Lorraines Red Stew Fish

The base for this stew sets it apart. Onions, tomatoes, and jalapeños get ground together until pulpy but not liquid, so the sauce keeps a rough, textured body once it cooks down with two cans of tomato paste. Cayenne and seasoning salt push the heat without turning the pot one-note.

Fish goes in whole, not stirred. That single instruction matters: stirring breaks up the pieces, while letting them sit and poach in the simmering sauce keeps the chunks intact and lets the red broth carry the seasoning into every flake. A cornstarch slurry thickens the sauce in the last fifteen minutes, and a stick of butter melts in at the end to round off the edges.

Serve it over rice for the familiar move, or over fufu, the soft, pounded starch that anchors so much West African and Caribbean cooking. Both soak up the red sauce.

Kitchen Tips

• Use a firm white fish like cod, tilapia, snapper, or grouper; flaky fish breaks apart even without stirring.
• Pulse the aromatics in a food processor in short bursts; you want pulp, not a smoothie.
• Taste and adjust the heat before adding the fish, since you can not stir to mix once it is in the pot.
• Add the butter in the last few minutes so it stays glossy on the surface.

Variations

• Use scotch bonnet or habanero in place of jalapeños for a hotter, more fragrant Caribbean lean.
• Swap fish for shrimp or chicken thighs; cook chicken 10 to 15 minutes longer than fish.
• Stir in a handful of okra along with the fish for a thicker, more traditional pot.