BARBADOS – Tonight, our Denielle Miller is trading her microphone for an apron – getting a hands-on taste of Barbados!
As our coverage of the island’s food and rum festival continues, she’s discovering that the magic of Caribbean cuisine goes beyond what’s on the plate.
From sharing recipes to celebrating culture, she takes us inside a kitchen where food is bringing the Caribbean together.
From stewed chicken and creamy macaroni pie, to fried pig tail, grilled marlin and bread pudding drizzled with rum sauce, it was a feast of Bajan flavors but before we could dig in, we had to roll up our sleeves and help prepare it.
The hands-on culinary experience was led by award-winning Bajan chef Creig Greenidge, with internationally acclaimed mixologist Sir Shane McClean serving up a taste of the island through his signature cocktails.
“Hi how are you doing? Welcome to beautiful Barbados we in chef Creig kitchen making macaroni pie and all the fancy dishes from Barbados. Next we gone be having cocktails with Sir Sean Mclean stay tuned cheers”
With aprons on and cooking stations assigned, each of us had a role to play.
And for me, the choice was easy: Bajan Fish Cakes.
A Caribbean favorite that shares similarities with Jamaican saltfish fritters and our very own Bahamian conch fritters.
The ingredients may differ, but the flavors tell a familiar story.
And as we compared recipes and seasonings, it became clear that even something as simple as a pepper could spark a cultural exchange.
“Do you know what we call it in The Bahamas? Tell me. Goat Pepper. Goat Pepper? And not Scotch Bonnet? No oh the same pepper but Goat? I like that.I like that”
But talking about cooking was one thing, actually stepping up to the stove was another.
After Chef Creig prepared the batter, it was my turn to fry the fish cakes.
And I’ll admit, I was a little nervous.
It had been years since I’d fried batter and with a kitchen full of Caribbean food lovers watching, the pressure was on.
But what started as a cooking challenge quickly turned into something much more meaningful.
Between the laughter, the shared recipes and a few friendly debates, the kitchen became a meeting place for Caribbean cultures.
Even the menu sparked conversation about the differences between our islands.
“This blue fish right ? Blue Marlin. Blue Marlin that you can not eat in The Bahamas cause it’s their national fish but today in Barbados “
And that was perhaps the biggest takeaway from the experience.
While each island has its own distinct flavors, ingredients and traditions, food has a way of bringing us together.
By the end of the class, we had learned more than how to prepare a Bajan meal.
And as for my fish cakes?
Well, I’ll let the chef be the judge.
“How it taste chef? Taste like it want a little bit more pepper but otherwise great job. Thank you, excellent batter. Tell the people who mix the batter. Bahamas did “
In the end it was the perfect recipe for Caribbean connection.
