Barbadian Flying Fish and Cou-Cou

Barbados'' national dish — steamed flying fish with cornmeal and okra polenta.

Ingredients

• 4 flying fish fillets (or any white fish)
• Lime juice, salt, pepper
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 2 garlic cloves
• Fresh thyme, parsley
• Cou-cou: 1 cup cornmeal, 6 okra sliced, 2 cups water, 1 tbsp butter

Method

1. Season fish with lime, salt, pepper. Steam with onion, tomato, garlic, thyme 10 min.

2. Cou-cou: Boil okra in water 10 min until soft. Gradually stir in cornmeal, stirring constantly (like polenta). Cook 10 min until thick and smooth. Stir in butter.

3. Serve fish over cou-cou with the steaming liquid as sauce.

What You're Practicing

• Cou-cou is essentially Caribbean polenta — cornmeal cooked with okra for a silky texture.
• The okra acts as a natural thickener (same mucilage that thickens gumbo).