TRUE, TRUE' BAHAMIAN CUISINE & RECIPES

"DIS WE TINGS"

(Translation – ‘this we things’)

Photo courtesy of www.thebahamasguide.com

By Susan Lawrence

(Susan Lawrence is the director of sales and marketing, and event co-coordinator at Lucianos of Chicago, a world class Italian restaurant located on Nassau across from Paradise Island. For more information on Lucianos, visit http://www.lucianosnassau.com/.)

Bahamian food has evolved as a result of geography. The Bahamas is an archipelago of 700 limestone islands scattered over the most beautiful waters on earth. There is a tremendous diversity of seafood from our waters but limestone does not make for great vegetable growing and only hardy plants survive, such as corn, okra, cabbage, onions, peppers and citrus. Family Islands are supplied with fresh food and staples by mail boat, which only arrives in some settlements once a month, so Bahamians make lots of hardy soups using salt port or salt beef and all manner of dried beans. These soups are topped with heavy dumplings, which Bahamians call "dough".

Bahamians eat grits for breakfast, which are usually topped with a "steam" or a "stew". For a steam, onions, garlic, green peppers, celery and tomatoes are sautéed and seasoned with salt, pepper, thyme and the obligatory red pepper and then corned beef or bologna are added and "steam down" to make "Slop Billy" or "Mail Boat Stew". Stews are similar, but have a roux base and are made with seafood.

Bahamians are late night party people sending us hunting for recovery food in the form of Souse or Boiled Fish. Souse is made by simmering some type of meat in water with onions, whole allspice and potatoes. The most popular souses are Pig’s Feet, Sheep’s Tongue and Chicken. Boiled Fish is made in similar fashion without the allspice and must include the fish head for authentic flavour. Bahamians add generous helpings of "fire water", which is made by mashing hot peppers and marinating them in lime juice. A little fire water will go a long way! Recovery food is accompanied by a cold beer and the beer of choice is Kalik, which is made in The Bahamas.

Bahamians congregate for cook-outs when members of a Family Island community will bring food and congregate to play dominoes and chat. At cook-outs starch prevails! We love Peas ‘N Rice, Macaroni & Cheese, Potato Salad and Cole Slaw and you will find them all (not one or two) on any cook-out plate along with fried chicken, BBQ ribs, fried fish or cracked conch.

The food that Bahamians are most passionate about is conch (pronounced 'konk'). If there is a national food in The Bahamas, then conch is it! As Bubba did with shrimp in "Forrest Gump", Bahamians do with conch. There is Conch Chowder, Conch Fritters, Cracked Conch, Stew Conch, Curry Conch, Conch Salad, Scorched Conch…… Any "true true" Bahamian returning from abroad will hustle to the docks to have a Conch Salad to remind themselves they are back at home. Conch Salad is made with fresh raw conch, which is diced and mixed with onions, tomatoes and green peppers seasoned with salt and "fire water".

Bahamians love sweet stuff and make tarts filled with coconut or pineapple as well as Bread Pudding or homemade Coconut, Sour Sop or Mango ice-cream. Then there is Guava Duff, a pudding stuffed with Guava shells and flesh, which is steamed and served hot with a stiff Rum Butter. You haven’t lived until you taste a perfect Guava Duff.

As Bahamians say, "Dis we ting".

BAHAMIAN RECIPES

CONCH SALAD

4 conch, cleaned & skinned

1 small onion1 stalk of celery

½ sweet pepper

1 ripe tomato

½ cucumber (optional)

½ cup sour orange

(or mix one sweet orange with a lime)

1 bird pepper

salt

Cut first four ingredients in small pieces. Mix all ingredients. Sit back and enjoy with an ice cold Kalik beer.

BOILED FISH ‘N GRITS

Grouper or mutton fish head and backbone

Grouper or mutton fish filets

Sliced onions

Potatoes

Salt

Bird or goat pepper

Butter

Fresh limes

Black pepper

Yellow corn grits

Cover backbone and head, onion slices, potatoes, salt and pepper with water and cook down into a tasty stock. Remove bones and head. Add fish and desired amount of bird or goat pepper and cook for about five minutes, or until fish is just done. Do not overcook fish or it will lose its flavor. Spike with desired amount of lime. Serve with corn grits. Put out a bowl of fire water (lime mixed with crushed bird pepper) Tip: boil fish tastes even better the next day).

CONCH FRITTERS

6 medium size conchs (grind in meat grinder)

1 cup cream

1 cup water

1 tsp. salt

2 tblsp. Butter

1 big onion small diced

2 tblsp. Tomato

2 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

Bird pepper

Mix all ingredients. Drop by heaping teaspoon into hot fat. Fry until golden. Serve with pepper jelly, seafood sauce or Louie sauce.

CRAWFISH SALAD

‘Bahamian Lobster’

3 medium sized tails or 2 cups of lobster

¼ cup fine copped celery

¼ cup onion chopped fine

Small can pineapple in heavy syrup. Used desired amount.

1 bird pepper

Salt

White pepper

Mayonnaise

Toss lightly together. Use enough mayonnaise to give a creamy consistency. The spicy bird pepper mellows with the sweet pineapple flavor.

Serve on a bed of lettuce with tomatoes and slices of hard boiled eggs.

For more recipes and dining guides for the islands visit The Bahamas Guide.