister as she loves anything done with fish and we have to widen our horizons! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks you Cristina
I have never tried any of these before. They look and sound interesting. Thank you for sharing this post.
Lauren – bournemouthgirl
Thank you Lauren.
Thanks for the comment lauren; I appreciate you dropping by.
You just made me so hungry! This Jamaican Style Brown Stewed Porgy Fish Recipe looks amazing!!! Thank you for posting helpful pictures of the process with lots of detail. Thank you for this interesting and delicious recipe!
Thank you for the kind words. Appreciate you dropping by.
Even though I can’t eat this; the flavour combinations sound wonderful — what a cool recipe!
Sorry you are unable to eat fish. I appreciate your comment and kind words.
I have never really eaten Jamaican food before but I would love to try it out. That dish looks really good and it’s always great to try out new foods from different cultures.
Thanks for dropping by Shannon. When you eat Jamaican food, you never go stop. Hope you get to try this fish dish and other delicious Jamaican cuisines.
This was a delicious dish. My husband loved it a lot. Made it again today for dinner. with rice and pigeon peas.
Thank you. I am glad your family enjoyed my stewed fish.