Match of the week
Cheese and cassava croquettes and rum punch
This week's match of the week is a bit random, admittedly, because everything goes with rum punch in Barbados but I wanted to single out these delicious croquettes we bought in the Holders Hill farmer's market.
Oddly they were made by a smallholder called Domi’s Delights who specialises in Peruvian cuisine so maybe they were not authentically Bajan but Peruvian-inspired.
In any case they were first-rate - light and fluffy with a deliciously molten cheesy centre (not the most flattering pic, I admit so you’ll have to take my word for it)
The rum punch was a pre-mix from a bar called St Maria’s which sounds like a bit of a cop-out but for some reason there’s a shortage of the tiny fragrant local limes and from past experience we knew it was as good as almost any we could make from scratch. Last year we tried to find the bar where they made it but it had closed so I guess they find it more profitable to bottle it and sell it to the large ex-pat community here.
It cost 67Bds$ or £26 for 1.75 litres which sounds a lot but is equivalent to 2 1/2 standard bottles. Or around 15 individual rum punches. (Booze is cheaper than food on the island!)
It also goes with practically any kind of snack you want to nibble with it from a flying fish cutter - as you'll see from last year - to a bag of plantain crisps. Followed by a the excellent local Banks beer.
Flying fish cutters and Banks beer
A week without wine might sound like hell for wine lovers but to be honest in Barbados why would you drink anything else? Wine is expensive and there’s not much choice whereas beer is cheap and ubiquitous.
Even though we tried some craft beers we kept coming back to the island’s national beer Banks, a full-flavoured lager of 4.7% which invariably hit the spot. (You can read more about on the Beers of Europe website and buy it from them too if you’ve been to Barbados and are getting withdrawal symptoms)
It goes brilliantly with the flying fish ‘cutters’ - a fried fish sandwich or bun that you find on practically every menu and with the equally popular Bajan fishcakes which are actually more like fish balls and should always be freshly fried.
Of course you *could* also quaff a rum punch but I find most a tad too sweet though my mate Fiona Sims* (pictured above) makes an excellent one deviating slightly from the classic formula (one of sour, 1 1/2 (rather than two) of sweet (sugar syrup in her case), 3 of strong (we used Mount Gay rum) and 4 of weak (water rather than fruit juice). Mix, pour over ice-filled tumblers, then top with a good drizzle of Angostura bitters and a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg. Hits the spot every time!
*Author of The Boat Drinks Book if you want other cocktail inspiration!
Jerk chicken and rum punch
Despite the beautiful weather we’ve had over the past couple of days there’s a distinct late summer feel to the air which combined with the fact that the nights are drawing in reminds one - sadly - there aren’t that many evenings left for barbecuing this year. (Unless you’re one of those die-hards who grills all year round . . . )
It’s also carnival-time in London this holiday weekend so what better combination to celebrate than the perfect pairing of Jerk Chicken and rum punch?
Like all spicy foods Jerk Chicken (which is chicken rubbed with a dry spice mix that includes chillies and allspice) tastes best with something cold and slightly sweet and rum punch ticks both boxes. The classic Caribbean formula I was given was I (measure) of sour, 2 of sweet, 3 of strong (rum, of course) and 4 of weak (some kind of fruit juice). Personally I find that a bit sweet so tend to make it 1 measure rather than 2 of sweet.
I don’t know how authentic this is but for me the sour should be freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice, the sweet, sugar syrup or grenadine which will give the punch a fabulous colour, the rum golden or spiced (something like Appleton V/X, Cockspur or Morgan’s Spiced) and the juice a good quality tropical fruit juice that includes mango. (Sometimes I add some fresh mango pure as well). Simply pour into a large jug of ice cubes, stir and decorate with mint.
Image © snapfoto105 - Fotolia.com
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