George McCalman’s Fried Jacks

LISTEN: George McCalman joins Jesse Sparks to talk about this recipe on The One Recipe.

Want to “wake up” your white fish with full flavor? Look no further than George McCalman’s recipe for fried jacks. Jacks is a local tropical fish indigenous to the Caribbean, but you can substitute with any mellow white fish. With a dish so simple and quick, we recommend seeking out a Grenadian curry, which differs from its Indian counterpart, with roots going back to the slave and spice trade. We promise this dish is bound to take your tastebuds to the Caribbean.

Time: 5 minutes prep | 5 minutes cooking | 10 minutes total

Serves: 2-4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 filets jacks, or other white fish

• ¼ cup flour

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1 tsp pepper

• 2 tbsp curry powder

• 1c olive oil

• Lemon wedges

DIRECTIONS 

1. Clean and dry the fish. Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and curry powder in a shallow bowl or plate . 

2. Dip the fish filets in the flour mixture until well coated on both sides .

3. Preheat the oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy-bottomed pan.  When the oil is  hot, ( but not smoking)  carefully place the fish filets  in the pan and let it cook undisturbed  for three minutes.  Then,  turn  them over and continue cooking  for an additional two- three minutes until they are cooked through .

4. Season  with a light dusting of curry powder if desired. Serve with lemon wedges.