BELIZEmagazine.com - The Internet Magazine of Belize

What you need to prepare:

1lb snapper fillet, dice in one inch cubes
4 green plantains or green bananas - thin slices
6 cups coconut milk
¼ lb coco, ½" cubes
¼ lb cassava, ½" cubes
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
salt and black pepper

For this issue of BELIZEmagazine.com our food editor and roving restaurant reporter travelled to Ambergris Caye where he hoped to connect with famed chef Jennie Staines for a real treat. Unfortunately Jennie, owner of the "Caliente" Restaurant which is located at the beach in the Spindrift Hotel, smack downtown San Pedro, was bound to her home due to a broken leg.

Despite her broken leg Jennie was kind enough to give away one of her secret recipes for a real Belizean dish - Belizean Fish Cere. This dish is very popular on the islands and in the southern part of Belize.

And this is how Jennie recommends to prepare the Cere:

"In a 3 qt sauce pan add oil and sautee onion and plantains for about 3 minutes on low heat. Add coco, cassava and half of coconut milk, cook until veggies are tender. Add fish and the other half of the coconut milk, stir properly, season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cook for five more minutes or until fish is cooked. Serve with rice.

Coconut milk can be found in Asian and Latino Super Markets, cassava is also known as yuca, coco is the spanish macal. If you cannot find coco and cassava, it is excellent with just plantins."

Caliente Restaurant, San Pedro , Ambergris Caye, Belize