Gourmet Galley

This week’s Monday menu followed a visit by dinghy to the Massy Superstore in Rodney Bay Marina town centre.

I was hoping to get locally sourced fresh food and was partially successful in buying fresh vegetables and fruit, of which there is a surprisingly limited choice.  I found a freezer towards the back of the store with locally caught frozen fish and made do with this for the substantive menu item.

Main course: Tuna and Marlin steak with crispy roast potatoes and callaloo.

Potatoes – parboiled then turned over in olive oil and seasoned with celery salt, pepper and smoked paprika before putting in the oven for approximately 35 minutes.

Tuna and Marlin steaks marinated in St Lucian green herbs, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil for an hour, before pan frying approximately 10 minutes before serving.

Callaloo (Caribbean spinach equivalent) – served with fried onions and yellow bell pepper.  Add the callaloo (washed and roughly chopped) to the fried onions and pepper, season with salt and pepper.  Callaloo is tougher and takes longer to cook than spinach somewhere between 6-10 minutes.

Served on deck with a glass of chilled rose wine.

Dessert:  Fried mini bananas with spiced rum, brioche and fig jam.

Melt butter and sugar in frying pan.

Add the sliced mini bananas (bought from George who runs the marina’s banana boat) and a splash or two of spiced rum.  Fry until the bananas are softened but still hold their shape.

Serve with a slice of brioche, buttered with a dollop of fig jam.

Yummy… 

Are mini bananas any different from the larger varieties?  They are purported to be sweeter… not sure whether I could tell the difference in a blind tasting test.. they are nevertheless super delicious when fried with rum and sugar.

Next week I’m going to try tamarind – it’s sold with several pieces together in a plastic bag.  I tried iced tamarind tea today… it was sweet and delicious.  If you have a recipe using tamarind – let me know.