The Sugar Mill Caribbean Cookbook (23 page)

Although we love the special tart flavor of the small Key limes, the larger Persian or Tahitian limes are just fine for this dish.

 

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil, and add the shallots. Sauté them slowly for 1 minute; then add the two mus-tards and white wine. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add the cream. Simmer the sauce until it has thickened.

Add the lobster or crab, cayenne, and salt and pepper to the sauce. Add the sauce to the hot pasta, and toss. Garnish with the lime zest, and serve.

 

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Put 1 can drained tuna, 2 or 3 an chovy fillets, ¼ cup chopped walnuts, 1 garlic clove, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ⅓ cup heavy cream, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper in a blender or food processor. Whirl the sauce until it is smooth, then warm it gently over low heat. Toss it with hot pasta.

Sauté ½ cup chopped onions and 1 cup sliced mushrooms in 2 table spoons butter. Stir in 2 teaspoons flour, and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Add ½ cup crumbled blue cheese, ½ cup chicken broth, a dash of nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Sim mer the sauce until it has thickened. Toss it with cooked pasta, and top with additional crumbled blue cheese.

Boil 2 cups chopped broccoli in the same pot with the pasta (they will take the same length of time to cook). Drain the broccoli and pasta together.

While the broccoli and pasta are boiling, heat ¼ cup olive oil with 1 minced garlic clove and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Toss the mixture with the pasta and broccoli. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.

Sauté 8 sliced mushroom caps in butter. Add 4 ounces
foie gras,
and heat, stirring, until the
foie gras
is melted. Thin the sauce with cream, and toss it with cooked pasta. Add a few tablespoons minced parsley, and toss again.

Since this quick and elegant pasta is very rich, a crisp salad with vinaigrette makes a good counterpoint.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet. Add 1 minced garlic clove, 2 chopped large sweet peppers (preferably 1 red and 1 yellow), and sauté over medium-high heat until the peppers are just tender.

In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter, and sauté ¼ cup pine nuts over low heat for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are golden.

Toss the pepper mixture with hot pasta, and sprinkle the pine nuts on top.

Spiced Fish with Mint-Lime Butter
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Fish with Mangoes and Green Peppercorns
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Grilled Marinated Swordfish
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Fish in Phyllo Wrap
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Fish with Coral Sunset Sauce
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Fish with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
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Grilled Fish with Vegetable Jump-Up
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Quick Toppings for Fish
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Fish Carnival
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Fish with Tomato and Banana
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Fish Escabeche
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Grilled Or Baked Fish with West Indian Creole Sauce
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Fish Baked in Banana Leaves
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Coconut Shrimp with Vegetables
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Caribbean Cajun Shrimp
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Pirate's Shrimp In Puff Pastry
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Ginger-Lime Scallops With Toasted Walnuts
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Shrimp and Scallop Timbales with Dill Sabayon
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Pan-Seared Scallops with Tomato-Mango Salsa
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Scallops in Puff Pastry with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
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Shrimp Etouffée with Cajun Oysters
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Lobster Creole
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Lobster and Christophene Curry
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The sizzling flavors of the bayous are kissing cousins to Caribbean seasonings. In this Cajun fish dish, the mint-lime butter provides a cooling balance of flavors. You can freeze the remaining butter in foil for future use (it's terrific on lamb chops).

 

To make the mint-lime butter, beat the butter in a mixer until the butter is light and fluffy. Beat in the mint, lime juice, zest, and shallots. Put the butter on a sheet of waxed paper, form it into a cylinder, and wrap the butter securely. Refrigerate or freeze it until it is firm.

Preheat the oven to 450°. Lay the fish in a large baking dish, sprinkle with the Cajun Seasoning, and drizzle on some melted butter. Bake the fish about 5 minutes for each ½ inch of thickness.

When the fish is ready, place a slice of mint-lime butter on top of each fillet, and serve.

 

Makes 6 servings

In her book
Sky Juice and Flying
Fish, Jessica Harris relates the story of the mango's arrival in the West Indies. In 1872, a French vessel carrying a cargo of mangoes was captured off the coast of Jamaica, and the cargo was washed out to sea. The fruit floated to various islands, where the seeds sprouted, and mangoes became part of the islands' fruit basket.

 

To make the sauce, heat the butter in a small saucepan. Add the whole and crushed green peppercorns, and cook for 1 minute. Add the heavy cream, and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and keep the sauce warm.

Rub the fish with lime juice, and dust it with the seasoned flour. Heat the vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet, and cook the fish over medium-high heat, turning it once, for 4 to 5 minutes or just until it is cooked through. While the fish cooks, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in another skillet, add the mango slices, and cook them gently for 1 minute, turning them once.

Put the fish on serving plates, and spoon on a tablespoon or two of the I sauce. Arrange four mango slices over each fillet, and serve.

 

Makes
4
servings

Swordfish is just one of the many firm, mildly flavored fish that are often called "steakfish" in the Caribbean. Others include tuna, kingfish, marlin, and mahimahi. All are excellent with this marinade.

 

In a bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Place the swordfish steaks in a single layer in a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over, and allow the fish to sit in the refrigerator 1 hour.

Prepare a fire for grilling.

Remove the swordfish from the marinade, and grill the fish about 5 inches from the heat for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or just until the fish is firm. Garnish it with orange slices and parsley, and serve.

 

Makes 6 servings

This is a very pretty party dish, and a convenient one. You can wrap the fish in phyllo and refrigerate it for several hours, then bake it just before serving time.