Guadeloupe's cuisine

Guadeloupe's cuisine mirrors its many cultures. To the typically Creole, dishes have been added the finesse of French cuisine, the spice of African cookery, the subtlety of Hindu and Southeast Asian recipes. Fresh seafood appears on most menus. Other specialties: shellfish, smoked fish, stuffed land crabs, stewed conch, and curry dishes. Guadeloupe is considered one of the true culinary capitals of the Caribbean, with some 200 restaurants recommended by the Tourist Office. Local rum drinks often precede a meal and imported French wines often accompany it. Prices for a three-course meal for one person, without wine, range from inexpensive to moderate to expensive. Guadeloupe's most colorful culinary event is the Fête des Cuisinières held annually in early August.

Caribbean Ginger Turkey

Ingredients

2 pound turkey breast, skinned

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup dry sherry

2 tablespoon apricot jam

½ teaspoon ginger

½ cup water

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 clove garlic – chopped

Method

Carefully bone turkey breast. Remove fillet from underside of breast by detaching the feather-shaped piece of boneless meat beside the breast bone. Cut remaining breast meat into 3 equal portions.

In a plastic bag, combine water, soy sauce, sugar, sherry, oil, apricot jam, lemon juice, ginger and garlic; mix well to dissolve sugar. Prop bag in a bowl; add turkey, submerge in marinade.

Marinade 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Remove meat from marinade, reserving marinade. Broil or barbecue turkey 12 to 15 minutes, turning and brushing meat with marinade.

Serve with rice and garnish with sliced fruit.

Black Bean Chicken

Ingredients

1 cut up chicken (3 ½ pounds)

1 freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup onion - chopped

½ cup green pepper - chopped

1 Jalapeno pepper - seeds removed & chopped

1 large clove garlic - minced

1 teaspoon cumin - ground

1 medium tomato - peeled & chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 can black beans (15 pounds)

Method

Sprinkle chicken with freshly ground pepper to taste. In a 12 inch skillet, sauté chicken in olive oil about three minutes on each side; remove from pan.

To pan drippings, add onion, green pepper, jalapeno pepper and garlic.

Cook two minutes, or until onions are softened. Stir in cumin, tomatoes, lemon juice and black beans.

Return chicken to pan; cover and simmer 20 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook until chicken is done and juices run clear, about 10 minutes.

Montserrat Cuisine

Montserrat is a lush, mountainous island in the Caribbean Sea, located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles. Montserrat was given its name by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New World in 1493, after its namesake located in Catalonia, Spain. Montserrat is often referred to as the Emerald Island of the Caribbean, due both to its resemblance to coastal Ireland and to the Irish descent of most of its early European settlers.

Montserrat is currently an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. Its official name is the Crown Colony of Montserrat. Its Georgian-era capital city of Plymouth was destroyed and two-thirds of the island's population forced to flee abroad owing to the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano that began on July 18, 1995. The eruption continues today on a much reduced scale, the damage being confined to the areas around Plymouth including its docking facilities and the former W.H. Bramble Airport. An exclusion zone, open during the day, extends from the south coast of the island north to parts of the Belham Valley and provides visitors with a spectacular view of the volcano and the destruction it has wrought upon the town. A new airport at Geralds in the northern part of the island opened in 2005. CLICK HERE to learn how to get paid to travel 

Cabbage Au Gratin

Ingredients

1 pound cabbage, shredded

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon flour

½ cup milk

Salt and pepper, to taste

Breadcrumbs

Method

Boil cabbage in salted water until tender. Melt butter; blend in flour and stir until lightly browned. Remove from heat and add milk gradually; return to heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, seasoning to taste.

Combine drained cabbage and sauce; place in a greased, oven proof dish. Sprinkle with crumbs and dot with butter. Bake in a moderate (350^oF) until well browned (15-20 minutes).

These recipes are from The Montserrat Cookbook, published by The Montserrat Old People's Welfare Association, 1973. The association was founded by Mrs. Patricia Griffin, a native Montserratian, in 1964.