On this cold day in Nashville, TN with the threat of a snow and ice storm rolling in the Island Nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is enjoying a lovely 82' and sunny day. This beautiful place has all the charms of a great place to visit...I just hope that they can cook their own food better than I can. This is the most overwhelming meal I have ever made...and then it wasn't even that good.
Their National Dish is Stewed Saltfish (cod) with Coconut Dumplings, Spicy Plantains, and Spiced Breadfruit. This was (as I predicted) a total disaster. Not only did this meal mean that I would also be cooking a chicken breast for Marc (fish allergies) but that I would have to once again eat plantains. And what the HELL is breadfruit and where on earth do I buy it?
Breadfruit is a large melon that grows on trees in tropical areas. We looked forever and found what we thought was a breadfruit...turns out it was a jack fruit which is very close but not right. Either way Jackfruit is a bitch to get into! You have to be really committed. It is very sticky so as you work your hands feel as if you have dipped them in paste. It took me over an hour to get three cups worth of fruit out of this thing!
I am usually very good at taking pictures as I go along, but after the jackfruit I was ready to cry! Here are my recipes. The Salt fish got rave reviews as did the jackfruit. The plantains and the dumplings were not good at all. Play with the recipes...maybe they will work for you.
Stewed Salt Fish (Cod)
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb salt fish
1 large green pepper diced
1 lb diced tomatoes (canned)
5 cloves chopped garlic
4 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp butter
8 scallions finely chopped
2 tbsp parsley chopped
1 medium onion chopped
salt & pepper to taste
I placed the onion, pepper, garlic and scallions in the food processor to make a make it soupy.
Method
Soak salt fish for a few hours in water
Drain fish
In a large heavy pan on medium heat melt 2 tbsp of butter and add your oil.
Place in the green pepper, scallions, onion & garlic. Cook until the mixture is hot, about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and the other 2 tbsp of butter. Let simmer over moderate heat for 5 minutes.
Lay the Salt Fish on top of the mixture and cover.
Cook until fish is done.
To serve mix the fish in the stewed mixture.
Spicy Plantains
Ingredients
3 medium sized plantains(peeled & chopped)
2 tbsp fresh ginger peeled & grated
1 medium onion grated
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp hot sauce
Vegetable oil for frying.
Method
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Toss until mixed.
Fry in batches until golden brown and cooked.
Remove and drain on paper towels.
Coconut Dumplings
Ingredients
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup of water
Method
Place flour, coconut, salt, margarine and oil in a bowl.
Gradually stir in water to make a stiff dough.
Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead for about 2 minutes.
Make dumplings in desired shape.
Slide dumplings into boiling water. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes.
This recipe was not that great. I ended up frying the dumplings after boiling them since they did not cook all the way through and they still tasted bad. Cole said they tasted like diet Dunkin Doughnuts Munchkins.
Seasoned Breadfruit (or Jackfruit)
Ingredients
3 cups full breadfruit chopped into 1" pieces (this will take FOREVER!)
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup red pepper diced
1 medium onion chopped
4 garlic cloves crushed
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
Method
Melt butter or margarine in a heavy pan over medium heat then add oil.
Add onions and cook 5 to 8 minutes until golden, stir often.
Add garlic, thyme, red pepper and parsley, sauté for 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and add breadfruit with chicken broth
Place back on the burner and simmer on low stirring often for about 5 to 8 minutes until the fruit looks caramelized.
And please be advised that in addition to the insane amount of work that goes into this mediocre meal this is the end result of your kitchen.
ENJOY!
I actually like jackfruit. But you're right, it's a pain to eat. And there's quite a bit of sap that gets all over your hands. Like most tropical fruits, it's messy to eat, lots of stuff to throw away.
ReplyDeleteDidn't know fresh jackfruit was available in TN. I couldn't find this back home in California other than canned ones.
THEY HAVE IT CANNED!!!!!! OMG that would have made this so much easier.
ReplyDeleteI am actually very lucky because we have an International Market that has all of that crazy stuff you could never find anywhere else. That is how I had intially started this cooking project. Its the type of store that if a live chicken ran down the aisle you wouldn't even bat an eye.
Thanks for the blog love...and knowing it comes canned will actually make me cook this again. It was good, but I like life too much to put myself through that again. :)
I'm chuckling out loud over this one! I love your persistence and your candid humor. Glad to see you're getting some action from FBurner. Your audience is growing, and so it should. There's more fun going on right here than any place I know. Drive carefully in the snow! Beware of odd and sundry condiments.
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