Jamaican Bammy Salad with Grilled Fish

About This Recipe

Bammy is a traditional Jamaican flatbread made from grated cassava, pressed into rounds and either fried or soaked in coconut milk before frying, a food with roots tracing directly back to the island's indigenous Taino people. Here it's paired with simply grilled fish and a fresh tomato and onion topping, turning what's often a side dish into more of a composed salad plate, the bammy's slightly chewy texture holding up well under the toppings. A common coastal meal in Jamaica, this combination showcases bammy's versatility, its neutral, slightly sweet cassava flavor providing a satisfying base for the bright, herby fish topping.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4bammy (cassava flatbread)(store-bought or homemade)
• 1 cupcoconut milk(for soaking bammy)
• 1/2 cupvegetable oil(for frying bammy)
• 4white fish fillets
• 2 tbsplime juice(for fish)
• 1 tspsalt(for fish)
• 2tomatoes(diced)
• 1/2onion(thinly sliced)
• 2 tbspchopped scallion
• 2 tbspolive oil(for topping)

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the bammy

   Soak the bammy rounds in coconut milk for 10 minutes to soften.

   Soak the bammy in coconut milk before frying — this step is what gives it its characteristic soft interior with a crisp exterior once fried.

2. 2

   Fry the bammy

   Fry the soaked bammy in hot oil, 3-4 minutes per side, until golden and slightly crisp; drain.

3. 3

   Season the fish

   Season the fish fillets with lime juice and salt.

4. 4

   Grill the fish

   Grill or pan-sear the fish 3-4 minutes per side until just cooked through and flaky.

5. 5

   Make the topping

   Toss tomato, onion and scallion with olive oil.

6. 6

   Assemble

   Top each fried bammy round with a piece of grilled fish and a spoonful of the tomato-onion mixture.

7. 7

   Serve

   Serve warm.

Variations

• •

  A version with escovitch-style pickled vegetables instead of fresh tomato and onion adds extra tang.

• •

  Shrimp can substitute for fish fillets for a different protein option.

• •

  Adding a bit of scotch bonnet to the topping gives extra heat.

Storage

Best eaten fresh; bammy and fish don't store or reheat particularly well, losing their texture, so it's best prepared and eaten the same day.

Frequently Asked Questions