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Tambran Tamarind Fish

Tambran Tamarind Fish

Tambran Tamarind Fish

Fish

The Caribbean's tropical climate is ideal for growing tamarind, or tambran as it is colloquially called in Trinidad. Often thought of as a native Indian fruit, tamarind is actually indigenous to Africa but was likely brought to India via trade routes millennia ago. Once transplanted to the subcontinent, tamarind quickly became a staple of Indian cooking and is used in sauces, drinks, desserts and stews. It came to South America and the Caribbean with European colonizers in the 16th century, so was already on the scene when indentured East Indians arrived in the West Indies.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ pounds firm whitefish fillets, such as tilapia or snapper

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • ½ teaspoon ground pepper

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour

  • 3 tablespoons safflower oil, divided

  • 1 shallot, finely chopped

  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • ½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth

  • 1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate

  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

  • 1 small Scotch bonnet chile pepper (see Tip) or other hot pepper, such as serrano

  • 1 cinnamon stick

  • 4 bay leaves

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh culantro (see Tip) or cilantro

Description

  1. Pat fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge each fillet lightly in flour, shaking off any excess.

  2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook undisturbed until golden brown on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the other side, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

  3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and shallot to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is soft, about 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in broth, tamarind and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the sugar is just dissolved, about 1 minute. Add chile, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and lemon zest. Cover and reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

  4. Transfer the fish to a serving platter. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaves; pour the sauce over the fish. Top with culantro (or cilantro).

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