St Martin Cuisine
by Edmund Jarvis
Saint Martin is a tropical island in the northeast Caribbean, east of Puerto Rico. The 98 km² (38 square-mile) island is divided roughly in half between France and the Netherlands; it is the smallest inhabited land mass in the world that is divided between two nations. The southern Dutch half is called Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles; the northern French half is called Saint-Martin and is part of the French overseas région and département of Guadeloupe. The main towns are Marigot (French side) and Philipsburg (Dutch side).The most popular types of cuisine in St. Martin are traditional French and spicy West Indian Créole. Many of the restaurants, which range from inexpensive to trés cher, combine the best of both. Fresh seafood appears on virtually all menus, sometimes prepared in Créole style with spices, sometimes in the classic French manner with herbs. Local rum drinks often precede a meal and fine French wines provide the perfect accompaniment. Recipes of St. MartinCallaloo Soup Ingredients2 pounds fresh kale½ pound callaloo, or fresh spinach12 okra pods¼ pound salt pork, cut into thin strips½ pound fresh lean pork, cubed 2 onions, thinly slicedFreshly ground black pepper to taste1 hot pepper, seeds removed, sliced1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme6 cups chicken stock Method Pull all stems from kale and callaloo. Discard stems and roughly chop the leaves. Wash leaves thoroughly. Roughly chop the kale. Place salt port in a large, heavy soup kettle and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, rendering fat. Discard all, but 2 tablespoons of fat. Add pork cubes and onions to pan. Sauté over medium heat until cubes are brown and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add kale, callaloo, okra, black pepper and hot pepper. Add thyme and stock. Cover and simmer 2 1/2 hours. Remove salt pork before serving. Makes 6-8 servings.Crab Backs Ingredients12 live blue crabs3 tablespoons butter1 medium onion, chopped1 medium tomato, chopped 3 tablespoons chopped chives1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauceSalt and freshly ground black pepper to tasteUnseasoned dry bread crumbs Method Bring water to boil in a large pot. Add crabs. Boil for 15 minutes, until the shells turn bright red. Drain and cool. Break open the claws and pick out the meat. Discard pieces of shell. Carefully open the crab backs, removing and reserving any meat and fat, but discarding gill and white intestine. Scrub empty shells thoroughly. Preheat broiler. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, tomato and chives. Cook until softened and remove from heat. Stir in flaked crabmeat, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper. Refill crab backs with the crab mixture and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Place stuffed crabs on a baking sheet and brown under broiler. Serve hot. Roasted
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