Bajan Cou-Cou & Steamed Flying Fish

⏱ 55 min · Serves 4

Barbados' national dish, done properly: silky cornmeal and okra cou-cou moulded into a glossy dome, served with delicate fillets steamed in a sweet, peppery tomato and onion gravy. Bright, homely and full of island warmth — swap in tilapia or sea bream if flying fish is hard to find.

Per serving: 612 kcal · 40.0g protein · 68.0g carbs · 21.0g fat

Ingredients

• 8 flying fish fillets (about 600g), or 4 tilapia/sea bream fillets
• 2 tbsp Bajan seasoning (or 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley, thyme, spring onion, garlic + 1 tsp scotch bonnet, blitzed with 1 tbsp oil)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 sweet pepper, sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1/2 scotch bonnet, whole (pierced once)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 250g fine yellow cornmeal
• 250g okra, topped and sliced 1cm thick
• 1.2 litres water
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 30g butter, for the cou-cou
• Black pepper

Method

1. Rub the fish fillets with the Bajan seasoning and lime juice. Cover and leave in the fridge while you start the cou-cou.
2. Bring the water to the boil with the okra and 1 tsp salt. Simmer 8–10 minutes until the okra is soft and the water is slightly slippery. Scoop out 400ml of the okra water into a jug and set aside.
3. Whisk the cornmeal into a bowl with 300ml cold water to make a smooth slurry — this stops lumps.
4. Pour the slurry into the simmering okra pot, stirring hard with a wooden spoon (a cou-cou stick if you have one). Cook over low heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring constantly and adding splashes of the reserved okra water whenever it stiffens, until thick, smooth and pulling away from the pan.
5. Beat in the 30g butter and season. Keep warm, covered, with a little okra water on top so it doesn't crust.
6. Meanwhile, heat the oil and 1 tbsp butter in a wide pan. Soften the onion, garlic and sweet pepper for 5 minutes.
7. Add the tomatoes, ketchup, sugar, thyme and whole scotch bonnet. Simmer 8 minutes until glossy, loosening with a splash of water if needed. Season.
8. Roll each fillet up (skin side in) or lay flat, nestle into the sauce, spoon a little over, cover and steam gently 8–10 minutes until just cooked. Remove the scotch bonnet.
9. Scoop the cou-cou into a wetted bowl, swirl to smooth, then turn out onto each plate as a dome. Spoon the fish and gravy alongside and finish with black pepper and extra lime.