Cou Cou Food

BAJAN COU-COU

Steps:

• Soak cornmeal in water. Grate okra and cook in boiling water. When water is of a slimy consistency strain off okra and reserve. Place saucepan on medium heat, add cornmeal and stir continuously until hot. When cornmeal begins to tighten, add okra water still stirring until cornmeal is cooked. Stir in okra and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.;

STEAMED FLYING FISH AND COU-COU

Steps:

• Make the Cou-Cou: Combine the water, okra, red pepper, salt, and hot sauce in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until very thick. Transfer half of the okra mixture to a bowl.
• Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the okra mixture in the saucepan, and reduce the heat to low. While stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon, sprinkle in the cornmeal a little at a time, and cook until thick. Add the remaining okra mixture and 2 tablespoons butter and stir until smooth. Cover to keep warm.
• Make the Flying Fish: Rub the flesh side of the fish with the Bajan seasoning and lime juice, and season with the salt, to taste. Roll each fish up tightly and secure with a toothpick.
• Heat the butter in a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and bay leaf and cook, stirring, until soft. Add the catsup, curry, mustard, and sugar and stir. Add the water, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer. Arrange the rolled fish in the skillet and cover with the bell peppers, tomato, herbs, and hot sauce. Cover and simmer until the fish is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, to taste.
• Divide the cou-cou among the plates, make a well in each, and spoon the fish and sauce over the top.

COU-COU

Steps:

• Put water to boil in a medium-size pot. Thinly slice okra and add to boiling water. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until soft. Lower the heat.
• Meanwhile, combine corn meal with cold water and mix well.
• Add corn mixture to the okra. Add salt.
• Mix well and cook on low, stirring constantly with a flat wooden spoon or "cou-cou stick".
• When mixture breaks away cleanly from the side of the saucepan, the cou-cou is ready.
• Butter a bowl, turn the mixture out neatly onto it, shaking it so that it takes on the shape of the bowl.
• Turn it out on to a serving dish, make an indentation in the top and place a knob of butter in it.
• What makes it unique and distinguishes it from its now more fashionable cousin the Italian polenta, is the addition of okra. In some islands, cou-cou is spiced up by peppers and yellow-butter.
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COU COU (CARIBBEAN POLENTA)

Steps:

• Clean and wash okra. Dice all but 6. Add 3 cups of water to a large saucepan. Add salt. Add diced and whole okra. Bring okra to boil for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Save whole okra aside for garnish.
• Measure 2 cups of liquid from the cooked okra to use for cooking your cou-cou.
• Mix cornmeal in a large bowl with enough cold water to moisten and blend it together. Stir the cornmeal slowly into the reserved liquid and okra. Use a wooden spoon to mix together.
• Return pot to stove over medium heat, and continue stirring okra and cornmeal. Cook and stir about 15-20 minutes. Insert wooden spoon into center of the cou-cou If spoon stands up in the pot and is easily removed from cornmeal, your cou-cou is done.
• Cou-cou should be firm when it's done. If the cou-cou is oose and creamy looking, you have used too much water. If too much water is used, let cou-cou stand uncovered over low heat to "dry out."
• When cou-cou is done, turn the entire mixture into a buttered serving bowl and garnish with whole okra.