Boiled Fish and Hominy is a traditional Turks and Caicos Islander recipe for a classic breakfast dish of fish steamed on a bed of vegetables served with maize hominy. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Turks and Caicos Islander version of: Boiled Fish and Hominy.
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This breakfast dish of boiled or steamed fish served with hominy (grits) is another of the national dishes of the Turks and Caicos.
Fresh local fish like snapper or grouper is simmered in a savory broth with onions, peppers, and lime, served alongside warm, comforting hominy grits.
Ingredients:
For the Fish:
675g firm white fish (such as snapper, grouper, or cod), cut into large pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, diced
2 small potatoes, peeled and diced
1l water
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 sprig of thyme
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste hot sauce or Guava Peppersauce, to taste
For the Hominy Grits:
1 cup coarse cornmeal or hominy grits
1 tbsp butter or bacon drippings
Method:
Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, diced potatoes, minced garlic and a sprig of thyme to a large, wide, heavy-based pan. Add in 1l water and bring just to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes just begin to soften.
Gently sit the fish pieces on top of the vegetables then add in the fresh lime juice and season to taste with salt, black pepper and hot sauce.
Return just to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 8–10 minutes until the fish is opaque, cooked through and flakes readily with a fork. Do not over-mix during the cooking process so the fish stays in nice chunks.
In the meantime, prepare the hominy grits. In a separate saucepan bring 750ml–1l of salted water to a rolling boil. Slowly whisk in the hominy (or use cornmeal) until fully incorporated. Keep beating the mixture to ensure there are no lumps. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring often until the mixture is thick and smooth. Stir in the butter at the very end of cooking.
Spoon the warm, thick hominy grits into a shallow bowl and gently ladle the hot boiled fish and its rich, spiced citrus stock right over or alongside the grits.
