Passport & Plate - Whitefish and Okra Stew with Scallion Pancake
Trinidad & Tobago | Friday, March 6, 2015 | 5 photos
Ingredients
FOR STEW
2 lbs fresh whitefish, such as swai, tilapia, or orange roughy
2 tbsp Goya adobo seasoning
1 envelope Goya Sazon con Achiote seasoning
2 c frozen chopped okra
1 large onion, chopped (about one cup)
5 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced (about one cup)
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp hot pepper sauce (Barron’s West Indian Hot Sauce recommended)
1/4 c fish or seafood stock, or salted water
FOR SCALLION PANCAKES
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting work surface
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup toasted sesame seed oil
2 cups thinly sliced scallion greens
canola oil for frying
salt
How to prepare this recipePlace flour in bowl of food processor and turn on. Slowly drizzle in 3/4 c of water. Process for 15 seconds, then add water a tablespoon at a time, until it just comes together. Transfer to floured work surface and knead to form a smooth ball. Cover with plastic wrap or damp towel and allow to rest at room temp while you prepare stew.
Heat canola oil in heavy pot on medium. Add frozen okra carefully - ice crystals may cause popping. Sauté for 5 to 7 min as okra thaws and begins to render slime. Cook until slime is reduced by at least a quarter. Add chopped onions and continue to sauté until onion is tender. Add ketchup and pepper sauce, and sauté until mixture dries out and fond forms, about 3 min. Deglaze with stock and once fond is dissolved, add tomatoes. Sauté until tomatoes begin breaking down, about 4 min, then push vegetable mixture to perimeter of pot and add fish. Cook 2 min, then stir gently to incorporate. Reduce heat to med-low, cover, and simmer 15 min or until fish is tender. Adjust seasoning.
On floured surface, divide dough in four. Roll one section out into a disk about 6 inches diameter. Using a brush or fingers, paint a very thin layer of sesame oil over the top of the disk. Roll disk up like a jelly roll, then twist roll into a tight spiral, tucking the end underneath. Flatten gently with your hand, then re-roll into disk. Paint with another layer of oil, sprinkle with 1/2 cup scallions, and roll up like a jelly roll again. As before, twist into spiral, flatten gently, and re-roll again. Repeat with remaining dough.
????Heat oil in nonstick or cast-iron over medium-high heat until shimmering. Shallow fry until golden brown, about 2 min per side. Drain on paper towels, salt, and serve with stew.
The story behind this recipeAlthough I was raised in America, my culinary upbringing is straight Carib. Immigrating from Trinidad when I was four, we promptly assimilated everywhere but the kitchen-- fry bake and salt fish, tomato chutney and hot sweet milky tea was my balanced breakfast.
I'd head off to school with my insulated lunchbag, where I couldn't miss the difference from my peers’ brown bagged sandwich/drink/treat combo. But as I opened my thermos to a delicious, still-warm meal of callaloo, chicken and pigeon peas, I was pleased as punch- I rarely met a meal l didn't like, and had no love lost for the bruised bananas and squished sandwiches I saw across the lunchtable. (although I learned what I was missing: at age 20, my first PBJ was a revelation. I promptly ate three more tender sweet-and-salty sandwiches, leaving me sticky-fingered and slightly ill.)
For my mother, cooking and eating at home minded the budget, made for bonding time and prep help, and helped soothe homesickness and the stress of single motherhood. Unable to afford a trip back to the islands, her homecooking was my cultural tie, and its diversity would shape my future. Caribbean food, a literal melting pot of Indian, African, Asian, native, and Euro influences, sparked the adventurous eater in me- chicken nuggets or fries weren’t an option, and now I’d choose fragrant pho over potatoes any day. Saltfish stew was one of my favorite specialties; I helped make over a dozen variations. California living has shaped this version to include fresh fish, more veggies and replace boiled dumplings with a crispy scallion pancake.
Last year, I returned to Trinidad for the first time, husband and mother in tow, and despite the passage of a quarter century, I was uncannily home. Now, every time I serve this dish, past and present satisfyingly combine.
