Breakfast
Boiled Fish with Johnnycake
Ingredients
- - 700 g (1.5 lb) fresh grouper or snapper, cut into steaks
- - 2 limes, juiced
- - 1 onion, sliced
- - 1 tomato, chopped
- - 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
- - 1 small scotch bonnet pepper, whole
- - 2 small potatoes, peeled and quartered
- - 4 cups (1 l) water
- - Salt and black pepper, to taste
- - 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- - 1 tbsp baking powder
- - 2 tbsp sugar
- - 1/2 tsp salt
- - 3 tbsp butter, cold
- - 3/4 cup (180 ml) milk
Method
- Rub fish steaks with lime juice, rinse and set aside.
- In a large pot, combine water, onion, tomato, bell pepper, whole scotch bonnet and potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook 8 minutes.
- Add fish steaks, season with salt and pepper, and simmer gently 10-12 minutes until the fish and potatoes are tender. Remove scotch bonnet before serving.
- For the johnnycake, whisk flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together. Rub in cold butter until crumbly.
- Stir in milk to form a soft dough. Shape into a flat round about 2 cm (3/4 in) thick.
- Fry the johnnycake in a well-greased heavy skillet over low-medium heat, 8-10 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through (or bake at 180°C/350°F for 25 minutes).
- Slice johnnycake and serve alongside bowls of boiled fish and broth.
Introduction: Boiled fish is a lighter, brothier cousin of stew fish, favoured in the Out Islands where fresh catch is simmered simply with lime, onion and pepper.
Cultural Background: Boiled fish is a lighter, brothier cousin of stew fish, favoured in the Out Islands where fresh catch is simmered simply with lime, onion and pepper. It is always paired with johnnycake, a dense pan-fried or baked cornmeal bread, to soak up the peppery broth.
Tips: Cook johnnycake low and slow so the centre cooks before the outside burns. A toothpick should come out clean.
Variations: Some cooks add a splash of coconut milk to the broth for richness. Johnnycake can also be deep-fried into smaller rounds.
Vegetarian/Vegan: No authentic vegetarian or vegan conversion exists for this dish; none has been forced.
Storage: Refrigerate broth and johnnycake separately for up to 2 days in airtight containers.
Reheating: Reheat broth gently on the stovetop. Warm johnnycake slices in a dry skillet or toaster oven.
Nutrition: Approx. 460 kcal, 26 g protein, 48 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat per serving.
FAQs:
Q: What is johnnycake made from? A: A simple pan-fried or baked bread made from flour, baking powder, butter and milk — no cornmeal is used despite the name, in the Bahamian version. Q: Can I use frozen fish? A: Yes, thaw completely and pat dry before adding to the broth.
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