Four Bajan Classics

When we started researching things to see and do (in addition to the wedding we attended) on our trip to Barbados, the names of several restaurants came up repeatedly in the guidebooks.  Of course I researched Bajan cuisine as well, so I knew what we should look for the in the Good Eats department.

This week I'm talking about the luncheon buffet at the Brown Sugar restaurant in the Garrison District a few miles from the center of Bridgetown,  and a luncheon delight at the Waterfront Cafe downtown in the Careenage.

The Barbados Garrison was largest military post in the British Colonies during the 18th and 19th centuries.  It was established in 1780 as the military headquarters for the Imperial forces stationed on the island until 1905.  However, it began with St. Ann’s Fort, on its present site, in 1705.  The Brown Sugar restaurant and other tourist amenities are to be found in the area around the historic and present Garrison.

The Brown Sugar offers a lunch buffet that features a number of classic Bajan dishes, four of which can be seen here:

Souse

On the left side of the plate is Souse -- a uniquely island version of “pickled pork”. Originally made from “features” like pigs feet, snouts, and cheeks, you can also make this using pork sirloin, which appeals more to Americans.

1-2 lb Pork Sirloin, cubed

1 Bay leaf

4 Allspice berries

1-2 English Cucumbers

½ Sweet Onion

4 Limes

1 Tbsp Kosher Salt

¼ cup Parsley for garnish

Optional – if you want some heat, add half a Scotch Bonnet or Habanero pepper, seeded and veined and minced fine.

Put the cubed pork, bay leaf and allspice berries in a pot of water and boil until the pork is tender. Drain and cool.

Meanwhile, seed and finely shred the cucumber, thinly slice and chop the onion and juice the limes. Combine those ingredients with the Kosher salt, cooled pork and a cup or so of water to make a pickling solution which will cover the meat. With the pork added, allow the pickle to “work” overnight overnight on the countertop, in a glass bowl covered with a tea towel. Chill before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.

I enjoyed the Souse which I had at the Brown Sugar restaurant in the Garrison District of Bridgetown, but I must say I'm not fond of the texture of boiled pork, which I found rather insipid and chewy.

Pickled Cucumber & Banana

Opposite the souse, on the right side of the buffet plate is Pickled Cucumber.  The same “pickle” used to make Souse is also be used to pickle banana and/or breadfruit and make a sort of island slaw.

2 large English Cucumbers

½ Sweet Onion

4 Limes

1 Tbsp Kosher Salt

2 cups firm Cooking Banana (or green eating banana) slices and/or Breadfruit cubes

¼ cup Parsley for garnish

Optional – if you want some heat, add half a Scotch Bonnet or Habanero pepper, seeded and veined and minced fine.

Seed and shred the cucumber, thinly slice and chop the onion and juice the limes. Combine with the Kosher salt, banana, and additional water to make a pickle.  With the fruit added, allow the pickle to “work” overnight on the countertop, in a glass bowl covered with a tea towel. Chill before serving. Drain away most of the liquid and serve as a side salad instead of mundane old coleslaw. Garnish with chopped parsley.

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Although this uses the same pickle (cucumber, onion, lime, salt) I much preferred this dish to Souse.

Pepperpot

At the bottom of the plate is my favorite dish of all those we experienced on the island.  Bajan Pepperpot can be thought of as a somewhat spicy Caribbean version of Osso Bucco, the classic Italian dish of braised veal shanks. The original Bajan recipe also used “marginal” meats – the off-cuts left after the wealthy folks got their steaks and chops. Cuts like oxtail, beef neck bones, pork hocks... 

You can still make it that way today, of course (and it would be more traditional and a bit richer tasting). But if those sorts of things bother you, or they aren't readily available, you can simply use the styrofoam packet labelled “Beef for Stew”. That's what I've done here; simply because my mega-mart didn't have oxtail on hand the day I went shopping (they would order it though).

This is not a quick recipe, but it's worth the time. Cook this in your electric skillet, like I did, or use a slow cooker. It can be done in the oven, but that takes a lot of electricity and heats up your house more than you want in summer.

1-½ lbs Beef For Stew (not the leaner steak trimmings)

1 Tbsp whole Allspice Berries

1 Teaspoon whole Black Peppercorns

2 Bay leaves

4 oz Tomato Sauce

1 red Jalapeño or other spicy chili pepper, veined and seeded, to taste

1 large Sweet or White Onion, sliced

½ Red Onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar

1 Lime, juiced

1 large Red Bell Pepper, diced large

1 tsp Bajan Seasoning

Traditional optional ingredient – 1 cup Butternut Squash or Yam cubes

My personal optional ingredient – 8 oz sliced Crimini mushrooms – not traditional but darn tasty.

Set your electric skillet to 350F. Crush the allspice and pepper in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder, but don't powder it. Use half the spice while you brown the meat in a splash of oil. Remove meat from the pan and reserve. Add the onions, garlic, and bell pepper and cook until the onions are half caramelized. Add the spicy chilies and sugar. Return the meat to the pan and add the bay leaves, Bajan seasoning and the remaining allspice/pepper mix. Add about 4 cups of water and the tomato sauce, and cook, covered, for 2 hours. If adding squash or yams, add them now. Reduce heat to 200F and cook for an additional 30-45 minutes. Reduce the cooking liquid to a pretty thick gravy (see below). You want the meat “falling apart” done.

Here's a bowl of Pepperpot that I prepared after we got home, using the recipe above.  Makes me hungry again just looking at it!

Fish Cakes

At the top of the buffet plate are Bajan Fish Cakes.  Simple and yet oh so tasty.  Toss up for my second favorite Bajan dish, along with Flying Fish.  I won't torture you with flying fish recipes since you simple can't find them for sale in the States. 

Dried, salted cod, as a fishing industry product, goes back at least 500 years. Prior to electric or gas-powered refrigeration, salting was the easiest and least expensive way to preserve fish caught far from home. Salt cod,  goes by a myriad of other names including bacalhau (Portuguese), bacalao (Spanish), bakaiļao (Basque), bacallà (Catalan), bakaliáros (Greek), baccalà (Italian), and bakalar (Croatian), . Other names include tørfisk (Scandinavian), stokvis (Dutch), saltfiskur (Icelandic), morue (French),  toe rag (UK), and saltfish (Caribbean). Salt cod is available in almost every mega-mart today, under on or more of those names ('bacalao' is very common).

This is another time consuming recipe, but well worth the wait.   The problem with salt cod is that it is EXTREMELY salty.  The salt (at least 99.8% of it) needs to be soaked and then cooked out of the fish to make it palatable. 

Bajan Fish Cakes are not your usual bland American style breaded fish sticks or patties made from pulverized fish parts, but rather they are delicate, tasty balls filled with air, moisture, flaky fish and Bajan seasoning. I've had a variety of “fish cakes” around the world, and these are about the best I've every tasted.

½ lb salted cod

1 cup finely diced Sweet Onion

1 egg lightly beaten

2 tbsp oil
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
¾ cup milk
1 tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp Bajan Seasoning
Salt to taste

Additional oil for frying the cakes

Optional – minced hot peppers to taste

Soak the salt cod overnight in a large bowl of water, changing the water several times. You want the fish to be slightly salty, not overpowering. Rinse the cod a final time and then boil it in fresh water for 10-15 minutes until flaky.  Drain and cool.

In a frying pan, heat 2 Tbsp of oil and sauté the onions until they are just wilted.  While they're cooking, put the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the egg, melted butter and milk. Mix together lightly.  When the onion is cooked and cooled, add it to the batter along with the Bajan Seasoning, cooked cod and pepper. Stir well.

Add at least ½” of oil to the skillet and bring it to 350F. An electric skillet will do, or use a shallow pot and a candy thermometer to make sure of the temperature. Don't cook at any less than 350 or more than 375. Too cool and the batter won't seal quickly and the cakes will be greasy. Too hot and the outside will be crisp before the inside is properly cooked.

Drop the fishcake batter by tablespoon fulls into hot oil, but do not crowd them in the pan. Turn as necessary to cook all around. When golden brown, transfer cakes with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Serve hot with Bajan Hot Sauce or a nice remoulade on the side.  Here's a Fishcake appetizer from the iconic Waterfront Cafe at the Careenage a old wharf area in the center of Bridgetown where the Constitution river meets Carlisle Bay.

In this chef's mind, a nearly perfect dish would be to combine the Bajan Fish Cake with the  ubiquitous Southern Hushpuppy.   Hmmmmm.  Stay tuned for further developments....

Next week we'll get away from Barbados for awhile, and I'll show and tell you what I made for Lady Sally and her Mum for Mother's Day dinner.

PS - my apologies for the crappy line spacing and changing fonts which appear in this post, in spite of my best efforsts to repair things.  Guess that's what I get for composing in a real Wordprocessor and then pasting my purple prose he in Blogger.  Next time I stick to composing in Blogger....