Flying Fish and Cou-Cou

Miller Publishing’s flying fish and cou cou combines rolled flying fish in a tomato-and-herb sauce with cornmeal cooked in reserved okra water. Its Barbados recipe uses prepared boned fish and freshly sliced tomatoes for this selected version.

Cornmeal and salt are processed with water in a blender. The okra is topped, washed and thinly sliced, then simmers with chopped onion in a medium saucepan of separate water.

The okra liquid is strained into a heat-proof jug. The okra returns to the saucepan with butter and the blended cornmeal, and the reserved liquid is gradually stirred back in over heat. Once all of it has been added, the pan is covered so the cou cou steams.

The supplied boned flying fish soaks with lime in separate salted water, then is drained and rolled. Butter heats for the sliced small onions; fresh sliced tomatoes, thyme, marjoram, chopped parsley, the sauce water, pepper sauce and black pepper are added and simmer uncovered until tender, with salt checked to taste.

The drained, rolled fish is added to the tomato-and-herb sauce. The vessel is covered and the fish simmers, completing the fish component alongside the steamed cornmeal and okra.