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1
Warm the annatto oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and culantro leaves and cook until the garlic is softened and fragrant — the oil will have deepened to a rich amber-orange.
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2
Pour in the fresh coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the scotch bonnet pepper whole and season lightly with salt. Allow the base to reduce slightly and become fragrant — the coconut should smell cooked through, not raw.
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3
Add the green plantain rounds. They require the longest cooking; simmer until just beginning to yield when pressed with a spoon — firm but not resistant at their centre — approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
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4
Add the ripe plantain rounds and the crab pieces. The ripe plantain needs only a few minutes; it should hold its shape while softening at the edges, contributing sweetness to the broth.
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5
This is where the dish lives or dies. Lay the fish steaks into the broth, then nestle the shrimp around them. Do not stir. Cover and cook over a steady simmer for 5 to 8 minutes only. The fish is done when it flakes cleanly from the bone at the thickest point; the shrimp are done when they have curled and turned fully opaque. Remove from heat immediately — residual heat in the pot will finish any stragglers.
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6
Taste the broth and correct the salt. Remove the scotch bonnet whole if a milder heat is desired, or leave it in for service. Bring the pot directly to the table.