Top 5 Caribbean Dishes

Published on 19 May 2025 at 20:14

Caribbean cuisine is a vibrant tapestry of flavours and traditions, with each region offering its own mouthwatering take on seafood. Dive into these five iconic Caribbean fish dishes that showcase the true essence of the islands. All you need is a few little things and your essential Sunshine Box. Once you've stocked up on the essentials, it's easier to create more dishes. Another cornerstone of Caribbean cooking is the use of bold, aromatic spices and seasonings that bring every dish to life. From fiery scotch bonnet peppers to earthy allspice, these ingredients create a harmony of heat, sweetness, and depth that’s unforgettable. Pair these spices with freshly caught fish, and you have a meal that truly captures the sunny, vibrant spirit of the Caribbean.

Escovitch Fish (Jamaica)

Description

  • This Jamaican classic features whole white fish (often snapper or kingfish) that is fried until crispy on a medium heat and then topped with a spicy, tangy sauce made from vinegar, onions, carrots, bell peppers, garlic, and Scotch bonnet peppers.
  • The dish is typically served with festival (a type of fried dumpling) or bammy. Must add - Pimento berries (also known as allspice or Jamaican pepper)

Instructions

  • Season your fish with salt, pepper, and creole seasoning
  • Heat oil on medium in a large skillet. As soon as it's hot, add the fish and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side until cooked through and crispy. Set it aside or place it in the oven so it stays warm until the sauce is ready. Drain the oil, leaving 2-3 tablespoons behind for the vegetables.
  • Add the bay leaf, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry for about a minute, making sure the garlic doesn't burn.
  • Add the onion, bell peppers, carrots, thyme, scotch bonnet, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and allspice. Cook for 3 minutes.
  • Add the 1 tbsp malt vinegar and mix in
  • Discard the bay leaf before serving the vegetables over the fish. Usually this is served with bammy, if you don't have the time to make these you can flip a few coconut cassava wraps in a hot frying pan until warm.

Grilled Snapper (Various Islands)

Description

 

  • Grilled snapper is popular across the Caribbean, especially in the Eastern Caribbean islands.
  • The fish is often marinated with lime, garlic, thyme, and Scotch bonnet peppers, sea salt and ground black pepper, then grilled to perfection.
  • Optional -slice and deep fry some plantains

Check out our Fish & Rice page for Rice n' Peas 

Flying Fish and Cou-Cou (Barbados)

Flying fish is the national dish of Barbados. The fish is seasoned with a blend of spices, use firm white fish such as  seabass lightly breaded, and fried. It's traditionally served with cou-cou, a side dish

Instructions: Cou-Cou

  • Thinly slice okra and add to boiling water. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Lower the heat. Combine cornmeal with cold water and mix well. Add corn mixture to the okra. Add salt.

  • Mix well and cook on low, stirring constantly with a flat wooden spoon or "cou-cou stick".

  • When mixture breaks away cleanly from the side of the saucepan, the cou-cou is ready.

  • Butter a bowl, turn the mixture out neatly onto it, shaking it so that it takes on the shape of the bowl.

  • Bread and lightly fry the seabass to top dish

Prawn Pepperpot

Description

  • Pepperpot is a rich and flavourful stew from Guyana, traditionally made with meat, however here we used big juicy prawns.
  • Typically used would be locally caught fish, the fish is stewed with cassava, sweet potato, cinnamon, cloves, and hot peppers. 
  • This dish is often enjoyed during Christmas but is popular all year-round. Must add thyme and bay leaf!

Ingredients

  • ½ medium onion, chopped, 1 clove garlic, 1 scotch bonnet, 1 red pepper, 1 cassava, 1 can chopped tomatoes

  • 225g prawns, sprig of thyme. salt & peper to taste. 1 vegetable stock cube sprinkled in th thicken. Coriander to garnish (optional)

Instructions

Chop all the the vegetables and add 1 cup of water, tinned tomatoes and boild gently for 30 minutes. Pull a few leaves from the thyme sprigs and add to the brothy mix. Lastly add the prawns for 5 minutes until pink all the way through

Caribbean Fish Curry

Ingredients:

  • 2 fillets Haddock fillets
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 1 tbsp mild curry powder
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 red pepper chopped
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes with juice
  • ½ can coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp chopped thyme, rest to decorate
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Rub the fish with some salt, curry powder and paprika. Keep to one side while you prepare the other ingredients.
  • Heat oil in a saucepan and add the onions. Cook until soft and translucent while stirring continuously.
  • Add the curry powder, cumin, paprika, garlic and ginger. Continue to stir for about 30 secs.
  • Pour in the red peppers followed by the chopped tomatoes and coconut milk. Add the fish with a dash of salt.
  • Pour in the chopped thyme and cover the pan. Allow to simmer for about 15 mins.