Cooking St. Kitts Caribbean 3

You can't have a Caribbean style meal without fish.

Chef Cheviour Lake, teacher for the Caribbean Cooks classes at Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden on St. Kitts, provided a recipe that can be used for almost any fish. Chef used grouper but any white fish will work.

West Indian Steamed Fish

Servings for six

3 large fish fillets of your choice (more if the only protein dish served)
1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes (leave seeds in for extra juice)
1/2 cup  diced green bell peppers
1/2 clove garlic
tomato paste (optional)
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig parsley
1/4 cup grated carrot
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS unsalted butter
1 TBS lime juice
1 cup water or stock
1 TBS vegetable oil

Seasoned fish with salt, pepper, herbs (thyme, bay leaf, garlic) one-half hour in advance.

In a hot pan add olive oil and vegetable oil. Lightly saute onions, garlic and green bell pepper until golden brown. Add grated carrots, water/stock and lime juice.

Bring to a boil and let simmer. Submerge fish fillets in pot and reduce liquid by half to intensify flavor. This should take 6-7 minutes. Add butter to finish.

Cooking St. Kitts Caribbean 2

In the second installment of Chef Cheviour Lake's menu from her Caribbean Cooks class at Fairview Great House and Botanical Garden we prepare Red Beans and Rice. It couldn't be easier, either.

Red Beans and Rice

 2 cups cooked white rice
1/2 cup red beans, soaked overnight and boiled with a pinch of cinnamon
1 medium onion, diced
1 stalk celery
4 small seasoning peppers
2 TBS unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 TBS vegetable oil

Saute onion, peppers and celery in olive oil until lightly brown. Add butter, salt and pepper to taste, add rice and peas on low heat and stir, adding vegetable oil.

That pinch of cinnamon in the rice is Chef Cheviour's secret for a tastier dish.


Next post: West Indian Steamed Fish