"Pwason Gwo Sel"
​Haitian Fish Stew

If you have followed along with my recipes for some time, then you know that although I love fish, I can't stand dealing with the bones when it's not a fillet. But I sure do love a good red snapper. Another great red snapper dish that is a traditional Haitian staple is "Pwason Gwo Sel". You can also find it spelled as "Poisson Gros Sel".  The literal translation is "fish with big salt" aka "course salt". But to sum it up, this is a basic fish stew that's Haitian style. This dish is NOT meant to be salty in any way. There are several different approaches to making this dish and this particular variation is my mom's take. The seasonings she uses are simple and yet still give great flavor even though it may be a bit different to what you may have seen. What's even more exciting is that this recipe is accompanied by a video demonstration which you can find below with my mother narrating it for the first time. Please be sure to check it out!
I do have a few important things to point out for this recipe, especially when it comes to the ingredients and amounts. My mother is cooking 6 small red snappers in this recipe. That does not mean you have to cook 6! This recipe can easily be adjusted for the amount of fish you want to make. For the Goya Adobo and Seasoned Salt, use a mixture of 1 part Adobo and 1/4 part Seasoned salt. So for example, if you use 1 tsp. of Adobo, add 1/4 tsp. of Seasoned salt and combine it together. You really want to be careful of how much seasoned salt you use in order not to make the dish salty. Although the title of the recipe is "BIG SALT", you don't want to use too much of it. Just remember, you can always add more salt (or seasoning) later, but if you put too much in, you can't take it out. 

Ingredients:

Red Snappers
2-4 tbsps. Epis
3-4 Cloves Garlic, crushed
Bell Peppers, sliced (color of your choice)
Onions, sliced (color of your choice)
1 Lime
2-4 tbsps. Olive Oil
Goya Adobo
Seasoned Salt
4-5 Cloves
​Water
Piman Bouk to taste (optional)
1 tsp. Cornstarch or Flour (optional)

Directions:

1. Clean and prep your fish. For some guidance on how to clean fish, visit my "Cleaning Fish" page under the Everything Nice tab. 
2. Season the fish with epis and the Adobo Goya/Seasoned Salt mixture by rubbing onto and into each fish individually, especially into the slits that were made on the surface. Allow it to marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour in the fridge. 
3. In a large saucepan placed on medium high heat, place in the olive oil, crushed garlic, and epis. Stir to combine ingredients well and saute for 1-2 minutes, taking care for the garlic not to burn. Then, add roughly 1/4 cup of water and mix well.  
4. Next, place the fish into the pan. Try to spoon some of the oil/epis mixture on top of the fish in the process. Turn the heat down to a medium low and cover the pot with it's lid to allow it too simmer and produce it's own additional juices for about 3-5 minutes, checking on it periodically. 
5. Spoon over some of the liquid on top of the fish that was produced. Doing this periodically throughout the cooking process is what helps ensure the fish cooks thoroughly without having to flip the fish. 
6. (Optional) If you enjoy a bit of spicy heat, you can add a tablespoon or more of Haitian hot sauce, based on you preference for level of heat, to the fish during the cooking process. You can also wait until serving time and drizzle some on top. You can use the original "Piman Bouk". Recipe for the Coconut Piman Bouk is coming soon. Don't forget to add a few cloves aka "jirof" if so desired. 
7. Now, add in some water to make the sauce. The amount of water is dependent on the amount of fish and how much sauce you desire. At this point, you can pretty much eyeball it or start out with 1 cup and go from there. Cover the pot with the lid, grab both handles and stir/swirl the pot to incorporate/mix the ingredients inside. Be very careful as the pot will be hot (you may need to use pot holders) and don't do it too vigorously to cause a mess. Bring the heat up to high to allow it to come to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat again to a medium low and allow it to cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. Be sure to spoon over some of the liquid on top of the fish periodically as mentioned before to ensure thorough cooking.

*As another additional option, you can add a few tablespoons of butter if so desired for more flavor. In this particular recipe, it was purposely left out. Also, you will want to sample the liquid and determine if you need to add any additional salt/seasoning to your preferred taste. ​
8. Once the fish is cooked through, it is time to add the sliced bell peppers and onions. The amount is completely dependent on your personal preference. You can use a little or a lot. Once placed in, you can let the residual heat cook it down some, or let it cook until it reaches your desired tenderness. Some people also like it raw. 
9. Based on your preference for the thickness of the sauce, you can add about 1 tsp. of cornstarch or flour to about 1 tbsp. of water. Mix well and add to the sauce. You can also omit this step if you prefer your sauce thin. Close the lid and shake/swirl it around like what was done in step 7. Then, voila, your Pwason Gwo Sel is complete! 
Enjoy this dish with whatever you'd like! Options include boiled plantain, fried plantain, rice, side salad, boiled potatoes, boiled yams, etc. etc. The possibilities are endless. 

See video demonstration below:

Posted March 19th, 2021
What are your thoughts on this recipe? Do you like Pwason Gwo Sel? What do you like to eat it with?
Let me know and comment below!