It’s been a while, I know and I do apologise. It has been a hectic couple of months but I’m happy to say that things are settling down now and I should be back in full swing with sharing my journey with IBS. Food is love, and love is worth sharing so I will do my best to continue sharing it with you.
Red Snapper Soup
Ingredients
- 2 bunches Kale, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 1/2 red pepper, chopped
- 4 tbsps Olive oil (guestimate)
- 2 tbsps Madras curry power dissolved in 1 cup water
- 2 tbsps powered vegetable stock, dissolved in 1/2 cup water
- 2 banana peppers, chopped
- 3 white potatoes, diced
- 3/4 cup chopped baby carrots
- 3 green onions, white and green parts chopped
- 1 pack of okro, stems removed and sliced in rounds
- 4-5 shakes of Lea & Perrin Worcestershire Sauce
- 3-4 shakes of Maggi Seasoning
- Ground Ginger to taste
- Paprika to taste
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- 3 whole scotch bonnet peppers
- Salt to taste
- 10 cups water
- 3 whole small red snappers or 1 large red snapper, gutted and tails discarded
Instructions
PREP: Always make sure all of your items are chopped, separated bowls and ready to go, more detail in prep means less time during cooking and reduces mishaps such as overcooking food.
When it comes to kale I pull the leaves from the stems, kale takes long enough to cook so no need for the stems.
SAUTE: In a large stock pot, on medium heat,saute onions, kale and carrots in olive oil for 10 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of salt during saute and stir frequently.
ADD: Madras curry powder mixture. Add vegetable stock mixture. Cook on high for 5 minutes, until bubbling. Stir frequently.
ADD: banana peppers, potatoes, green onions and okra. Cook for 5 mins, stirring frequently. Add ginger, paprika, nutmeg Maggi seasoning and Lea & Perrin to taste.
POUR: 10 cups water and bring heat to high. Bring to a boil.
ADD: scotch bonnet peppers. You will need to add more seasoning to taste at this point, I wanted the ginger flavour light so I focused more on adding Maggi, Lea & Perrin, salt and veggetable stock.
BOIL: Concoction until Kale is cooked through a bit more and potatoes are fully cooked through, it should start smelling up your kitchen at this point. Cut all heads off fish. place carefully in put and make sure it is covered completely by soup. Let boil for 10 minutes. One at a time pull each fish out carefully, remove and discard skin, flake and discard bones.
THROW: fish pieces back into the soup and let simmer for another 30 minutes.
SERVE: and enjoy!
Notes
*Note - this is a rough recipe and measurements can change based on your desired taste or fave veggies.
After-the-fact wisdoms:
1. After speaking with my mom about this recipe, she mentioned the nutritional importance of the fish head. I grew up watching her eat it and its eyeballs. I am not a fan. Either way she is right and strongly recommended I leave the heads attach and discard prior to serving. I will follow this next time.
2. This is a brothy soup and light in nature. If looking to add more, I have boiled rice and gluten-free rice pasta (separately, to preserve texture and taste) and added either or to my soup bowls for lunch during the work week. Changes it up a bit. One-two large-cooking-spoon servings per bowl is all is needed
3. I always cook with the scotch bonnets whole, the inner 'meat' and seeds of the pepper are what add the heavy heat. Have you read about scotch bonnets? They are not for the light hearted. Keeping them whole allows the pepper to gradually heat up your dish in the leftovers without completely overtaking it. If you like living on the edge of your seat and potentially scarring your taste buds then go right ahead, my friend. Sniff and tear away with each bite.
Bon Appetit.
