Mackerel Rundown recipe

Ingredients

2 Salt mackerels

Lime

1 Scotch bonnet pepper

Onions

Black pepper

Coconut oil

Plum tomatoes

Bell pepper - optional

Fresh coconut milk, coconut powder or canned coconut milk

Pimento (allspice) - optional

Thyme

Salt, if needed 

Instructions

This is an old time Jamaican recipe that each family makes with their own spin on it, so you are invited to do some experimenting with measurements and aromatics to find what suits your taste. 

Put a pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, wash the fish with water and lime juice to clean and remove some of the salt. Add the fish to the pot and bring to a vigorous boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the fish is soft and no longer too salty. Drain and rinse with cool water, then debone and break into smaller pieces.  

Heat pot over medium heat and add coconut oil. Sautee onion, bell pepper, a sprig of thyme, and some chopped scotch bonnet pepper (or leave your pepper whole and add when adding the coconut milk) for 3 minutes. Add black pepper to taste. Add tomato.

Add fish to onion mixture and gently stir. Add black pepper to taste. Add a generous ½ cup of coconut powder and a little over ½ cup of boiling water to the pan along with pimento seeds and stir gently to combine.

Simmer until custard forms. Check seasoning and adjust to taste.

Serve with boiled provisions – green banana, yam, dasheen, coco – fried or roasted breadfruit and fried or boiled dumplings.