Name: Barbadian Cou-Cou & Flying Fish
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: For cou-cou: 1.5 cups fine yellow cornmeal, 10 medium okra pods (sliced into rounds), 3 cups water, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp butter; For flying fish (or substitute: tilapia, snapper, or flounder fillets): 4 fish fillets (6 oz each); For fish marinade: 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp fresh thyme, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp salt; For tomato sauce: 2 tbsp neutral oil, 1 onion diced, 3 cloves garlic minced, 1 can (14oz) crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp fresh thyme, 1/2 tsp marjoram, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp culantro or cilantro, salt and Scotch bonnet pepper to taste

Barbados's national dish: silky polenta-like cornmeal and okra cou-cou served with flying fish steamed in a bright, peppery tomato sauce. The Caribbean's most patriotic plate.

The Cultural Story

Barbados calls itself "Little England" but its national dish is entirely African. Cou-cou is direct kin to the West African fufu and the Southern American grits — all of them descendants of the enslaved cooks who transformed whatever starch was available (corn, cassava, yam) into something that could absorb and carry the flavors of a sauce. In Barbados, cou-cou is made from cornmeal and okra, stirred constantly in a heavy pot with a cou-cou stick (a flat wooden paddle) until it achieves a smooth, lightly textured mass that holds its shape when molded. The flying fish — which genuinely fly, using wing-like pectoral fins to glide above the surface of the Caribbean Sea — is Barbados's other national symbol, appearing on the country's coat of arms. The season runs September to May. Fishing families in the small village of Oistins have cleaned and sold flying fish for generations. Steamed in a tomato and herb sauce scented with thyme, marjoram, and "shadow beni" (culantro), it flakes apart against the firm cou-cou in a combination that is both humble and absolutely perfect.

Ingredients

For cou-cou: 1.5 cups fine yellow cornmeal, 10 medium okra pods (sliced into rounds), 3 cups water, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp butter
For flying fish (or substitute: tilapia, snapper, or flounder fillets): 4 fish fillets (6 oz each)
For fish marinade: 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp fresh thyme, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp salt
For tomato sauce: 2 tbsp neutral oil, 1 onion diced, 3 cloves garlic minced, 1 can (14oz) crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp fresh thyme, 1/2 tsp marjoram, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp culantro or cilantro, salt and Scotch bonnet pepper to taste

Instructions

1Marinate fish: rub fillets with lime juice, thyme, salt, and pepper. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2Make the tomato sauce: heat oil in a wide pan. Sauté onion until soft, 5 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, thyme, marjoram, Worcestershire, sugar, and culantro. Simmer 15 minutes until sauce thickens. Season with salt and a tiny amount of Scotch bonnet for heat.
3Nestle the marinated fish fillets into the tomato sauce. Cover and steam over low heat for 8–10 minutes until fish is cooked through and flakes easily. Do not overcook.
4Make cou-cou: bring 2.5 cups of water to a boil in a heavy pot. Add okra slices. Boil for 5 minutes until tender.
5Mix cornmeal with 1/2 cup cold water to form a paste. Pour slowly into the boiling okra water, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The mixture will thicken rapidly.
6Reduce heat to lowest setting. Add salt and butter. Stir vigorously and constantly for 10–15 minutes. The cou-cou is ready when it pulls cleanly away from the sides of the pot and has a smooth, slightly glossy texture.
7To serve: wet a bowl or cup, press cou-cou in to mold it into a dome shape, then turn out onto the center of a plate. Lay flying fish alongside and spoon tomato sauce generously over both. Eat together — a bite of fish with sauce scooped with a piece of cou-cou.

Barbadian Cou-Cou & Flying Fish

The Cultural Story

Ingredients

Instructions

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