A taste of the Caribbean

I like blogging about food. Whether I’m eating in a restaurant or cooking it myself, I have the pleasure of enjoying the meal followed by the creative buzz that derives from writing about it. I’m not reviewing for a Sunday newspaper but I still get the satisfying reward from people telling me that they enjoying following it.

Today it’s a Caribbean fish, sweet potato and spinach curry. It’s a one saucepan recipe, will serve four but can be stretched to serve more easily. On this occasion, I’m using white sweet potatoes and for the fish, fillets of Pollock (one per person).

Instead of chilli powder, I’m adding my favourite West Indian hot pepper sauce which you can buy for about £1 in most supermarkets and Asian stores. As you only use a little, the bottle lasts for ages and can be used in all sorts of hot and cold recipes.

The method plays out in reverse of that described in my Thai chicken curry blog. That is, you start with the onion and spices then add the vegetables and then finally the fish as it cooks quickly.

So, fry an onion and add an orange pepper, some curry powder and the hot sauce. Stir in and add a tin of tomatoes (I like to throw in one or two fresh ones too) and a large sweet potato, which is first cut into small cubes. Next, add coconut milk and vegetable stock and leave to simmer until the potato is softened.

This is a great dish if you are having guests over because the first steps can all be done before they arrive and the base left to cool until you’re ready to eat. About ten minutes before serving, cut the fish into chunks and add to the saucepan, along with the fresh spinach and then leave to heat through fully. Give it a final stir and there you have it. A taste of the Caribbean.