What's Cooking In Martinique: A Marriage Of French And Creole Cuisines

Saturday, March 1, 2008

What’s Cooking In Martinique: A Marriage Of French And Creole Cuisines (NAPSA)—Cooking in the French Caribbean island of Martinique is an art practiced by wizardly chefs who can take something very ordinary, like spiny sea urchins, do secret things to them, and—with just a whisper of “open sesame” to the oven door—bring forth a souffl that is positively spellbinding. Martinique showsits Frenchness very noticeably through its love affair with good food. Many shops close from noon to 2:30 for the sacrosanct tradition of a copious andleisurely lunch, while dinner is often a gastronomic adventure lasting all evening. Since local people dine out as a matter of course, visitors to Martinique have one of the widest choices of restaurants in the Caribbean— more than 365, one per every day of the year. To get there, American Airlines and Air France could be good places to start researching travel information. Hotels and better-known spots have menus in English, but many little places do not, so it is wise to bring along a French phrase book and pocket dictionary. Many dining rooms offer both French cuisine and Creole dishes, a wondrous mix of African, Indian, European and Caribbean flavors. Others serve recipes that combine the best from both kitchen traditions. On every menu,fish is king and daily specialties vary according to the morning’s catch. Typical offerings are red snapper, kingfish, sunfish, soudons (small clams), cribiches (freshwater crayfish), lambi (conch), oursin (sea urchin) and langouste (clawless Caribbean lobster). Sometimes thefish is prepared in traditional Creole fashion Photo courtesy Martinique Promotion Bureau/ Oceandimages.com Martinique’s restaurants blend French and Creole cuisines. using piquant spices and herbs; at other times it is served in the more lightly seasoned French style, and often it is a delicious marriageof the two. Here’s an example of the kind of dishes you mayfind at any of Martinique’s fine eateries: BISQUE DE CRIBICHES (FRESHWATER CRAYFISH BISQUE) 4 Thsp. butter 2 Ibs. crayfish, cleaned and shelled 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 fennel sprig (optional) 1 small pepper, hot(left whole) 4 cups water 1 cup coconut milk 2 egg yolks Salt, to taste 1. Heat butter in heavy saucepan and add crayfish, onion andgarlic. 2. Saute over medium heat until crayfish have changed color, about 5 minutes. 3. Add fennel, hot pepper and water. 4, Cover and cook at a gentle simmerfor 30 minutes. 5. Remove and discard fennel and hot pepper. 6. Remove crayfish and pound in a mortar and push through a fine sieve or reduce to a pureein anelectric blender witha little of the stock. 7. Return pureed crayfish to saucepan, add coconut milk and heat through. 8. Beat egg yolks with a little of the soup and stir into saucepan. 9. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the soup is lightly thickened. Makes6 portions. Note: The crayfish shells may be simmered in the waterfirst to make a more flavorful stock instead of using plain water. Martinique’s celebrated Culinary Festival is put on annually in late April or early May, the week starting Asencion Thursday, in Sainte-Marie and is a real treat to combinesightseeing and great food! Visitors to Martinique may want to pick up a complimentary copy of “Ti Gourmet,” an illustrated guide with discounts in English and French to about 100 island restaurants, with details on types of food served, location, telephone number, price range, etc. Planning A Trip To learn more, contact the Martinique Promotion Bureau/ CMT USA located at 825 Third Avenue, 29th floor, New York, NY 10022. You can also call 212- 838-7800, ext. 981 or visit www.martinique.org. wee ne ne ee eee ee ne nee eee eee eee woke oo ee ee ee ne eee ee eee eee eee Editor’s Note: From the southeast United States, you can fly from Miami to Martinique.