Lisa Yarde
Cornmeal cou-cou is one-half of Barbados’ national dish of cou-cou and flying fish. It is best eaten with a very saucy stew of fish, meat, or poultry.
Cornmeal Cou-Cou
Cornmeal cou-cou is one-half of Barbados' national dish of cou-cou and flying fish. It is best eaten with a very saucy stew of fish, meat, or poultry.
Servings: 4
Calories: 220kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cornmeal
- 1 tbsp. Butter (plus extra for buttering dish)
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 2 cups Water
- 4 cups Water (boiling)
- 1 ⅓ cup Okra (thinly sliced)
- 2 tsp. Thyme (minced)
- 1 tbsp. Garlic (minced)
- 1 ½ cup Onions (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp. Oil
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients.
- Soak the cornmeal in 2 cups water for 5 minutes.
- In a pot, heat the 1 tablespoon of oil and gently saute the 1/2 cup of onions, 1 tablespoon of garlic, and 2 teaspoons of thyme for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the 1 1/3 cups of sliced okra and saute for 1 minute.
- Pour 4 cups of boiling water into the pot with the onion-okra mixture and let it boil for 10 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the okra to a small bowl and set aside.
- Pour half of the liquid from the pot into a small bowl and reserve for later use.
- Turn the heat to low and simmer. Add the soaked cornmeal, salt, and butter. Stir constantly using a whisk to avoid lumps and keep the cornmeal mixture from scorching.
- As the cornmeal begins to dry out, add the reserved liquid in stages, stirring with a wooden spoon until the cornmeal is cooked. This process takes about 90 minutes. Stir the cou-cou at 15-minute intervals to ensure that it is not sticking to the bottom of the pot
- As the mixture begins to break away clean from the sides of the pot, add the okra and stir to incorporate fully.
- Let the cou-cou continue to cook until it is firm but not stiff. The cou-cou should break away easily from the sides of the pot. Another way to check it is to insert a spoon into the middle of the cou-cou. It should stand and be easy to remove from the mixture.
- Transfer the cou-cou to a generously buttered bowl and swirl it around to form a mold. Invert the bowl onto a serving platter so the cou-cou drops out in a nicely shaped mound.
- Create an indentation in the center of the cou-cou and heap with stewed fish, meat, poultry, or vegetables, letting the rich sauce spill over to the sides.
Nutrition Facts
1 servings per container
- Amount Per ServingCalories220
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat
4g
7%
- Saturated Fat 2g 10%
- Cholesterol 6mg 2%
- Sodium 27mg 2%
- Total Carbohydrate
43g
15%
- Dietary Fiber 5g 20%
- Protein 5g 10%
- Calcium 78%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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