Welcome to the world of Bajan Cou Cou with spicy fish, where flavor join with wellness! This low-fat recipe will have your taste buds dancing and your waistline thanking you. Cou Cou, a staple of Barbados cuisine, is a creamy and slightly crunchy dish made with cornmeal and okra and paired with a spicy and marinated fish sauce. It’s a match made in flavor heaven. So put on your apron and let’s get cooking – your taste buds will thank you.

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

• 650g white fish fillets (such as coley, cod or pollock)
• 60g coriander
• 35g parsley
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 stalks celery 
• 3 spring onions
• 1/2 small onion
• 1 piece of fresh ginger, peeled
• 4 red mild chilies
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 2 teaspoons lime juice

Fish sauce:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 yellow and red pepper, seeds removed and cut into strips
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

Cou cou

• 200g cornmeal powder
• 600ml water
• 100g raw okra, diced
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Instructions:

For the marinade

1. Combine parsley, celery roughly chopped, spring onions chopped, onion, ginger, 4 sprigs thyme, red chili, and lime juice in a food processor and pulse a few times until you have a coarse green mixture.
2. Place the fish fillets in a bowl and pour the marinade over them. Make sure the fish is evenly coated with the marinade by turning and brushing it. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the fish for at least 30 minutes.

For the fish sauce

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions, sliced, and peppers and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining sprigs of thyme and cook for an additional minute. Add the marinated fish, tomatoes, and salt to the pan and gently stir to combine. Spoon the sauce over the fish and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

For the Cou Cou

1. Place the cornmeal in a mixing bowl and slowly add cold water, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the cornmeal forms a smooth paste. Set the cornmeal paste aside.
2. Place the diced okra in a pot with about 400ml of water. Bring the water to a medium boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until the okra is tender. Strain the okra using a sieve or colander, reserving the hot cooking water. Set the okra aside and pour about a quarter of the hot water back into the pot and the rest into a jug.
3. On low heat, gradually add a quarter of the soaked cornmeal mixture to the okra water in the pot and whisk until a smooth paste forms. Stir in the oil, then gradually add the rest of the okra water and cornmeal, whisking continuously until the mixture is well combined and smooth.
4. Switch to a wooden spoon and continue to mix the cornmeal for another 2 or 3 minutes. As it cooks, the mixture will start to bubble and thicken, so be sure to mix vigorously to avoid lumps. Once the okra is fully incorporated into the cornmeal, remove the pot from the heat. For softer Cou Cou, add more boiled water at this stage.
5. Scatter the chopped parsley over the fish and serve with the cou cou.