Greatest Seafood Dish: Flying Fish and Cou Cou from Barbados

Barbados | eTurboNews | eTN
Image courtesy of Cooking&Cocktails
Avatar of Linda S. Hohnholz
Written by Linda S. Hohnholz

Considered the national dish of Barbados, Flying Fish and Cou Cou is the perfect recipe for seafood lovers to try. Succulent, saucy, and well-spiced white fish is served with cou cou, a cornmeal-based Barbadian staple. Ready to learn how to make this Barbadian dish at home?

How To Make Flying Fish and Cou Cou?

The cuisine of Barbados is a wonderful melting pot of stand-out flavors that intermingle influences from England, India, and Africa to create amazing, varied dishes.

Bajan chefs make use of a beautiful bounty of fresh local produce to create some of the world’s tastiest dishes. Typical Bajan dishes that you might encounter on the island include macaroni pie, fish cakes, rice and peas, conkies, coconut turnovers, and of course the Barbados national dish flying fish and cou cou.

Despite the many wonderful dishes in Barbados, today we’re just going to talk flying fish and cou cou recipes because if there’s one Bajan dish that you won’t want to miss out on, it’s this one!

The national dish of Barbados is a fabulous meal and one that the local people are quite proud of.

The star of the show is a fillet of steamed or fried flying fish, accompanied by a side of cou cou, which is reminiscent of polenta or grits, for those who are not familiar with the cuisine. Lime juice, spices and fresh veggies take the flavors up a notch, creating a wonderful, authentic Bajan meal.

If you happen to be visiting Barbados soon, you better bring you appetite. We’ll tell you more about the dish in a few moments, but first, here’s some background.

FLYING FISH | eTurboNews | eTN

What is Flying Fish?

Flying fish is a type of fish native to the island of Barbados. In fact, the fish were once so common in the island’s waters that Barbados has been called “the land of flying fish.” So, it’ll come as no surprise that flying fish are the main element of the Bajan national dish.

Flying fish is so important to the Bajan people that you’ll see a symbol depicting a flying fish on the national currency, and it’s even featured in the Barbados Tourism Authority’s logo.

You’ll still find flying fish on the menus at restaurants across the island. Flying fish tastes great cooked simply, by steaming with acidic lime juice, and it’s also wonderful fried. Head to a Bajan fish fry to try the traditional flying fish recipe served up by locals.

cou cou | eTurboNews | eTN

What is Cou Cou?

Cou cou is a dish you’ll find a lot in Barbados, but it’s not very prevalent in the rest of the world. If you’ve never tried it before, imagine something similar to polenta or grits in texture.

It’s made from a combination of cornmeal and okra. The two ingredients muddle together to form a sort of savory porridge. Cou cou in Barbados is a warming and comforting dish that goes perfectly with some of the spicier Bajan dishes – like flying fish! It’s also wonderful with spicy sauces, which you’ll find a lot in Bajan cuisine.

Often, cou cou is served in the traditional way, which is by forming it into an oval shape, using an enamel bowl. Or, if you want to be really authentic, you’d use a calabash shell, from the fruit of a tree found growing in the wild in the tropics and America. Cou cou can also be made from other ingredients, like breadfruit, yams or green bananas.

Flying Fish and Cou Cou Recipe

Traditionally, Bajan people cook up this recipe on Fridays or Saturdays, but of course if you learn to make your own you can serve it up whenever you wish! Impress your friends and family with this delicious taste of the tropics. Here’s how to make it.

Ingredients:

For the fish:

  • 4 fillets of flying fish (if this isn’t available where you live, you can substitute sea bass)
  • Juice of a lime
  • Pinch of garlic powder
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • For the seasoning:
  • 1 onion
  • 3 spring onions
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger
  • 1 scotch bonnet chilli
  • 1 tbsp of thyme leaves
  • 1/2 tsp mixed spice
  • 1 lime
  • 100ml vinegar
  • salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • For the sauce:
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1 tsp garlic
  • 1 pepper
  • 1 tomato
  • 5g of thyme
  • 10g of curry powder
  • 5g of garlic powder
  • 6 tbsp of olive oil
  • 100g of butter
  • salt
  • pepper
  • For the cou cou:
  • 140g cornmeal
  • 620ml water
  • 4 okra
  • 1 onion
  • Fresh thyme

Method:

First make the seasoning. Combine all the ingredients for the seasoning, except for the vinegar, in a food processor and pulse until well combined. Put the paste into a sealable jar and add the vinegar. Shake well and season according to your preferences. You’ll want to leave this for around two hours before you use it, so set this aside to infuse.

  • Season the fish with lime, salt and pepper.
  • Put the sauce ingredients into a sauce pan and bring to a simmer, with a little oil. Add one tablespoon of the seasoning you prepared earlier.
  • In a separate pan, combine the ingredients for the cou cou, except for the cornmeal, and bring to the boil. You’ll want this on a high heat. Once cooked, strain the mixture and discard the onion and thyme. Keep the pieces of okra to use later.
  • Put the cou cou pan back on the heat and add cornmeal, mixing well until you form a thick mixture. Add in the okra.
  • The dish is ready to serve! Place the cou cou on a plate and top each dish with a fillet of fish and a healthy helping of sauce and enjoy your taste of Barbados! Or perhaps, book a trip to this delightful island paradise.

Courtesy of Sandals Resorts Barbados

The best way to taste Barbados’ style is to visit the New Republic of Barbados!

  • #barbados
  • #flyingfish
  • #coucou

About the author

Avatar of Linda S. Hohnholz

Linda S. Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz has been an editor for eTurboNews for many years. She is in charge of all premium content and press releases.

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