Jamaican Ackee and Crab Crusted Grouper

Many groupers are important food fish, and some of them are now farmed. Unlike most other fish species which are chilled or frozen, groupers are generally sold alive in markets. Any species are popular fish for sea-angling. Some species are small enough to be kept in aquaria, though even the small species are inclined to grow rapidly. (this is Wikipedia's description) My description is it takes good.

The combination of the popular Ackee and the grouper fish make a wonderful dish. Jamaicans know we can eat this type of cooking for dinner and for breakfast. This recipe is a bit long, but sometimes things done slowly have the best taste.


Fresh Ackee at the market

Recipe:
Ackee & Crab Crusted Grouper
• 1 oz ackee
• 1 oz crab meat
• 1/2 cup rum
• 7 oz grouper
• 1 oz tamarind
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1/2 oz onion
• 1/2 oz garlic
• 1 oz butter
• 3 oz plantain, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Nutmeg to taste
• 2 tablespoon glace for sauce (this is a term for stock, can use stock or 2 Tbsp of instant gravy)
• Optional: 1/2 oz country pepper (similar to bell pepper but hotter)
• Optional: flour tortilla and lime to garnish

Steaming Liquor
• 1/2 cup of wine
• 3 oz butter
• 2 bay leaves

Jerk Sauce
• 1 oz ginger, freshly grated
• 1 branch thyme
• 1 Tbsp honey

Coconut Rundown
• 1/2 oz onion
• 1/2 oz garlic
• 1/2 cup coconut milk, unsweetened
• 1 branch thyme
• 2 oz assortment of fresh bell pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: 1/2 oz country pepper (similar to a bell pepper but hotter)

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Directions

1. Season grouper using half of the country pepper, and all of the tamarind, and cinnamon and leave to soak overnight in a separate container

2. The next day, sear the grouper and set aside

3. The next day, season ackee and crab with salt and pepper to taste

4. Add the rum and marinate the ackee and crab (marinate for 30 minutes)

5. Make the Coconut Rundown (see instructions below)

6. Use the Steaming Liquor to steam grouper: take some foil (8" square), butter this and place in the fish, add 1/2 cup of wine and bay leaves, close the foil and place in moderate oven (the grouper needs to sit in a small pool of cooking liquor within the foil)

7. Make Jerk Sauce (see instructions below); add rum to taste and add glace, boil (do not boil too much, this will make it salty)

8. In a separate pan sauté the onion and garlic, add plantains, butter, and salt and pepper to taste

9. To serve, splash plate with Jerk Sauce

10. Place plantain and onions on a plate with grouper

11. Pour Coconut Rundown over the grouper

12. Top plate with the ackee and crab mixture

13. Place plate under grill or broiler and brown slightly prior to serving

Coconut Rundown Instructions

1. Sauté onions and garlic and peppers

2. Add thyme; pinch your index finger and thumb together and pull the thyme branch between them, the thyme will come off the branch (no need to chop)

3. Add coconut milk and simmer

4. Add country pepper and season with salt and pepper to taste

Jerk Sauce Instructions

1. Mix ginger and honey together

2. Pinch your index finger and thumb together and pull the thyme branch between them, the thyme will come off the branch (no need to chop)

3. Add thyme to mix

Callaloo, Rice and Ackee Cassarole

Well, this is truly a one pot dish. Ackee and callaoo and (Codfish) is usually a great dish. This dish is more from a vegetarian standpoint.

Ackee is Jamaica National Dish. It is still argued whether it is a fruit or vegetable. I count it as a fruit. This is an easy one step dish, that many Jamaicans may use if they don't have any meat, poultry or fish to add.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups RICE
• 2 Tbsps. VEGETABLE OIL
• ½ cup onion (chopped)
• 1 can ACKEES IN SALTED WATER
• 2 tsps. white pepper
• 1 can CALLALOO IN SALTED WATER
• ½ cup milk
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 cup cheddar cheese (grated)
• 1 tsp. paprika

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Cook Rice. Meanwhile, grease casserole dish and set aside.
3. Heat Vegetable Oil in a frying pan and saute chopped onions. Add drained Ackees and white pepper. Set aside.
4. Spread one layer of cooked rice at the bottom of the greased casserole dish and layer Ackees and Callaloo alternately.
5. Cover with the remaining rice. Combine milk and beaten egg and pour over rice. 6. Sprinkle cheese on, and top with paprika.
6. Bake until done or a skewer inserted comes out clean

Ackee and Callaloo Bake

I found this recipe on CarribeanChoice.com I tried it (except we do not have my grace products where I live). I substituted the Grace products for comparable items at my local grocery store. If you have high cholesterol, you can use Parmesan cheese in the can, and sprinkle some on the top (after it bakes).

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 kg. yellow yam
• 1 medium onion
• 1 stalk escallion
• 2 plum tomatoes
• 125 grams cheddar cheese
• 1 can GRACE ACKEES IN SALTED WATER
• 1 can GRACE CALLALOO IN SALTED WATER
• 1 Tbsp. GRACE HELLO SOFT MARGARINE
• 1 tsp. salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp. GRACE VEGETABLE OIL
• paprika (optional)

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

1. Peel and cook yam. Reserve liquid from yam. Chop onion, escallion, tomatoes and grate cheese. Drain Grace Ackees and Grace Callaloo.
2. Crush yam with Grace Hello Soft Margarine, salt, pepper and reserved liquid.
3. Heat one tablespoon oil in a frying pan, and saute onions, escallion and ackees. Set aside.
4. In a greased casserole dish, add a layer of callaloo, then a layer of ackees, and crushed yam, topped off with grated cheese.
5. Place in an oven 350°F until cheese melts and colour is light and brown.

If desired sprinkle with paprika before placing in the oven.