Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Jerk Fish – for Jamaican week! Recipe
Welcome to Jamaican week!🏝 Kicking off our Caribbean feast with Jerk Fish – pan-fried fish coated with Jamaican jerk seasoning that provides a stack of flavour and makes it crispy. Skinny white fish fillets cook dinner in 3 minutes which makes Jerk Fish a brilliant quick dinner!
Every so often, I love to do every week of recipes for a themed menu. This week, it’s Jamaican week so you can also make your very personal Caribbean feast at residence! Who’s within the temper for some tropical vibes??
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Foremost – this Jerk Fish
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Facet salad – Jamaican Slaw
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Facet – Jamaican Coconut Rice and Peas (beans)
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Dessert – rum and raisin ice cream with out an ice cream maker!
Kicking off Jamaican week with the principle – Jerk Fish!
Don’t have fish? Use the jerk seasoning on chicken, shrimp/prawns or greens. Ideas within the recipe.
Listed here are the spices you want for jerk seasoning. The proper mix of savoury flavour, a touch of spiciness with the signature contact of sweetness. The scent when it hits the pan is intoxicating!
There’s so many spices in Jerk seasoning, for those who’re lacking one (or two…) it’s not the top of the world, you’ll nonetheless find yourself with a terrific Jamaican-(ish) spice mix. Listed here are substitution strategies:
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Garlic powder – extra onion powder, and vice versa
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Dried thyme – oregano
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Brown sugar – 2 tsp caster sugar / superfine sugar
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Cayenne pepper – Pure floor chilli, crimson pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp freshly floor black pepper or omit if you would like not spicy
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Smoked paprika – strange paprika
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Allspice powder – Blended spice
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Cinnamon powder – Strive to not go away this out! It provides an irreplaceable particular contact.
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Nutmeg powder – Extra cinnamon
The fish pictured all through this publish is snapper, pictured under, however jerk seasoning will work with any sort of fish fillet that’s appropriate for pan frying so long as it’s a skinny fillet no thicker than 1.5 cm / 0/6″ on the thickest level. It must be skinny so it cooks by way of inside 3 – 4 minutes else the jerk seasoning will burn.
Snapper is a highly regarded fish right here in Australia, beloved for the delicate, candy, delicate flavour, which isn’t “fishy” in any respect. The flesh is reasonably agency and moist, and fillets are straightforward to cook dinner evenly as a result of they’re flat with a fair thickness (versus, say, salmon, when some fillets have a really thick “hump” (the loin) although you’ll find skinny salmon fillets (the tail finish).
Don’t have fish? You’ll be able to the jerk seasoning on chicken, shrimp/prawns or greens. Ideas within the recipe.
In a nutshell: coat fish within the jerk seasoning then pan fry for two minutes on the primary facet and 1 minute on the second facet. That’s a 3 minute dinner – we’d like extra of those in our life!!!
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Jerk seasoning – Combine the jerk seasoning spices in a bowl.
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Coat – Unfold the jerk seasoning in a tray or plate simply giant sufficient to suit the fish fillets. Then coat every bit of fish with the seasoning, urgent to stick. Shake off extra and placed on a plate. Repeat with remaining fish.
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Pan fry 3 minutes – Warmth oil in a big non-stick skillet over excessive warmth. As quickly as you see the primary small wisps of smoke, place 2 fillets within the pan presentation facet down. Prepare dinner for two minutes on the primary facet till the floor is a deep bronze color with a reddish tinge (don’t let it burn!), fastidiously flip then cook dinner the opposite facet for 1 minute.
Fish is delicate so it’s a must to flip fastidiously. I used to make use of a spatula plus a butter knife or my free hand to regulate the flip so the fish wouldn’t break.
Overlook that! Right here’s how cooks do it:
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Tilt the pan barely so the oil swimming pools on one facet and gained’t splatter on you.
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Flip the fish with a spatula “uphill” so you could have the assistance of gravity slowing down the flip so the fragile fish won’t break.
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Relaxation 2 minutes – Switch the fish to a rack and relaxation for two minutes. It’s greatest to make use of a rack to protect the crispiness of the jerk-crust. Should you use a plate, the underside will sweat and compromise the crispiness. Not the top of the world… however a rack is best!
As soon as rested, switch the fish to a plate and serve!
To serve along with your Jerk fish, two fabulous sides! Jamaican Slaw (shockingly scrumptious) and Jamaican Coconut Rice and Peas. And to finish your Jamaican feast, rum and raisin ice cream with out an ice cream maker! That is a type of recipes I deem to be one thing money-can’t-buy as a result of it has actual rum flavour that you just simply gained’t get in tubs from the retailers.
It is a unfold of significantly good meals. I hope you take pleasure in Jamaican week as a lot as I’ve creating the recipes!!! – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 3 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (reduce to 1 1/2 tsp for table salt)
- 3 tsp dried thyme
- 2 1/2 tsp brown sugar , lightly packed (Note 2)
- 2 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (it's spicy! See SPICE NOTE)
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (sub ordinary paprika)
- 1 1/4 tsp allspice powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
- 4 x 160g/6 oz thin snapper or other white fish fillets , skinless, boneless (up to 1.5cm / 0.6″ thick, Note 3)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Jerk Spice Blend – Mix the Jerk Seasoning spices together in a bowl then spread in a small tray that is just large enough to fit one fish fillet.
- Coat fish – Pat fish dry with a paper towel. Then coat both sides of each fillet with the jerk seasoning, pressing to adhere. Shake off excess, place on a clean plate and coat remaining fish.
- Cook fish – Heat half the oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat. When you see small wisps of smoke, place 2 fillets presentation side down and cook for 2 minutes.
- Flip – the spice crust should be a deep bronze colour with a reddish tinge. Cook the other side for 1 minute until the target internal temperature is 55°C/130°F, or the fish flakes easily at the thickest point.
- Rest on a rack for 2 minutes (to preserve crispy spice crust). Then serve! Recipes for pictured Jamaican sides coming on Tuesday – stay tuned!
Notes
SPICE LEVEL: Packs a good punch of spiciness, as is traditional! But it’s balanced out by the sweetness and other spices. If you can’t handle spicy food, reduce the cayenne. Just start with a bit then taste the spice mix.
1. Spices – There’s so many spices in Jerk seasoning, if you’re missing one (or two…) it’s not the end of the world, you’ll still end up with a terrific Jamaican spice blend! Here are substitution suggestions:
Garlic powder – more onion powder, and vice versa
Dried thyme – oregano
Brown sugar – 1 3/4 tsp caster sugar / superfine sugar
Cayenne pepper – Pure ground chilli, red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper or omit if you want not spicy
Smoked paprika – ordinary paprika
Allspice powder – Mixed spice
Cinnamon powder – Try not to leave this out! It adds an irreplaceable special touch.
Nutmeg powder – More cinnamon
Salt note: 2 tsp may sound like a lot but because we are using thin pieces of fish, there is a lot of surface area to cover, plus you won’t use all the seasoning (you need excess to properly coat fish). We tried this recipe with varying salt levels, and this is the right amount using cooking salt / kosher salt. If using table salt (which is finer), decrease to 1 1/2 tsp.
2. Brown sugar – just scoop then level the teaspoon measure. Don’t pack the brown sugar in tightly before levelling.
3. Fish – This seasoning will be terrific with any fish fillet suitable for pan frying. The only trick here is to use thin fillets up to 1.5cm / 0.6″ at the thickest point so it will cook through in 3 minutes per recipe, before the jerk seasoning turns too dark. Remember – as soon as fish hits the hot pan, it will contract and will increase to around 2cm / 0.8″ thick.
4. Other proteins: Thin chicken breast, thighs or pork steaks (either pound or cut in half horizontally), shrimp/prawns. Toss in seasoning then pan fry.
Vegetables: Par-cook the vegetables on the stove or BBQ then add the seasoning towards the end, else it may burn before you finish cooking the vegetables. Try thick slices of large mushrooms or eggplant steaks for a “meaty” meal. Alternatively, toss vegetables in olive oil + the seasoning then roast using using directions in these recipes (skip the seasonings/flavour, just use cutting, prep, bake temp + time) – broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, eggplant, Roasted Vegetables, Garlic Roasted Mushrooms, roast potatoes.
5. Leftovers will keep for 2 days in the fridge. Not suitable for freezing.
6. Nutrition per fish assuming 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 teaspoons salt is consumed across all 4 fillets. See also Note 1 for salt note.
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