Barbados: Bajan Fried Red Snapper with Papaya & Black Bean Rice, Habanero Mango Hot Sauce & Honey Melon Salad

  

Barbados is a Caribbean island country in the Lesser Antilles region of North America. It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic Ocean which places it outside of the principal Atlantic hurricane belt. Barbados sits north-east of  Trinidad and Tobago and east of the islands of Saint Vincent and The Grandines.

Barbadian (also know as Bajan) cuisine is characteristically Caribbean in flavour with a high accent on seafood & influences from Africa, China, Portugal & Britain. Although many flavour themes & cooking techniques in Bajan cuisine can be seen to have strong linkages to other cuisines of the Caribbean, the thing I noticed when cooking Bajan food  was the importance of attention to detail. Exact measurements of spices seemed essential. When working with both powerful flavours & subtle ingredients accuracy can make all the difference to the palatability of food.


Our Barbadian  included:
Bajan Fried Red Snapper,
Papaya & Black Bean Rice, 
with 
Habanero Mango Hot Sauce 
&   
Honey Melon Salad  

HEAT WARNING:
The Habanero  & Mango Hot Sauce  is amazingly powerful; 
As the Caribbean Pirates used to  say…Enter at your own risk!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


BAJAN FRIED RED SNAPPER

INGREDIENTS:
·      1 kg Red Snapper fillets
·      2  large limes
·      2 teaspoons salt
·      ½ tsp white pepper
·      1 egg
·      1 cup 5oz/155g extra fine Panko breadcrumbs
·      1 cup 5oz/155g white flour
·      2 teaspoon paprika
·      ½ tsp onion powder
·      ½ tsp garlic salt
·      1 tbs  finely chopped fresh basil
·      200ml water
·      Olive Oil for frying

METHOD:
1.    De-bone Snapper fillets if necessary then cut  on an angle  into 2cm thick slices
2.    Squeeze the limes into a bowl with the 200ml of water, add 1 tsp salt and place the fish into the lime mix to soak for about ½ hour.
3.    Remove the fish, rinse  under fresh running water and pat dry with paper towel.
4.    Whisk the egg in a medium bowl with ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp white pepper & fresh basil
5.    Put the fish into the egg mixture cover & place in the fridge for an hour, to allow the flavours to permeate & the fish to continue tenderising.
6.    Mix the flour, breadcrumbs, ¼ tsp white pepper, paprika, ½ tsp salt, onion powder & garlic salt
7.    Heat a small amount of olive oil in a solid frypan until it is hot
8.    To check if it is ready for the fish drop a pinch of the breadcrumb mix into the oil. If it begins to sizzle you can fry the fish
9.    Take the fish,  shake off excess egg, coat in the breadcrumb mixture, all round so it is well coated, shake again and place in the oil
10.         Fry the fish over the medium/high heat for a couple of minutes. When the crumbs brown use a spatula or fish slice to turn the fish over.
11.         It will not need a lot of cooking as it is already virtually cooked by the lime
12.         The frying process is just to heat & crisp the fish pieces
13.          As fish pieces cook, take them out of the pan & place on a tray lined with absorbent paper
14.         When you are ready to serve the meal transfer the fish to a serving plate


Recipe is a  Q-Zine original drawing on food knowledge & informed by:

http://www.food.com/recipe/seafood-magic-seasoning-copycat-250893


HABANERO & MANGO HOT SAUCE

INGREDIENTS
·      3 Tomatoes
·      2 Mangoes
·      10 Habanero peppers
·      1 sm Papaya
·      1/2 tsp Salt
·      1 cup apple cider Vinegar


METHOD:
1.     you will first have to skin, de-seed & chop the tomatoes
2.     place a medium size pot of water on the stove & bring to the boil
3.     cut out the stem end of the tomato & cut a cross into the skin of each tomato
4.     drop tomatoes into boiling water & leave there until skin begins to peel away then scoop out the tomatoes & re-fresh by dropping into a bowl of cold water
5.     when tomatoes are cold peel them & dry with paper.
6.     Cut tomatoes in half & squeeze out the seeds then dice the tomato shells into small dice
7.     Remove seeds from Habanero peppers & dice
8.      Cut mango flesh from the seed & dice
9.      Peel & de-seed papaya & dice
10.  combine diced tomato, habanero, papaya & mango in a pot with  salt & vinegar & bring to the boil stirring often
11.  Simmer the sauce for 1 hour, then remove from the heat & allow to cool
12.  Puree in food processor or blender.
13.  Refrigerate the sauce for at least one hour before serving  so that the flavours develop
14.  Be warned; this sauce will come out looking like apricot sauce but it has a kick like a mule. If you like your food hot you might take a teaspoon of the sauce. Others might just want a  ¼ tsp of less.

This is a Q-Zine original recipe adapted from one found at:
http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/94614/habanero-bahamian-hot-sauce


PAPAYA & BLACK BEAN RICE

INGREDIENTS:
·      1 medium papaya, peeled, seeded, and diced
·      2 teaspoons sunflower oil
·      1/2 cup orange juice
·      1/4 cup lemon juice
·      2 cup chopped red onion
·      2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander /  cilantro
·      1 large finely chopped red bell pepper
·      1 large finely chopped green bell pepper
·      1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
·      2 garlic cloves, minced
·      2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
·      2 cups brown rice (to make 6 cups cooked)
·      6 cups water
·      2 tsp salt

METHOD:
1.     first cook the brown rice
2.     2 cups uncooked rice will make 6 cups cooked
3.     put rice in a pot with 6 cups of cold water & 2 tsp salt
4.     bring to boil stirring occasionally
5.     when the rice comes to the boil stir well then turn heat back to the lowest point & place a firm fitting lid on the pot & leave alone for 30 mins.
6.     After 30 mins turn the heat off & let the rice just sit on the cooling element for a further 15 mins
7.     Do not remove the lid again until you are ready to serve the rice as it will stay hot & fluffy inside the pot.
8.     Now it is time to cook the Papaya Black Beans

9.     Heat the sunflower  oil in a large frying pan
10.  add the onion, red, and green peppers to the pan & fry briefly
11.  now add the orange juice, lemon juice, coriander, cayenne & garlic
12.  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
13.  Add the balck beans into the pot & stir and cook about 5 minutes.
14.  Do not overcook as you want the fruit to remain firm.
15.  If you need to wait to serve the food put a lid on the pot & keep both the rice & the back beans covered until ready to serve
16.  When ready to serve, you can either put the rice in a table ware dish & pour the sauce over, or do as we did & put the rice & beans in two separate dishes

This is a Q-Zine original recipe adapted from two found at:


HONEY MELON SALAD

INGREDIENTS:
·      1 lettuce
·      1 cup ripe red apple
·      1 cup honey dew melon
·      1 cup ruby grapefruits – cut in segments
·      2 young cucumber – cut into cm squares
·      1 cup firm ripe paw-paw (not Papaya)
·      1-cup firm green kiwi fruit
·      1 cup firm ripe pineapple
·      2 firm firm ripe carambolas/star fruit sliced
·      2 yellow kiwi fruit skinned & sliced
·      100 gm fresh cherries
·      ¼ cup sliced onion
·      ¼ cup white wine
·      ¼ cup honey

METHOD:
1.     wash the lettuce & when it is dry use the best leaves to line a fruit bowl
2.     Cut  fruit in uniform pieces
3.     reserve carambolas, yellow kiwi & cherries as garnish
4.     As you are cutting the fruit up lay it on lop of each other on the lettuce along with the cucumber & when all ingredients are on the salad give it a gentle toss
5.     Mix onion, wine & honey in a small bowl.
6.     decorate with carambolas, yellow kiwi & finally cherries
7.     Chill and serve.

Recipe is a  Q-Zine original drawing on food knowledge & informed by:
http://www.recipeisland.com/category/recipe-island/barbados-recipes/
http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Barbadian_Cuisine

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