Granny B's Arima Steam Fish

Pan fried fish cooking in a luxurious tomato sauce flavored with achiote

This is my mother-in-law's version of steamed fish, back in November in the midst of moving I posted an Instagram reel with this recipe. At the time, I knew I would post the recipe but life happens and my memory isn't what it used to be lol. So apologies, sincerely. In this version of steamed fish, the fish is fried and then cooked in a deliciously flavourful tomato sauce. The texture of the sauce is silky and rich because its build on a roux base. A roux is basically flour and oil/fat that is cooked until lightly browned and it adds richness to any sauce. I currently live in Louisiana and this is "roux" country  honestly a lot of dishes are created using a roux base , it's almost a core value of "Nawlins" cuisine, it is taken very seriously.

 The interesting thing that resonated with me is this recipe and the components and preparation bares a lot of resemblance to Cajun Red Gravy. A roux based tomato sauce that is thick but lightly flavoured so the tomato stars and it reminded me of this recipe. Isn't it interesting that there are similarities with subtle differences in all aspects of cooking?

 Traditionally my husband's family will have this dish on Easter weekend and over time I have made it with subtle tweaks but at the heart the recipe remains the same. If you do try this remember to adjust based on your preferences.

Ingredients:

3 fillets fish -white

3-4 Roma tomatoes  cut up

1 cup water

1/2 medium onion sliced

1/2 tablespoon garlic finely minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 scotch bonnet / habanero pepper

2 green onion stalks minced

2 sprigs parsley minced

1/2 tablespoon of achiote / Rouccoo / Annatto paste

1/2 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon brown sugar

 Fish Marinade :

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic finely minced

• 3 leaves cilantro finely minced

• 2 Spanish thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon lime juice

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

 Flour Dredge:

• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon corn flour

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

  Preparation:

1. Season the fish with marinade ingredients and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. 

2. Pre-heat 2  tablespoon vegetable oil on medium heat.  Coat fish using the flour mixture, shaking off excess.

3. Pan fry fish pieces until lightly brown on each side and place on paper towels .

4. Add flour to the fry pan and turn the mixture until it becomes lightly brown.

5. Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, thyme and pepper cook 10 minutes until the tomatoes soften.

6. Add in achiote, Worcestershire, salt, black pepper , sugar and water .

7. Lower heat , cover and cook for 10-12 minutes stirring to ensure the sauce does not thicken too much.

8. Add in fried fish, parsley, green onions and lime juice and cook 5-8 minutes until the fish is completely cooked.

9. Enjoy.