Jamaican Grilled Stuffed Red Snapper
By Dionne ReidPublished on June 5, 2023
Time
2 hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Stuffing
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 6 scallions, sliced thin (½ cup)5 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger ½ teaspoon minced Scotch bonnet chile 4 ounces okra, trimmed and chopped (½ cup)½ teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon pepper ¼ teaspoon ground allspice 8 ounces callaloo, stemmed and cut into ½-inch pieces (6 cups)2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantroFish
3 scallions, minced (¼ cup)8 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon table salt 1 teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon brown sugar ¼ teaspoon pepper ¼ teaspoon ground allspice ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon cayenne 4 (1- to 1¼-pound) whole snapper, scaled, gutted, fins snipped off with scissors¼ cup cane vinegar 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 piecesLime wedgesBefore You Begin
Callaloo, also called green leaf amaranth, can be found at Caribbean markets and farmers' markets. If you can't find it, substitute red leaf amaranth, also called Chinese spinach, or collard greens; the latter will taste slightly bitter. You can substitute mild-tasting cane vinegar, sold in Caribbean and Asian markets, with white vinegar; Scotch bonnet chile with habanero; and red snapper with branzino, grouper, or black sea bass.
Instructions
- Melt butter in 12-inch nonstick or carbon-steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions, garlic, thyme, ginger, and Scotch bonnet and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add okra, salt, pepper, and allspice and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add callaloo and cook, stirring frequently, until callaloo has wilted and okra is slightly softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl, stir in cilantro, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool. (Stuffing can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated.)
- Combine scallions, garlic, salt, onion powder, brown sugar, pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and cayenne in bowl. Rinse snapper under cold running water and pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Using sharp knife, make three ¼-inch-deep slashes 1 inch apart along both sides of each fish. Working with 1 fish at a time, rub inside and outside with 1 tablespoon vinegar. Massage one-quarter of scallion-spice mixture into skin, slashes, and cavity of fish. Open cavity and fill with one-quarter of stuffing.
- Cut four 18 by 12-inch pieces of foil. Spray center of foil with vegetable oil spray. Place 1 stuffed fish in center of each piece of foil. Top each fish with 2 pieces of butter. Bring long edges of foil together and crimp to seal tightly. Roll up ends to form sealed packet. (Packets can be assembled 24 hours in advance and refrigerated.)
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high; cover; and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-high.
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Place foil packets on grill, seam side up, perpendicular to grate bars. Cook, covered, for 8 minutes. Using 2 thin spatulas, flip foil packets over, then cover grill and continue to cook until thermometer inserted (through foil) into thickest part of fish registers 140 degrees, 4 to 8 minutes longer.
- Transfer foil packets to rimmed baking sheet, flipping each packet so it is seam side up. Let fish rest in packets for 5 minutes. Serve fish in individual packets, or carefully open packets and slide fish onto plates. Serve with lime wedges.
for the stuffing
for the fish
Time
2 hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Stuffing
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 scallions, sliced thin (½ cup)
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
½ teaspoon minced Scotch bonnet chile
4 ounces okra, trimmed and chopped (½ cup)
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
8 ounces callaloo, stemmed and cut into ½-inch pieces (6 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Fish
3 scallions, minced (¼ cup)
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cayenne
4 (1- to 1¼-pound) whole snapper, scaled, gutted, fins snipped off with scissors
¼ cup cane vinegar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
Lime wedges
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Stuffing
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 scallions, sliced thin (½ cup)
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
½ teaspoon minced Scotch bonnet chile
4 ounces okra, trimmed and chopped (½ cup)
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
8 ounces callaloo, stemmed and cut into ½-inch pieces (6 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Fish
3 scallions, minced (¼ cup)
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cayenne
4 (1- to 1¼-pound) whole snapper, scaled, gutted, fins snipped off with scissors
¼ cup cane vinegar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
Lime wedges
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Stuffing
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 scallions, sliced thin (½ cup)
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
½ teaspoon minced Scotch bonnet chile
4 ounces okra, trimmed and chopped (½ cup)
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
8 ounces callaloo, stemmed and cut into ½-inch pieces (6 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Fish
3 scallions, minced (¼ cup)
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cayenne
4 (1- to 1¼-pound) whole snapper, scaled, gutted, fins snipped off with scissors
¼ cup cane vinegar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
Lime wedges
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
In Jamaica, cooks rub whole snapper with a fragrant spice paste; stuff it with chopped, highly seasoned callaloo and okra; seal it in a foil pouch; and grill it until the fish and stuffing are moist and deeply fragrant. Applying the paste both inside and out—including into slashes cut into the skin—helped the aromatic flavors penetrate the flesh. Bulking up a traditional callaloo sauté with chopped okra gave the stuffing some grassiness as well as silkiness and body that helped it pack tightly in the snapper's cavity; ginger, scallions, garlic, fresh thyme, Scotch bonnet chiles, and cilantro seasoned it deeply. Topping each fish with butter added richness and basted the fish during cooking.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
Callaloo, also called green leaf amaranth, can be found at Caribbean markets and farmers' markets. If you can't find it, substitute red leaf amaranth, also called Chinese spinach, or collard greens; the latter will taste slightly bitter. You can substitute mild-tasting cane vinegar, sold in Caribbean and Asian markets, with white vinegar; Scotch bonnet chile with habanero; and red snapper with branzino, grouper, or black sea bass.
Instructions
- Melt butter in 12-inch nonstick or carbon-steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions, garlic, thyme, ginger, and Scotch bonnet and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add okra, salt, pepper, and allspice and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add callaloo and cook, stirring frequently, until callaloo has wilted and okra is slightly softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl, stir in cilantro, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool. (Stuffing can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated.)
- Combine scallions, garlic, salt, onion powder, brown sugar, pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and cayenne in bowl. Rinse snapper under cold running water and pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Using sharp knife, make three ¼-inch-deep slashes 1 inch apart along both sides of each fish. Working with 1 fish at a time, rub inside and outside with 1 tablespoon vinegar. Massage one-quarter of scallion-spice mixture into skin, slashes, and cavity of fish. Open cavity and fill with one-quarter of stuffing.
- Cut four 18 by 12-inch pieces of foil. Spray center of foil with vegetable oil spray. Place 1 stuffed fish in center of each piece of foil. Top each fish with 2 pieces of butter. Bring long edges of foil together and crimp to seal tightly. Roll up ends to form sealed packet. (Packets can be assembled 24 hours in advance and refrigerated.)
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high; cover; and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-high.
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Place foil packets on grill, seam side up, perpendicular to grate bars. Cook, covered, for 8 minutes. Using 2 thin spatulas, flip foil packets over, then cover grill and continue to cook until thermometer inserted (through foil) into thickest part of fish registers 140 degrees, 4 to 8 minutes longer.
- Transfer foil packets to rimmed baking sheet, flipping each packet so it is seam side up. Let fish rest in packets for 5 minutes. Serve fish in individual packets, or carefully open packets and slide fish onto plates. Serve with lime wedges.
for the stuffing
for the fish
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Appears In
Keep Exploring
My Rating
This is a members' feature.
0 Comments