Caribbean Recipes

by Laura Donnelly — July 2, 2007

Why not try cooking Caribbean-style this summer? Colorful ingredients go beautifully with fresh fish, shrimp, and seasonal fruit mixed with tropical fruit. Fried plantains add a sweet-tart balance to grilled sea bass. Mango slices on top of tomatoes and cucumbers create a colorful and pretty salad. Have you ever tried christophene (or chayote), a squash-like gourd that you can prepare mashed or cubed with lots of garlic?

You can find some of these exotic ingredients at Hispanic markets or very good vegetable stands. Chayote, christophene, or mirliton is a large pale green gourd with one large seed inside. Some find the flavor bland and watery, but with a little additional seasoning, it can be rather delicate and sweet tasting. Plantains can be found everywhere; you just have to plan ahead because they take forever to ripen. A member of the banana family, these can only be eaten cooked. Much longer than bananas, plantains can be green, blackish brown, pink, or red. Firm and somewhat tart, I prefer them a bit under-ripe for cooking, but be sure to buy them at least a few days before you cook them so that they have a chance to mellow.

So many different races and cultures have lived in the Caribbean islands over the centuries, and each group has brought along their own traditions and favorite foods. The first inhabitants were the Arawak Indians who sailed from the Americas. Skilled craftsmen, hunters, and fishermen, they most likely were the first to perfect jerked pork.

Yams, pawpaws, pineapple, and guava were already growing in abundance when the Europeans colonized the region in the 16th century. They experimented with the cultivation of bananas, plantains, coconut, sugar cane, oranges, limes, and ginger; crops that were new but that we now think of as distinctly Caribbean. Eventually, they started growing sugar cane, coffee, and cotton for the export trade. The Europeans basically exterminated the Arawaks and began to ship African slaves over to tend cattle and work on the plantations. Forbidden to raise their own cattle or enjoy the fresh local fish, the slaves managed to make do with salted fish and utilize the pungent spices and seasonings of the island to create delicious stews and soups.
When slavery was abolished in 1830, plantation owners brought indentured laborers from the Middle East, India, and China, which introduced more new customs and cooking styles: Okra and ackee from Africa; dhal puri and rotis from India; and garlic and chilies from China.

How heartening that out of such a turbulent past comes a colorful, varied, and imaginative cuisine! Caribbean women prefer entertaining at home to dining out. Usually, the meal is set out as a buffet with plenty of extra food for any friends or family who may join the meal unexpectedly. They are renowned for liberal use of local herbs and spices, and always offer plenty of vegetarian options. And, of course, there has to be a wicked rum punch included!

Try these tropical recipes for an easy summer meal.

Coconut Shrimp with Ginger Marmalade

This is a fast and easy recipe but is best made for small groups. Feel free to take a shortcut with the marmalade by just adding a tablespoon of white vinegar to 1/4 cup commercial orange marmalade. Add a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger, then warm in microwave gently.

Serves 4

Ginger and Orange Marmalade

1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
2 Tablespoons fresh grated ginger

Combine ingredients in small non reactive sauce pan. Bring to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Coconut Shrimp

24 medium-size shrimp, peeled deveined, and tails left intact
1/2 cup plus 1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup ice water
1 and 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (available at health food stores)
2 cups peanut oil for frying

1. In resealable bag, combine 1/2 cup flour and salt.

2. To make batter, in medium-size bowl beat egg, add water and remaining flour, and mix. Place coconut in shallow pie pan.

3. Dredge shrimp in flour/salt mixture in bag. Shake off excess. Dip in batter, allowing excess to drip off. Roll in coconut. Place on baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.