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Haiti · Amberjack

Haitian Poached Fish in Lime and Pepper Broth

Pwason Gwo Sèl

“Big salt fish” is how Haitians poach the day’s catch: steaks soaked in lime and epis, then simmered in a light broth of onions, peppers, thyme and a whole Scotch bonnet. Clean, bright and full of flavor.

  • Prep 20 min + 30 min marinating
  • Cook 25 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy
Photo: loppear · CC BY 2.0
Served with: Haitian Rice and Red Beans ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the fish

For the broth

Method

Step by step, the way it is done on the island.

  1. Clean and marinate. Rub the steaks with a cut lime and rinse. Toss with the lime juice, coarse salt and epis and refrigerate 30 minutes.
  2. Start the broth. In a wide pot heat the oil and cook the onion, peppers and garlic 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
  3. Simmer. Add the water, thyme, parsley, cloves and the whole Scotch bonnet. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes.
  4. Poach the fish. Lay the fish and its marinade in the broth. Cover and simmer gently 10–12 minutes, spooning broth over now and then, until the fish flakes at the bone.
  5. Finish. Swirl in the butter, taste for salt and pepper and lift out the Scotch bonnet before it bursts. Serve the fish in shallow bowls with plenty of broth over diri kole.

On the side

The side dish that belongs with it, full recipe included.

Haiti

Haitian Rice and Red Beans

Diri Kole ak Pwa

Rice cooked with red beans, epis, cloves and a whole Scotch bonnet until every grain is rich and rosy. In Haiti it is the rice for Sunday and for fried fish.

  • Prep 15 min
  • Cook 45 min
  • Serves 6
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, drained, liquid saved (or 1 cup dry, cooked)
  • 1½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp epis (Haitian seasoning base) or 3 garlic cloves + 2 scallions, minced
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2¾ cups liquid: the bean liquid plus water
  • 1 tsp salt

How to make it

  1. Fry the beans. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the beans and fry for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until they start to crisp. This gives the rice its color and flavor.
  2. Add the seasoning. Stir in the epis, cloves and thyme and cook 2 minutes.
  3. Boil the liquid. Add the liquid and salt and bring to a boil. Taste: it should be a little saltier than you like.
  4. Cook the rice. Stir in the rice and boil uncovered until the liquid drops to the level of the rice. Lay the whole pepper and butter on top, cover tightly and cook on low for 20 minutes. Remove the pepper and fluff.

Photo: jeffreyw · CC BY 2.0

More ways to cook Amberjack

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Gran Canaria, SpainCanarian Fish Sancocho
Lima, PeruPeruvian Amberjack Anticuchos
Messina, Sicily, ItalyGrilled Amberjack with Salmoriglio