The Sugar Mill Caribbean Cookbook (15 page)

 

Makes 6 servings

Callaloo is the principal ingredient in the ubiquitous West Indian soup of the same name. Although each island has its own version, cooks throughout the Caribbean agree that young green callaloo leaves are essential in their soup pots. The edible root of the same plant is called dasheen, tannia, taro, malanga, or yautia, depending on which island it grows on. Confusing the issue further is another plant that also is called callaloo on some islands, but is elsewhere known as Chinese spinach or Indian kale. Dasheen leaves are rarely available in North America, but spinach or Swiss chard can be substituted.

 

Put the greens in a pot with the water, garlic, onion, thyme, and parsley. Bring the ingredients just to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the greens are tender.

Add the okra and eggplant, and cook the soup 10 minutes longer.

Remove the soup from the heat, and purée it in batches in a food processor or blender. Return it to the pot, add the ham, and season the soup with salt and pepper and hot pepper sauce. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Serve the soup immediately.

 

Makes 6 servings

The Sugar Mill has its own lush breadfruit tree that shades the hotel's entrance and provides us with bushels of cannonball-size fruit. We like to think our tree is related to those that Captain Bligh of the
Bounty
brought to St. Vincent in 1793 after surviving the notorious mutiny. In the Caribbean, breadfruit stands in for potatoes in many dishes, and nowhere more elegantly than in this island version of a French classic.

Fresh or canned breadfruit is available in markets specializing in Caribbean products. You can substitute potatoes for the breadfruit, if you like, and thereby return the dish to its French origins.

 

Melt the butter over moderate heat in a large, heavy pot. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté them for about 5 minutes, until they are soft and transparent.

Stir in the chopped breadfruit and the chicken broth, and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the breadfruit is tender enough to be easily mashed against the side of the pan.

In a blender or food processor, purée the soup, in batches, with the cream. Season the puréed soup with salt and pepper, and chill the soup for 3 hours.

Serve the soup cold, garnished with chives or green onions.

 

Makes 6 servings

This delicious soup is so simple to prepare that we are a little reluctant to reveal the recipe. We often serve Scallop Soup at home before a gala holiday dinner, because it's festive but not filling, and it leaves us plenty of time to deal with more demanding courses.

 

Put the beef and chicken broths and port into a saucepan, and bring the mixture to a boil. Season the broth to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the scallops among individual serving bowls and ladle the broth over the top. The heat of the broth will cook the scallops while leaving them meltingly tender. Garnish the soup with green onions or chives, and serve.

 

Makes 6 servings

Our climate makes cold soups very popular. This is one of our favorites, because it's light and refreshing and a great starter for any rich meal.

 

Combine the cucumbers, chicken broth, sour cream or yogurt, garlic, vinegar, and salt and pepper in a food processor or blender, and whirl until the mixture is smooth. Chill the soup thoroughly.

Pour the soup into serving bowls. Sprinkle it with chopped tomato and green onion or dill, and serve.

 

Makes 6 servings

Almost everyone has seen the lovely pink and orange shell of the conch, but not everyone has eaten this critter. Like the abalone, conch is tough as a boot if abused, but delicious when treated with care. Tenderize the conch by pounding it with a mallet until the tissue has broken down.

If you can't get conch, you can substitute clams in this recipe. Simmer the clam broth, water or wine, onion, celery, and peppers for 15 minutes, then add the clams and simmer 15 minutes longer. Finish the soup as directed.

 

In a large saucepan, simmer the conch, clam broth, water, wine, and salt and pepper for 1½ hours.

Add the onion, celery, and red and green peppers. Continue simmering the soup for ½ hour longer.

Add the tomatoes, potatoes, thyme, and cream or half-and-half, and heat the soup through. Season with more salt and pepper, if you like. Garnish with chopped parsley, and serve.

 

Makes about 2½ quarts

In the markets of the Caribbean one always finds big bags of peanuts in their shells. As men play dominoes under the shade of seagrape trees, they shell and eat peanuts while contemplating the next move.

 

Cook the onion in the butter until the onion is limp. Stir in the flour, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in the broth. Stir in the peanut butter, and cook and stir the soup until it is smooth and slightly thickened. Cover the pan, and simmer the soup gently 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir in the cream, and season the soup to taste with the minced hot pepper, hot pepper sauce, and other seasonings. Garnish with peanuts and green onions, and serve.

 

Makes 6 servings

Sweet and Sour Peppers
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Hearts of Palm Carnival
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Leek and Pepper Salad with Tapenade
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Papaya and Prosciutto with Ginger Vinaigrette
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Curried Tomato Salad
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Green Papaya Salad
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Green Bananas in Olive Vinaigrette
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Carrot Salad Vinaigrette
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Tuna Salad with Tangerine Vinaigrette
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Caribbean Black Bean and Seafood Salad
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