Recipe
🍽️ DINNER
Vincentian Fish Blaff
Firm white fish marinated in lime, garlic, and herbs then gently poached in its own aromatic broth; a Creole classic of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Vincentian · easy · serves 4
prep 20 min · cook 20 min
~275 cal · 32g protein · 12g carbs · 12g fat · 3g fiber · 3g sugars · 2g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Blaff is a Creole classic of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the wider West Indies, a dish of fish marinated in lime and herbs then poached in that same fragrant, peppery liquid. It is to Vincentian cooking what court bouillon is to France, only spicier and more aromatic, scented with lime, allspice, and a whole hot pepper.
The name is said to echo the sound of the fish dropping into the boiling broth. Firm white fish such as snapper or mahi-mahi is steeped for hours (the longer the better) in lime juice with onion, scallion, garlic, parsley, thyme, and sliced hot peppers, which both flavours and gently firms the flesh, a little like , before the fish is briefly cooked in the marinade.
Light and clean, blaff is served with its broth spooned over, alongside rice, ground , or fried , a taste of the islands' Creole and maritime table.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally gluten-, dairy-, nut-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
1 1/2 lbs firm white fish fillets or steaks (snapper or mahi-mahi)
4 limes, juiced
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 , sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
4 whole allspice berries
1 hot pepper (), sliced
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup water
to taste salt
to taste black pepper
Instructions
1
In a bowl, combine the lime juice, onion, scallions, garlic, parsley, thyme, allspice, hot pepper, bay leaves, oil, water, salt, and pepper.
2
Submerge the fish in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.
✎ Chef’s note
The long lime marinade both flavours and gently firms the fish, a little like ceviche, so it holds together when it poaches.
3
Pour the marinade and its aromatics into a pot and bring to a boil for a few minutes.
4
Reduce to a simmer, gently slip in the fish, and poach for about 10 to 15 minutes until it flakes easily.
5
Lift out the fish, spoon the broth over, and serve with rice, ground provisions, or fried plantains.
Kingstown Creole tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Kingstown. Kingstown breakfasts on roasted breadfruit with fried jackfish, the national dish of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Its Creole kitchen leans on ground provisions, callaloo, saltfish, and coconut, with pepper sauce always at hand.
🗺️
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Roasted breadfruit and fried jackfish is the officially named national dish, and the breadfruit is roasted whole over a fire until the skin blackens, then peeled and sliced. Ground provisions, dasheen, yam, eddoes and green banana, do the work of a starch across the rest of the week, and callaloo and coconut fill in the rest.
🌍
North America. North America's table began with Indigenous foodways, the "three sisters" of corn, beans, and squash, plus chiles, tomatoes, and cacao, then layered on colonial, African, and immigrant influences. From Mexico's UNESCO-recognized cuisine to the Cajun and Creole pots of Louisiana and the fiery jerk of the Caribbean, the region turns ancient staples into something new. Barbecue, tacos, gumbo, and mole all carry stories of migration and adaptation.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Roast Breadfruit and Fried JackfishThe national dish of St. Vincent: fire-roasted breadfruit with seasoned fried jackfish and a tomato sauce.
Fried Bakes and SaltfishSautéed salt cod with onion, tomato, and pepper tucked into hot fried bakes, the everyday breakfast of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
DuckanooSweet spiced cornmeal and coconut tied in banana leaves and boiled, a West African legacy sweet of Saint Vincent.
Browse all Saint Vincent and the Grenadines recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Pot or saucepan.
Storing it: Soup keeps 3 to 4 days refrigerated and freezes well. Reheat gently and loosen with a little water or stock if needed.
Make it a Saint Vincent and the Grenadines meal
Peanut PunchDrink
DuckanooDessert
Saltfish BuljolLunch
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Frequently asked questions
What is Vincentian Fish Blaff?
Firm white fish marinated in lime, garlic, and herbs then gently poached in its own aromatic broth; a Creole classic of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Where does Vincentian Fish Blaff come from?
Vincentian Fish Blaff is a Vincentian dish from Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Can Vincentian Fish Blaff be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Vincentian Fish Blaff recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Vincentian Fish Blaff safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Vincentian Fish Blaff take to make?
About 40 minutes total (20 minutes prep, 20 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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