Haitians take very special care to ensure that all meats are savory and filled with spices and seasonings that stand out as the main focus of any delicious meal that is shared with family and friends. While Haitian food is a mix of French, African and Spanish, their special touches from their country add a definite Haitian taste to the final dish.
Fish is the most prevalent meat eaten in Haiti because it can be caught fresh and can be prepared in the same day. Goat or lamb meat is considered a delicacy that only the well-to-do can afford. As a result special care is taken with these meats. Haitians in who live in the United States or other countries will shop for these meats in special Caribbean stores where the meat is prepared comparably to how it prepared at home.
Conch Lambi
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds shelled conch, cleaned, skinned
- 2 limes or lemons, halved
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled, halved, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced shallots
- 1 tomato, peeled, seeded, chopped
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme,
- 1/2 chili, minced
Directions:
- Pound the conch with a mallet
- Cut it into 1 1/2-inch squares
- Place the conch in a medium bowl; squeeze the limes over the top. Add the lime rinds and water to cover.
- Cover and refrigerate 1-1 1/2hours. Drain and discard the rinds.
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, melt the butter.
- Add the onion, garlic and shallots and sauté until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato, water, tomato paste,thyme, minced chili and conch. Heat over medium to boiling; reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer, partially covered, until the conch is fork tender,45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over hot cooked rice.
Poisson or Fish
Ingredients:
- 2 lb. Fish cleaned
- 3 cups water
- 1 medium chopped onion
- 1/2 cup carrots
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 4 Tbs. tomato paste
- 1 tsp parsley
- 2 tsp thyme
Directions:
- Boil water in a large pot then and combine all ingredients excluding the fish
- Cook for 10 minutes then add the fish
- Simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes until fish is flaky for 10 minutes.
Haitian Goat in Orange and Lemon Juice
Ingredients:
- 2-3 Lbs. Goat, cut into small chunks
- 1/2 cup Orange juice
- 1/4 cup Lime or Lemon juice
- 1/2 cup Vegetable oil
- 1 Tsp Parsley
- to taste Salt
- to taste Black pepper
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Onion
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients and let the meat marinate for at least 3-4 hours.
- Transfer meat mixture into a cooking pot.
- Add water to cover. Heat to boiling and reduce heat.
- Simmer covered until meat is very tender.
- Fry meat in a large frying pan, until golden brown.
Margaret Auguste - Margaret Auguste has worked for the past 15 years as a therapist, juvenile court advocate, software trainer and librarian. She currently ...
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