A December to Barbados Pt 2

Watching the view from our window, day dreaming on how far we've travelled, the billowing waves with their roar, the little bird with tiny feet picking at, what I can only assume are tiny Molluscs running away from the tide and the peeping sand crabs, who occasionally come out  and hurriedly escapes back to the burrow at the sound of any movement is rather mesmerising. 

Sand Crab

After brunch, I feasted my eyes on each wave after wave, the turquoise sea, trying to relax, taking my new environs in and dreaming about the Tuna and the other groceries we bought earlier for lunch.

A story,I forgot to mention in my previous blog post was about our trip to the fishmongers. During our holiday to Barbados in 2012 I wanted freshly caught Red Snapper that I could fry and have just as I would in Ghana. 

We were advised then, due to the time of year we visited ,we wil be lucky to get freshly caught Snapper. The lady advised we needed to come almost at dawn when the fishermen came to shore to have a fighting chance of getting the elusive Snapper. 

               View from my window (Barbados)

On our way to the fishmongers, we saw this lady gutting the most beautiful freshly caught Snapper and we hurriedly went over, asking how much she needed for the fish. The lady wasn't particularly friendly and with clenched teeth advised they weren't for sale. I was a little bit insistent for her to sell, excited about my discovery and was disappointed my enthusiasm wasn't matched by the lady. 

I looked at the lady's surroundings and gathered she was in her own private kitchen, probably cooking lunch for her family and here I am asking her to sell her food. Shame on me; I muttered under my breath, made the necessary excuses and scappered back to the car with mixed emotions. 

We ended up buying freshly caught Tuna for lunch and I started dreaming of ways to complement this beautiful fish for lunch. 

The Fish monger in Barbados

We bought Plantain, Okra, Courgettes,Red peppers and  sprouted beans also from the lady grocer earlier and together with my homemade Zaatar mix, I sensed it will be a light flavoursome lunch.

When I saw the Plantain at the stall, I readily thought of 'Kelewele' a street food popular in Ghana, which made out of cubed ripened Plantain with added spices. I cubed the Plantain, added some Bajan hot pepper sauce, oregano, finely diced shallots, grated ginger, salt and pepper to taste. I deep fried the Plantain till golden brown and served with honey roasted peanuts we got from the shops. The 'Kelewele' was 'woofed' down, which wasn't a surprise as it tasted great ( even if I say so). The fried spiced plantain has a spiced caramelised and somewhat crunchy outer bite and a soft and sweet centre, which goes best with chilled beer. (A perfect pre starter if you want to get your guest talking). 

                                                                                 Kelewele

The courgettes and red peppers were cut to size and tossed in an olive oil and oregano marinade ready for the barbecue.

  Barbecued Red Peppers

Using a frying pan on a very high heat (as there was no griddle pan) I rubbed the Tuna steaks (3 inches thick) with olive oil and rolled them in the Zaatar mix. I placed the Tuna in the frying pan and sealed it quickly on both sides for a minute. 

                         Pan seared Tuna 

The courgettes and red peppers were barbecued and perfectly charred, the dressing of mustard, olive oil, oregano, black pepper, salt and lime juice complimented the sprouted beans with shallots. Lunch was definatley ready with a chilled glass of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc (bought from the duty free shop at the Bajan airport). 

Pan seared Tuna with roasted courgettes, red pepper, Venus black rice (got from my local shop in Twickenham) and sprouted beans tossed in a mustard and oregano dressing. 

We all sat for a hearty meal, conversating about the adventures ahead of us, sipping on the delicious crisp cold wine, which was a great welcome to the warm lips and a sensation enhancer to our palette. Bon appetite!

A December to Barbados

After 9 hrs we arrived in Barbados and we were ushered to our hired vehicle for the  next 8 days of bliss. My husband and I made this trip in 2012 and vowed to return. Our favourite place to stay is Little Good Harbour' a self catering boutique hotel. We hired the beach front cottage with it's own garden, outside barbecue station and a well equipped kitchen (ideal necessities for a chef on holiday)

 The cottage is breathtaking with 3 huge windows (the windows are situated individually in the living room and 2 bedrooms) opening up to the Carribean sea literally on our doorstep. The cottage is our 'Home' for the next 8days. 

 The sound of waves crushing through the rocks, the harmonious loud cricket sounds indicated an evening adventure far from the UK. 

My idea of a great holiday centres around good food, wine and where I can immerse myself in the culture with a sense of friendliness and belonging. Barbados offers a serene,welcoming ambience, picturesque sunset and adventure. Barbados is an island surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on oneside and the Carribean sea on the other. 

I promised myself not to miss a day of sunshine, the roaring and calming sea with everything else this beautiful island had to offer. I woke up at 4am the next day to sit by the window sill, watch the sea, the sunrise, listen to the chirping birds with Kodjo Antwi's 'Ponkor a bodam', a nostalgic song that resonates with my teenage years in Ghana, playing in the background.

It was during this reflective and meditative mood that I decided to blog about my experience and capture every moment.

By late morning we decided to visit the local fishmongers' for 'the catch of the day' and get some fruits and vegetables for our stay. The fishmonger had on display freshly caught Tuna, Sword fish and Baracuda. We bought a kilo of Tuna costing £15 and watch with awe the skill of the fishmonger carving our portion. One will salivate just looking at this freshly caught soft Tuna and dream of all the dishes one will make. 

Next to the fishmongers was a fresh produce stall with Okra, Sweet potatoes, Mangoes, Avocados, Water Yam, Plantain etc (much to my surprise). Naturally we purchased some of the above ingredients for our meals during the week and hurried back to the cottage to enjoy the sea.

I was particularly excited about the ingredients we purchased, which had my creative juices flowing and my taste buds heightened. For brunch I made, soft boiled eggs with avocado and sprouted beans in a mustard dressing  and fruit salad.

Soft boiled eggs with Bajan oily Avocado and sprouted beans tossed in a mustard dressing.

Fruit salad of Mangoes, Papaya (Pawpaw, how we Ghanaians call it) and banana in a freshly squeezed orange juice. 

After brunch we went swimming (which in my case is paddle in the sea) and relaxed at the beach with a thirst quenching Rum and Coke with a hint of lemon dreaming about lunch. 

Read about lunch and more in the next blog.