Blue Runner Braised in Tomato Sauce, by Nicole Greaux

Blue runner (Caranx crysos)

Blue runner cleaned, scaled, fins clipped and gills removed

Seasonings

1 ea lime

½ tsp / 3 g salt

1 ea medium onion chopped

2 ea medium tomato diced

¼ tsp / .5 g pepper sauce

2 ea green onion sliced, white and most of green part

3 ea cloves garlic crushed

2 ea sprigs of thyme stem removed use only leaves

Preparing the Fish

1. Separate head and 3 inches from base of tail, cut rest of fish into 1-inch steaks.

2. Add water to a large bowl, enough to cover the fish, squeeze in the lime juice and add lime halves squeezing these between your fingers as well.

3. Swirl the fish around in bowl to rinse.

4. Remove one steak at a time and set aside to drain or pat dry.

5. In a large bowl, add onion, garlic, tomatoes, salt, green onion, pepper sauce and thyme leaves, put fish in this bowl and mix to season. Let marinate for about 30 minutes covered in fridge. (This step can also be done hours in advance and kept in refrigerator).

Cooking the Fish

16 fl oz. / 473 ml vegetable oil for frying fish

Flour, cornstarch or arrowroot- enough for dusting the fish for frying

1. Put oil in frying pan or fryer and heat on high.

2. Knock seasoning off fish back into the bowl and dredge entire piece through, dusting off excess. Repeat this with each piece.

3. Add fish to hot oil and fry for about 3 minutes on each side.

4. When cooked, remove and put on a rack or plate with paper towel to drain excess oil.

Finishing the Sauce

2 tbsp / 30 ml olive oil

1¼ tsp / 18 g tomato paste

6 fl oz / 177 ml water

1. In a wide pan or pot, on medium heat, add olive oil.

2. Scrape all ingredients saved in bowl into pan, stirring now and then for about 3 minutes.

3. Add tomato paste and stir until incorporated. Then, add butter, add water and stir, bring to a simmer and add fish.

4. Gently stir fish around in sauce spooning some over the fish, keep a simmer for about 5 or 6 minutes with pan uncovered.

5. Gently move fish around in pan once more. Turn off heat. DONE!

Nikole Greaux was born in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and grew up on an island in the middle of the Charlotte Amalie Harbor. She learned to fish for fun, and for food at an early age. Nicole and her husband come from a family of fishers. She is currently the CFMC Fisheries Liaison for St. Thomas and St. John, and a fervent advocate of sustainable seafood practices in the U.S. Virgin Islands.