How To Make Flying Fish and Cou Cou?
The delicacies of Barbados is an excellent melting pot of stand-out flavors that intermingle influences from England, India, and Africa to create wonderful, different dishes.
Bajan cooks make use of a wonderful bounty of contemporary native produce to create a number of the world’s tastiest dishes. Typical Bajan dishes that you simply may encounter on the island embrace macaroni pie, fish muffins, rice and peas, conkies, coconut turnovers, and naturally the Barbados nationwide dish flying fish and cou cou.
Regardless of the various great dishes in Barbados, right now we’re simply going to speak flying fish and cou cou recipes as a result of if there’s one Bajan dish that you simply gained’t wish to miss out on, it’s this one!
The nationwide dish of Barbados is a superb meal and one which the native persons are fairly pleased with.
The star of the present is a fillet of steamed or fried flying fish, accompanied by a facet of cou cou, which is harking back to polenta or grits, for individuals who aren’t accustomed to the delicacies. Lime juice, spices and contemporary veggies take the flavors up a notch, creating a beautiful, genuine Bajan meal.
If you happen to occur to be visiting Barbados quickly, you higher carry you urge for food. We’ll inform you extra concerning the dish in a number of moments, however first, right here’s some background.
What’s Flying Fish?
Flying fish is a kind of fish native to the island of Barbados. Actually, the fish had been as soon as so frequent within the island’s waters that Barbados has been referred to as “the land of flying fish.” So, it’ll come as no shock that flying fish are the principle factor of the Bajan nationwide dish.
Flying fish is so essential to the Bajan folks that you simply’ll see a logo depicting a flying fish on the nationwide foreign money, and it’s even featured within the Barbados Tourism Authority’s brand.
You’ll nonetheless discover flying fish on the menus at eating places throughout the island. Flying fish tastes nice cooked merely, by steaming with acidic lime juice, and it’s additionally great fried. Head to a Bajan barbeque to strive the standard flying fish recipe served up by locals.
What’s Cou Cou?
Cou cou is a dish you’ll discover lots in Barbados, however it’s not very prevalent in the remainder of the world. If you happen to’ve by no means tried it earlier than, think about one thing much like polenta or grits in texture.
It’s produced from a mix of cornmeal and okra. The 2 elements muddle collectively to type a form of savory porridge. Cou cou in Barbados is a warming and comforting dish that goes completely with a number of the spicier Bajan dishes – like flying fish! It’s additionally great with spicy sauces, which you’ll discover lots in Bajan delicacies.
Usually, cou cou is served within the conventional approach, which is by forming it into an oval form, utilizing an enamel bowl. Or, if you wish to be actually genuine, you’d use a calabash shell, from the fruit of a tree discovered rising within the wild within the tropics and America. Cou cou can be produced from different elements, like breadfruit, yams or inexperienced bananas.
Flying Fish and Cou Cou Recipe
Historically, Bajan folks prepare dinner up this recipe on Fridays or Saturdays, however in fact when you be taught to make your individual you possibly can serve it up everytime you want! Impress your family and friends with this scrumptious style of the tropics. Right here’s how you can make it.
Components:
For the fish:
- 4 fillets of flying fish (if this isn’t accessible the place you reside, you possibly can substitute sea bass)
- Juice of a lime
- Pinch of garlic powder
- Salt
- Black pepper
- For the seasoning:
- 1 onion
- 3 spring onions
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp contemporary ginger
- 1 scotch bonnet chilli
- 1 tbsp of thyme leaves
- 1/2 tsp blended spice
- 1 lime
- 100ml vinegar
- salt
- freshly floor black pepper
- For the sauce:
- 1/2 onion
- 1 tsp garlic
- 1 pepper
- 1 tomato
- 5g of thyme
- 10g of curry powder
- 5g of garlic powder
- 6 tbsp of olive oil
- 100g of butter
- salt
- pepper
- For the cou cou:
- 140g cornmeal
- 620ml water
- 4 okra
- 1 onion
- Recent thyme
Technique:
First make the seasoning. Mix all of the elements for the seasoning, apart from the vinegar, in a meals processor and pulse till properly mixed. Put the paste right into a sealable jar and add the vinegar. Shake properly and season in response to your preferences. You’ll wish to depart this for round two hours earlier than you utilize it, so set this apart to infuse.
- Season the fish with lime, salt and pepper.
- Put the sauce elements right into a sauce pan and convey to a simmer, with a bit oil. Add one tablespoon of the seasoning you ready earlier.
- In a separate pan, mix the elements for the cou cou, apart from the cornmeal, and convey to the boil. You’ll need this on a excessive warmth. As soon as cooked, pressure the combination and discard the onion and thyme. Preserve the items of okra to make use of later.
- Put the cou cou pan again on the warmth and add cornmeal, mixing properly till you type a thick combination. Add within the okra.
- The dish is able to serve! Place the cou cou on a plate and high every dish with a fillet of fish and a wholesome serving to of sauce and luxuriate in your style of Barbados! Or maybe, ebook a visit to this pleasant island paradise.
Courtesy of Sandals Resorts Barbados
The best way to taste Barbados’ style is to visit the New Republic of Barbados!
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- #flyingfish
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