Jerk Whole Red Snapper

Lucky for us, a new butcher and fishmonger has opened up a five minute walk from my house!! So at the weekend we took a walk over to buy some fresh fish for dinner. It didn't take long to choose - the red snapper looked amazing.

Having never cooked red snapper before, I wasn't sure what to expect...although I have heard its slightly sweet and firm and works well in Caribbean cookery. Having always got a jar of my homemade jerk paste (recipe here) in the fridge - I knew what we would be having. Served with some rice and peas (yes its kidney beans, but this dish you don't actually use green peas). Perfect!

You can use shop bought jerk paste, or even jerk seasoning if you like.

Ingredients:

2 x red snapper, gutted and de-scaled
3-4 tbsp. jerk paste
drizzle of oil

Cut slashes into the fish sides and spread the paste in and around them. Leave to marinade for an hour if you have the time. Place onto a baking sheet and drizzle with just a little oil.

Heat the oven to 220 C and bake the fish for 20 minutes, turning over fish half way through cooking time.

For the rice and peas accompaniment:

Ingredients:

150g rice (I use basmati)
1 small onion, chopped finely
200ml coconut milk
200ml water
200g tinned kidney beans, rinsed
1 tsp. dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Fry the onion in 1 tbsp. oil until soft and add the rice. Stir briefly over a high heat and then add the coconut milk and water. Turn the heat to low and cover. Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the beans, thyme and seasoning. Warm through. 

Serve the fish whole on the rice and peas and sprinkle with chopped spring onion. Enjoy!