Fish Broth

Fish broth is a Grenadian soup of fish simmered with cassava, dumplings and vegetables. It is a hearty dish from the Caribbean island of Grenada, where the starchy provisions make it filling enough to serve as a main course. It rests on a simple base of onion, garlic, thyme and scotch bonnet pepper, and it is cooked until the fish is tender and the root vegetables are soft.

What it really is

The fish is simmered in seasoned water with onion, garlic, thyme and scotch bonnet pepper, which give the broth its flavour and its heat. Cassava goes into the pot with the other provisions, along with flour dumplings and vegetables, and everything simmers until the root vegetables are soft and the fish is cooked through. The broth is a soup, but the cassava, dumplings and vegetables make the bowl filling enough to eat as a main. Each cook chooses the vegetables and the number of dumplings, so no two pots taste exactly alike.

How it's served

• Hot, in a deep bowl, with the fish and provisions served in the broth.
• Eaten with a spoon, with the fish bones removed before or during eating.
• The scotch bonnet gives the whole pot its heat, not just a sprinkle on top.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the fish species used, or write "catch of the day" if the fish changes, since fish is the main ingredient.
• Flag fish as an allergen, and wheat for the flour dumplings.
• List cassava and the vegetables that go in as standard, since the mix changes from cook to cook.
• State that it contains scotch bonnet pepper, the main source of heat, so guests can judge it before ordering.