Cayman Coconut Snapper with Cassava

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb snapper or other white fish fillets
• 1 1/2 lb cassava, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 can coconut milk
• 4 tbsp neutral oil, divided
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 Scotch bonnet, left whole
• 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 ripe tomatoes, diced
• 2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs
• Salt and black pepper

Steps

1. Peel the cassava thickly, taking off the bark and the pink layer under it, and cut out the woody central core. Cassava must always be peeled and thoroughly cooked.
2. Boil the cassava in salted water for 20 to 25 minutes, until completely tender and beginning to split. Drain and steam-dry for 5 minutes, then fry in 2 tablespoons of the oil until golden, 8 minutes.
3. Season the fish with the lime juice, salt, and pepper and set it aside while you build the broth.
4. Heat the remaining oil in a wide pan over medium heat and cook the onion and bell pepper with a pinch of salt for 8 minutes, then add the garlic and thyme for 30 seconds.
5. Add the tomatoes and cook for 6 minutes until they collapse, then pour in the coconut milk and drop in the whole Scotch bonnet.
6. Leave the chili whole and lift it out before serving. Broken open, a single Scotch bonnet will make the entire pan too hot to eat.
7. Bring the broth to a bare simmer, never a boil, or the coconut milk will split. Slide in the fish in a single layer.
8. Poach for 6 to 8 minutes without stirring, until the fish is opaque and flakes at 145F (63C). Serve with the fried cassava, the herbs, and lime wedges.

Allergen note: Contains fish and coconut.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.