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Jamaica · Cobia

Jamaican Cobia Rundown

Run Dung

Rundown is what Jamaicans call coconut milk cooked down until it turns thick and oily, then loaded with fish, thyme and Scotch bonnet. On the Portland coast it’s a Sunday-morning pot.

  • Prep 20 min
  • Cook 35 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy
Photo: Shameel mukkath · Pexels
Served with: Jamaican Boiled Dumplings and Hard Food ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the fish

For the rundown

Method

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

  1. Season the fish. Toss the cobia with the lime juice, salt and pepper and set it aside while you cook the coconut milk.
  2. Run the coconut down. Pour the coconut milk into a wide heavy pot and boil it, stirring now and then, for 15–20 minutes until it thickens like custard and little drops of clear oil show on top.
  3. Build the sauce. Stir in the onion, garlic, scallions, tomatoes, thyme, pimento and carrot. Lay the whole Scotch bonnet on top and simmer 5 minutes until the onion is soft.
  4. Cook the fish. Nestle the fish chunks into the sauce, spoon some over the top, cover and simmer gently 8–10 minutes until the fish is opaque. Don’t stir hard or it will break up.
  5. Serve. Fish out the pepper and thyme stems, taste for salt and serve hot with boiled green bananas, yam and dumplings.

On the side

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

Photo coming soon
Jamaica

Jamaican Boiled Dumplings and Hard Food

Hard Food

Green bananas, yellow yam and chewy flour dumplings boiled together in one pot. Jamaicans eat it with steamed fish, run down and brown stew, and it keeps a fisherman going all day.

  • Prep 15 min
  • Cook 30 min
  • Serves 4–6
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 4 green bananas
  • 1 lb (450 g) yellow yam (or white yam)
  • 1 sweet potato (optional)
  • 2 tsp salt, for the water
  • 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour (for dumplings)
  • ½ tsp salt (for dumplings)
  • ⅔ cup water (for dumplings, about)
  • 1 tbsp butter, to finish

How to make it

  1. Prep the hard food. Cut the ends off the bananas, slit the skin and peel under running water. Peel the yam and sweet potato and cut into large chunks. Keep in water so they do not darken.
  2. Make the dumplings. Mix the flour and salt, add water little by little and knead into a firm, smooth dough. Pinch off pieces, roll into balls and flatten into thick disks (spinners can be rolled into little logs).
  3. Boil. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the yam and sweet potato and cook 10 minutes, then add the bananas and dumplings. Boil 15–20 minutes more until everything is tender and the dumplings float and are firm.
  4. Serve. Drain, toss with the butter and serve hot with the fish and plenty of its sauce.

More ways to cook Cobia

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Belém, BrazilBrazil-Nut-Crusted Cobia
Rota, SpainCobia a la Roteña
Crete, GreeceCobia Souvlaki with Tzatziki
Virginia Beach, VirginiaVirginia Grilled Cobia with Old Bay Butter