Smoked Mackerel Rundown
Rundown is only one of many names for this earthy Jamaican stew of fish and vegetables simmered in coconut milk. It's “an easy dish with big rewards,” says Melissa Thompson, a British writer and the author of the “Motherland” cookbook (Interlink Books, 2022). She begins by slackening onions in a pan, followed by garlic, yellow yam, tomatoes and red bell peppers. Spices are half the transformation: ginger, allspice and cumin, built to warm; thyme, with its kiss of camphor; bay leaves for a piney depth. Coconut milk is poured over, and the heat is left to do its work. When the yam turns tender, the fish goes in — in Ms. Thompson’s version, adapted for life in England, smoked mackerel takes the place of more classic salted mackerel — and then the coconut milk gets another 10 minutes to “run down” and thicken to near cream. This dish is also known as dip-dip, because diners traditionally scoop up the stew with the likes of boiled dumplings and, here, green bananas, not yet sweet.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1onion, sliced
- 7to 8 ounces yellow yam or pumpkin, peeled, seeded if necessary and chopped
- 2tomatoes, chopped
- 1red bell pepper, sliced
- 3garlic cloves, crushed
- 1(1-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely grated
- ½teaspoon ground pimento (allspice)
- ½teaspoon ground cumin
- 3thyme sprigs, leaves only
- 1 ⅔cups coconut milk
- 2bay leaves
- 6smoked mackerel fillets, skin removed, or 2 (3.5- to 5-ounce) tins smoked mackerel, drained
- Salt (optional)
- 2large green (unripe) bananas (optional)
Instructions
Step 1
In a large, deep frying pan or skillet with a lid, heat about 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes.Step 2
Add the yam, tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic, ginger, pimento, cumin and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, another 5 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and bay leaves, add a splash of water to loosen, then cover and cook down until the yam has softened, 15 to 20 minutes longer.Step 3
Remove the lid, stir in the mackerel and cook until the liquid has thickened, about 10 minutes.Step 4
To make the optional green bananas, heat a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the ends off of each banana, then cut each banana into 2 or 3 pieces. Add to the water and boil until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and discard the peel.Step 5
Serve the rundown with the boiled green bananas, if desired.