Shrimp Rundown

Something smells fishy...

Aka Shrimp in coconut sauce, not to be confused with coconut shrimp.  It is yet another delicious and hearty Jamaican seafood dish with a twist; as this recipe is traditionally prepared with Mackerel. Coconut milk is a magical ingredient that somehow makes ‘everyting nice’.  And this shrimp stew is no different. The veggies and seasoning really complement each other well. I don’t know if you can say something taste traditional, but this sauce really tastes like Jamaica. It embodies all the flavors of home, and the coconut just sets it off.

The meat could have been lobster, mackerel, shrimp, or fish, choose your Favorite.  This is a dish that every Jamaican has seen countless times, and its not until this moment that I questioned where the name came from. According to Wikipedia 

“The name appears to originate from the manner in which the fish is thoroughly cooked until it falls apart, or "runs down."

And according to National Library of Jamaica, it has also been called “Dip and fall back”

“Rundown is also called 'Dip and Fall Back', more so in the past than now. The dish is said to have been given this term because the it was served in bowl in the middle of the table. Each person would dip a starchy food in the bowl (usually boiled green banana, yam or breadfruit) then 'fall back' to allow another person to dip.”

Both equally interesting and plausible explanations, as  we all know Jamaican's love to name things based on a commonly associated action or motion; case in point "Stamp and go".  Either way, still a great dish. Try it out

Ingredients (printable recipe)

1 lb shrimp (peeled deveined tail off)

1 tsp. seasoning salt (to season shrimp)

¼ tsp. black pepper (to season shrimp)

1 tsp. oil (to season shrimp)

1 tomato

1 red pepper

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

3 stalks scallions

4 sprigs of thyme

1 tsp. allspice berries

1 scotch bonnet pepper

1 cup coconut milk

¼ cup water

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp oil (for sauteing)

Greedy tips

• Make sure you don't over cook the shrimp, as soon as its pink remove from the heat
• Thicken up the coconut sauce before adding the shrimp (My sauce could have been a little thicker)
• I served mine with some fried green plantains

Xoxo Greedygirl