This Jamaican Steamed Fish recipe is one I actually became fond of in my tween years. I think it was the soaking of that spicy sauce with Excelsior water crackers. This was the way my Rastafarian stepfather prepared Jamaican Steamed Fish with Okra and Crackers. You can leave out the crackers for a completely keto, Paleo version of a Jamaican Steamed Fish recipe. Either way, you are bound to make a lip smacking meal in which the love of okra shines through. Use grouper or any other meaty fish.
There is a Jamaican proverb that goes “Good friends are better than pocket money.” I have discovered this to be true. My friend Laurence is a retiree in Aruba who is a hobby fisherman and kitchen gardener.
Recently, I messaged him asking if he had any fish and he responded that he had a fresh grouper weighing 1.kg at his house.
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I LOVE grouper so he didn’t have to say another word.
I packed my kid in my car and we drove to get it. This entire recipe was inspired by Laurence and fish he caught and cleaned and the okra he grew in his yard.
Upon arrival, I noticed a familiar bush behind his fence. I inquired what it was. To my joy, he confirmed it to be what I thought it was.
It was sorrel, as we call it in Jamaica and the rest of the English-speaking Caribbean, or Flor de Jamaica in the Spanish speaking territories, Florida cranberry, or hibiscus elsewhere and Roselle or Rosellas in Australia. These are all names for this hibiscus plant group that bears a tangy fruit but not all hibiscus are sorrel And topping that, he invited us in for a tour of his garden.
I collected the fish, and because he had gifted me a package of the word’s best okra last month, I asked if he had any to spare. He did. The rest is a splendid history- and a garden tour of how he transformed his yard from a dessert into a fruitful food forest, using water conservation skills and plumbing tricks he learnt in his career at the national water plant.
I have decided to launch this as a recipe video to illustrate how we cook. Plus for 2021, I am on a mission to help my readers really develop your cooking skills. Whether you book one of my sought after Caribbean Cooking classes or invest in more in-depth cooking courses or buy a recipe e-book, I am giving you multiple ways to learn authentic dishes from scratch.
I want you to learn to cook by taste. So I am not giving measurements in the video. I am teaching you the way my mother, grandmother and other women and men taught me to cook. I also believe it’s the best way to cook. Exact proportions for recipes will be available in the ebook but for the next few months, let’s simply have fun together learning to cook intuitively.
How about that? Tell me how you feel in the comments. In the meantime though, I will share other great recipes with actual specific measurements below. And of course, watch the video for my Jamaican Steamed Fish at the bottom of this post.
Here are other fish recipes available on this site (with printable recipes):
Jamaican Roast Fish (one of my most popular recipes)
Jamaican Steamed Fish Head (a scrumptious keto dish as made by my Mama)
Jamaican Escoveitch Fish (Fried Fish with Homemade Pickle)
Jamaican Brown Stew Fish Recipe
And here is an assortment of Jamaican fish recipes
Jamaican Steamed Fish step by step video recipe
Jamaican Steamed Fish
This Jamaican Steamed Fish is a most delicious way to eat grouper steamed with okra in lots of butter and spices. This is an authentic Jamaican recipe that will be a family favourite.
Ingredients
- 1kg/ 2lbs fresh grouper cut into small sizes and steaks (including head)
- 12 medium okra (more or less depending on the size)
- 2 stalks scallion
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp Maggi all purpose seasoning
- 1/2 tsp ground Jamaican allspice
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 scotch bonnet -seedless (substitute with Aji or habanero)
- 3 cloves garlic
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Watch the video for step by step instructoons!
- Buy Maggi seasoning here
- Buy Excelsior Water Crackers here
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Wow, this recipe looks really delicious and look so easy to make. All the ingredients are available in my kitchen and will definitely be making this for everyone today. Thank you!
So happy to hear!
This recipe looks incredible! I’m a little sad that mine won’t taste quite as fresh as yours! 😉 Still perfection though!
Try it nonetheless and let me know how it goes
This is an amazing post with such beautiful pictures. I have never had grouper and honestly I am a terrible fish cook, but I am going to try this steaming method.
You should! That butter and all those fresh veggies and herbs make for a rich sauce
This looks SO Good!!! What beautiful pictures!
Awwww thanks about my photos!
Lunch couldn’t be any easier! I really loved this Jamaican Fish and so did my family! Soon gonna be on our dining table again!
Farrukh,I am so happy to hear! Recipe for the win!
Fish is always my favorite and your recipe looks delicious and flavorful. I am in for it.
Well get to cooking it soon!
Haven’t had grouper since we were in Key West… yum!
You can substitute with other meaty fish for sure
I love grouper . The combo of grouper with the okra is wonderful. You are so lucky to have it fresh.
That means you will thoroughly enjoy this recipe! Yes I am very blessed.
Such a great grouper recipe. I love all the seasonings and I haven’t had okra in a while but have been craving it. Perfect!
This will hit all the right spots Stine!
Grouper is my favorite fish and I can’t wait to try your flavorful recipe!
You will knock this one out of the park Chef Dennis
I’m trying to cook fish more for my family lately and this Jamaican steamed fish really hit the spot! So much flavor!
Thanks for coming back and sharing that wonderful testimonial
Mmm… I think I just heard my tummy growl. lol. Thank you for making me hungry!
Oooops… I did it again…lol
Oh, neat. I didn’t know Maggi existed outside of Switzerland and Germany! Cool. And what a delicious sounding dish. I’ve never had any kind of steamed fish. Only baked and fried. Time to try this!
I felt the same way about Maggi growing up in Jamaica! You must indeed try this and add it to your repertoire
We love fish but never tried it this way. Would be a great dinner recipe. Amazing pictures too.
Thanks ever so much and yes you must try it this way
What a wonderful story and gorgeous recipe! I love that you created it with items you grew or caught. So special. Can’t wait to try this at home.
Thanks so very much! I used th produce of my friend and the fish he caught!
That’s amazing he transformed his yard from a desert to a fruit garden! I absolutely love hearing stories like that. And the fish looks awesome, too!
Thanks ever so much. Aruba is a desert island and the natural topography is very arid and the soil is sandy
Oh wow! I love to see stories like this and nothing can ever compare with eating own freshly harvested produce. It cannot get any better than that. I love how fresh this fish dish looks and all your dishes really. So inspiring!
OH my goodness, this dish is amazing. My family wanted something with fish so I whipped this up and everyone loved it.