The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Barthélemois Foods. If you manage to be in an Barthélemois restaurant or you are visiting Saint Barthélemy, I recommend the following:
1. Seafood Stew with Tomato Water
In this delicious tomato-rich stew, squid (the most commonly used) is simmered until very tender. The squid is absolutely essential in this dish, as it releases its liquid when cooked, adding a rich flavour to the sauce. In addition, depending on taste, scallops, lobster or oysters can be substituted for the shrimp. Fish such as mahi mahi mahi, tilapia and halibut can also be substituted.
2. Sweet Potato and Conch Cakes with Mustard Cream
This is our version of high-end hash browns with a Caribbean twist. Fresh thyme-scented roasted sweet potatoes are served in a spicy mustard and crème fraîche sauce with just the right amount of flavour: sweet and tender flesh, pleasantly spiced and herbaceous. They make the perfect starter or snack.
3. Grilled Lobster
Grilled lobster is a wonderful treat any time of day. If you can find wild-caught lobster in the warm Caribbean, you’re in for a treat. They simply have sweeter meat than other lobsters. Baked to perfection with just a touch of butter, lemon and spices, it’s heavenly. Locals and visitors alike expect locally prepared delicacies, such as Caribbean lobster, while enjoying some of the best tropical scenery in the world.
4. Filet of Cod with Japanese Peas
Miso black cod is a traditional dish with a rich flavour. Serve it with sweet cabbage and pea shoots for a French twist. Sablefish can be hard to find, but regular cod would be a perfectly acceptable substitute. The cod was crispy on the outside and soft and crunchy on the inside. The sesame seeds are not too strong and go well with the peas.
5. Chili Prawns with Mango Jicama and Cilantro Salad
This is the best lunch on the boardwalk after a morning in the sun in a swimming costume. The mild sweetness of the mango balances the spicy and bitter taste of this dish. Delicious marinated prawns are grilled and seasoned with a juicy mango sauce and served with a salad.
6. Berries with Lemon Curd
This sweet, tangy and versatile curd is served in muffins, spread between sponge cake and whipped cream or used as a base for fruit tarts. Add eggs, egg yolks, sugar and lemon, cook in butter until a curd forms, then serve with cold lemon cream and a selection of succulent berries.
7. Chocolate Soufflé with Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate soufflé is a sophisticated French dessert that combines dark chocolate with a creamy base of egg yolk and egg white. Usually made in moulds, they are always lightly fried so that they are velvety in the middle and deliciously crisp on top. Today, one of the most popular interpretations of this internationally acclaimed dessert, it is often served with a scoop of ice cream, the favourite being vanilla.
8. Cumin dusted Filet with Fennel Puree
No French-inspired menu is complete without red meat. Fennel puree served as a sauce for the tenderloin, offsetting the cumin flavour. It’s also a simple bowl for quantity, because you can double the size of the steak and slice it thinly. Prepare the back side until golden and pair it with a pure phenomenon.
9. Lobster Spring Rolls with Lemongrass Coconut Sauce
Spring rolls are a snack that originated in China and consist of a thin dough stuffed with various ingredients and then deep fried in hot oil. Some of the most common filling ingredients include shredded pork, shrimp, mushrooms and cabbage. Prawns are a favourite here, usually served with a coconut and lemongrass sauce.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Caribbean Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.