Caribbean Recipe Of The Week – Coconut Curried Seafood Medley

By Minna LaFortune

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Sept. 23, 2016: Coconut milk is such a versatile food that it is found in the cuisine of several cultures all over the world including the Caribbean.

With the recognition that coconut is a super food because of its nutritional value, it is becoming even more popular in European and American cuisines. Coconut milk’s versatility is especially remarkable for its taste and nutritional value.

Fresh coconut milk has a consistency and is mildly sweet in taste, similar to that of cow’s milk, and if properly prepared, should have little or no coconut odor.

It may be consumed raw by itself, or used as a milk substitute in tea, coffee, or baking by vegans or people allergic to animal milk. It can also be mixed with fruit to make a yogurt substitute.

Additionally fresh coconut milk can be used in savory and sweet dishes too especially with sea food, rice and peas, soups, ice creams, puddings, cakes and drinks.

Coconut milk is used to make rum, by fermenting coconut milk, yeast, and sugar for a week. This is popular in the Solomon Islands. In the Caribbean, coconut milk is used in many dishes (both sweet and savory) and in cocktail drinks and homemade ice creams as well as in curries sea food, rice and peas, soups, puddings, cakes and candies.

Two of my favorite dishes in which coconut milk is used are Mackerel Rung dung and Curried Seafood Medley.

Here is my recipe for Curried Seafood Medley.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb shrimp

1 lb King or Snapper fish fillet (cubed)

1/2 scallop

1lb lobster

2 pints of fresh coconut milk

3 large potatoes (1/2 ” cubed)

2 large onions ( minced)

2 large cloves of garlic (minced)

3 sprigs of thyme

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp minced scotch bonnet pepper

Salt to taste

1 tbs lemon juice

1/4 cup curry powder

1/4 cup coconut oil.

METHOD

Marinate seafood for four hours in lemon juice, black pepper and salt. To a heavy sauce pan, add the coconut oil followed by 3 large potatoes (1/2 ” cubed), 2 large onions ( minced), 2 large cloves of garlic (minced), 1/2 tsp minced scotch bonnet pepper and 1/4 cup curry powder.

Stir until all the ingredients and mix together.

Cook ingredients on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.

Heat coconut milk and add to the curry mixture.

Mix well and allow to cook on a low flame until potatoes are cooked and liquid is reduced by half.

Add sea food and cook for five to seven minutes on a low flame.

Add thyme, taste for salt and pepper.

Serve with white rice!

Bon Appetite

EDITOR’S NOTE: Minna LaFortune is a trained Caribbean caterer and also president, Society for the Advancement of the Caribbean Diaspora (SACD). Check out her food group on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/bestfoodscaribbean/