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Catherine's Kitchen

Catherine Manning

Caribbean Culture

DUE TO THE DIFFERENT CULTURES throughout the islands of the Caribbean, each island has their own method of cooking the same food. Naturally each one thinks theirs is the best, but in fact some are better than others. The islands have a very mixed ethnic population and so have many different cuisines. Years before the islands were settled by British, French, Spanish etc. there were the Arawaks.

It wasn't so long ago that baked goods were produced in a brick oven and meals were cooked on an iron coal or wood burning stove. Our house was a very large plantation house and had an enormous fireplace with a chimney in the kitchen which was used for cooking and had been turned into a cupboard. The back wall has since been removed and it serves as an arch between the kitchen and another room.

I remember a wood burning stove and then my father decided to add a kerosene stove as well. Being inventive and not wanting the hassle of filling up the little glass container that it had, he built a twenty gallon container out of copper or some metal and installed it in a cupboard on the wall. Very inventive, but it sprung a leak one day and the kitchen caught on fire (he wasn't even there to help put it out) but we managed with buckets of water. That was the end of that and luckily electric stoves appeared, to the relief of everyone.

To start with of course, the Arawaks used a 'barbacoa' - a wooden grate standing on four forked sticks and placed over a slow fire. Using this method they spit roasted fish and meat. An early barbeque. Later on the coalpot evolved which the slaves used to use for cooking their food, and then they disappeared. However, because they are made of cast iron they make a very sturdy barbeque and are beginning to trickle back. They don't rust out like most barbeques and are often used at cocktail parties for on the spot cooking, things like fish cakes or even flying fish fingers. I have with my coalpot, a cast iron bowl that is put on the grill which can be filled with oil for deep frying, but a saucepan or frying pan may be used successfully.

I submitted a recipe for fish cakes in an earlier article, but I think this is the better one.

SALT FISH CAKES 1/2lb. salted cod 1/2lb. flour 2 onions chopped 2 tomatoes chopped 4 cloves garlic (more or less to taste) 1/2 hot pepper or to taste (Scotch Bonnet is possible) 2 stalks of shallots or spring onions 2 tsp. baking powder Oil for frying. Either: Soak salt fish over night. Drain, rinse under cold water and flake the fish, removing any bones OR Rinse excess salt from fish, place in saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Taste to check level of salt as you don't want to remove all the salt, but neither do you want it too salty. You might have to change the water if still too salty and re-boil again. Flake fish and remove bones. I use the second method purely because it's quicker. Chop tomatoes, onions, garlic, shallots and pepper. Add to salt fish and mix well. Add baking powder to flour and add flour to codfish. Add enough water to make a medium batter, it shouldn't be very loose or run off the spoon. Drop by the teaspoonful in into hot oil and fry till golden brown. Drain and serve hot with sauce of your choice.

A popular dish which is eaten in Jamaica from morning till night is:

ESCOVEITCHED FISH (any fish can be used) 2lbs. fish 1/4 cup flour Oil for frying. Escoveitched Sauce: 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup water pinch of salt 1 tsp. sugar 1 cup julienne Strips of carrots and Christophene 2-3 medium onions cut into rings hot pepper to taste 6 pimento grains Clean the fish and season with salt, garlic and black pepper. Lightly dust with flour and fry fish is hot oil till the flesh is opaque. Set aside. Boil 1 part of water with 1 part of vinegar, with a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of sugar. Add the vegetables and hot pepper to taste. AS soon a the liquid boils, pour over the fried fish. This is done the day before it is eaten and not refrigerated.

I get repeated requests for this cake which I found in a Betty Crocker® cookbook. It is excellent.

SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE 3/4 cup margarine 1 1/2 cups sugar 3 eggs 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 3 cups flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda 3/4 tsp. salt 1 1/2 cups sour cream Heat oven to 350F. Grease and flour tube or bundt pan. Beat margarine and sugar till creamy, add eggs and vanilla and beat till light, scraping down bowl ocassionally. Beat in flour mixture alternately with sour cream on low speed till well blended. Alternate batter with filling in layers and bake till scewer in centre comes out clean, about 50 minutes to an hour. Turn onto cake plate and dribble with frosting while still warm. Filling: Mix 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans) and2 tsp. ground cinnamon. Light Brown Glaze: Heat 1/4 cup butter or marge in saucepan over medium heat to a delicate brown. Stir in 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. Blend in 2-3 TBS. milk a little at a time and beat till smooth and of desired consistence. Should be able to drizzle over cake, but be careful not to make it too loose or more will be on the plate than the cake!

Bon Appetit,
Cath