Cou-cou and flying fish was a dinner staple when I was a child. After all, it is the national dish of Barbados, and I am a first-generation Bajan-American. Cou-cou is not to be confused with couscous! It’s a cornmeal mash, kind of like polenta or grits, that’s cooked with okra.
Nowadays flying fish is fairly hard to come by, even in Barbados. I can’t believe how expensive it has gotten, rivaled only by oxtails in terms of the price increase over the years. But I pay the price because for me, flying fish is a piece of home. That said, it is difficult to source flying fish outside the Caribbean, so feel free to substitute another flaky, mild white fish, such as flounder, that is readily available. On The Great American Recipe, I made it with snapper. Serves 6
6 mild white fish fillets, such as flying fish, flounder, or snapper
1¼ teaspoons iodized salt, divided
Juice of ½ lime
1½ teaspoons jerk seasoning, such as Walkerswood
4½ cups water, divided
8–12 fresh okra, trimmed and sliced into rounds
1 cup fine cornmeal
All-purpose flour, for dredging
½ cup vegetable oil
½ small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
Leaves from 6 thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1.Put the fish in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt and squeeze in the lime juice, then gently rub the lime and salt all over both sides of the fish. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2.Rinse off the lime and salt and pat the fish dry with a paper towel. Rub a little jerk seasoning in all the crevices on the top of the fish. Set aside.
3.In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of the water to a boil over high heat. Add the okra, reduce the heat to low, and bring the water back to a simmer. Cook the okra for 12 minutes. You should see the okra “slime” in the water.
4.Pour the okra and water into a large bowl. Return 1 cup of the okra cooking water to the saucepan, still over low heat. Add the cornmeal and stir, using a wooden spoon or cou-cou stick. Gradually add the remaining okra and okra cooking water, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Wait for the cornmeal to absorb most of the water before adding more. When all the okra and okra water are mixed into the cornmeal, continue to cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until it starts to puff, about 20 minutes. Cover and keep warm while you fry the fish.
5.Lightly coat the fish in flour. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
6.While the oil is heating up, make the gravy. Combine the onion, oregano, thyme, and remaining 1½ cups water in a small skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the tomato paste, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and black pepper and turn the heat down to a simmer.
7.When the oil is hot, add the fish (working in batches if needed to avoid crowding the pan) and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack to drain.
8.To serve, scoop a few spoonfuls of cou-cou onto each plate and smother with gravy. Place a piece of fish on the cou-cou and drizzle some more gravy on top.