Jamaican Fish Tea — Clear Spiced Fish Soup

Rinse the fish heads and bones under cold water, then place them in a pot with 2.5 liters cold water. Add the green onions, thyme, allspice, crushed garlic, and black pepper. Slowly bring the water just to a simmer and skim off the gray foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes without letting the water boil.

Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve and return it to the pot. Do not press on the bones, or the soup will turn cloudy. Add the salt and taste.

Peel the green plantain under running water and cut it into 3 cm pieces. Peel the yam, zucchini, and chayote, then cut them into 3 cm cubes. Place them in cold water as you finish cutting them.

Add the green plantain and yam to the strained stock. After 8 minutes, add the zucchini and chayote and cook for 7 minutes more. Add the whole Scotch bonnet to the pot. The vegetables should yield to the tip of a knife without falling apart.

Knead the flour, salt, and water into a dough that is firmer than an earlobe. Pinch off hazelnut-sized pieces and roll them between your palms into slender, 5 cm-long spindles. Drop them one at a time into the simmering soup. Cook for 10 minutes; they are ready when they float to the surface and puff up.

Cut the fish fillets into 4 cm pieces and add them to the soup. Reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat as soon as the fish turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork; overcooking can make it fall apart and cloud the soup.

Remove the Scotch bonnet and thyme sprigs, then adjust the salt. Ladle the soup into deep bowls or handled mugs and serve hot with lime wedges.