Hi Everyone,
This is the last in the 4-part series of weekend Bajan eats.
When one thinks of Cou-cou, the mind immediately focuses on cornmeal, the dish sometimes referred to as turn cornmeal (because of the constant turning/stirring that needs to take place to ensure that the cornmeal does not scorch or burn). However, Bajans are also known for making breadfruit Cou-cou and green banana Cou-cou.
Cou-cou is traditionally a weekend dish, and more so because of the time it takes to prepare. When breadfruit is plentiful, as it is now, many people take a break from making cornmeal Cou-cou and instead, make breadfruit Cou-cou, which is much easier, at least time-wise. Breadfruit Cou-cou is breadfruit, preferably yellow-meat breadfruit that is boiled until soft and mashed smooth with butter and milk to ‘stretch it out’ and give the mixture a creamy texture. For a kicked up version, you can add grated cheese. Yum!
I don’t like the traditional cornmeal Cou-cou so I was a bit skeptical about making breadfruit Cou-cou. I had had breadfruit Cou-cou before but it was such a long time ago that I couldn’t remember what it tasted like or if I liked it. Nevertheless, I got myself a nice full/ripe yellow-meat breadfruit and set about making breadfruit Cou-cou.
The peeling and boiling was the easy part, it was the mashing of the breadfruit that made my arms grow tired. Hot off the stove I immediately started to mash the breadfruit with some butter as instructed by an acquaintance, but as the breadfruit cooled, it became thick and heavy to mash. And it was absolutely important that the mashed breadfruit be smooth! The milk helped considerably to get things moving again but I had to be careful; if I added too much milk, the mashed breadfruit would become like whipped potatoes and not hold its form.
Breadfruit Cou-cou does not usually have in okra (as the cornmeal one does), but I wanted okra in mine so I had steamed some okra and sliced them thinly to add to the breadfruit Cou-cou. When I was done mashing the breadfruit, I stirred in the okra and it looked just like cornmeal Cou-cou.
The taste? You know, while I am not a fan of cornmeal Cou-cou, I do like breadfruit Cou-cou. The texture was soft and creamy and it went very well the sauce of the stewed pigtails and beef that I had made. I shared the breadfruit Cou-cou with my neighbour who is a lover of all things breadfruit and of Cou-cou; the praise was high. I would definitely make breadfruit Cou-cou again. If you like mashed potatoes, you will definitely like and appreciate breadfruit Cou-cou.
There are some add-ins that I’ll be experimenting with (not all at the same time). Roasted garlic, sour cream instead of milk, smoked Gouda with scallions; basil pesto, caramelized onions and roasted tomatoes are some ideas that quickly come to mind.
To plate the Cou-cou, use a pot spoon or an ice cream scoop if you want perfectly round mounds of Cou-cou. Or, you can do what is usually done for cornmeal Cou-cou, a serving portion is scooped and pressed firmly into a buttered bowl, swirled around a few times and then inverted onto a plate. It matters not how you plate it, breadfruit Cou-cou is nice.
Cynthia
