A Taste of Haiti

A Taste of Haiti

THE HIPPOCRENE COOKBOOK LIBRARY

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A Taste of Haiti

by Mirta Yurnet-Thomas

& the Thomas Family

Copyright © 2002 Mirta Yurnet-Thomas.

Expanded Edition 2004.

All rights reserved.

Book and jacket design by Acme Klong Design, Inc.

For more information, address;

HIPPOCRENE BOOKS, INC.

171 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10016

ISBN 0-7818-0998-3

Cataloging-in-Publication Data available from the Library of Congress.

Printed in the United States of America.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I want to thank the following people: My husband, Delille Thomas for inspiring me to write this book and helping me with many facets of the project; my in-laws, Edith, Claude, Dominique, and Danielle for embarking on this journey with me and spending endless hours discussing and testing recipes; Roseann Do Couto, for selecting the color scheme for the cover and helping me draft and retype recipes; Miguel Miggy Do Couto for helping me with the food glossary; Evelyn Julmisse for writing the introduction and giving me endless tips and ideas; my editor, Carol Chitnis-Gress, for believing in the project and providing support along the way; all the contributors of recipes, who invited me into their homes, cooked for me and with me, and cleaned up the mess thereafter; and all the lovely Haitians who have called and emailed me to praise my efforts. THANK YOU!

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Map of Haiti

Flag of Haiti

Introduction

Glossary

APPETIZERS

Malanga (Taro Root) FrittersAkra

PattiesPaté

Chicken FrittersMarinad ak Poul

Beef CroquettesBoulet Pomdete ak Bef

Salted Codfish CroquettesBoulet Pomdete ak Mori

Salted Codfish SaladChiktay Mori

SAUCES AND SPICES

About Scotch Bonnet Chile Peppers

How to Handle Hot Peppers

PicklesePikliz

Sauce Ti-MaliceSos Ti-Malis

Bechamel SauceSos Béchamel

Ground SpicesZepis

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

How to Peel Plantains

Pressed PlantainBannann Peze

Baked PlantainBannann Boukannen

Boiled PlantainBannann Bouyi

Plantain PuréeLabouyi Bannann

Plantain CasseroleBannann Gratinen

Baked Sweet PotatoPatat Boukannen

Boiled Sweet PotatoPatat Bouyi

Fried Sweet PotatoPatat Fri

Fried BreadfruitVeritab Fri

Breadfruit with OkraTonmtonm ak Kalalou

Chayote and CheeseMiliton Gratinen

Cabbage RollsMechie

Onion PieTat Zonyon

Avocado SaladSalad Zaboka

Cabbage SaladChoukrout

Potato SaladSalad Pomdete

Baked Mashed PotatoesPomdete Gratinen

Potato and Carrots au GratinPomdete ak Karot Gratinen

GRAINS AND PASTAS

How to Cook Rice

White RiceDiri Blan

Rice with Black MushroomsDiri ak Djon-djon

Rice and Red BeansDiri Kole ak Pwa Rouj

Rice and Pigeon PeasDiri ak Pwa Kongo

Rice with Okra and HerringDiri Kole ak Kalalou ak Aranso

Red Beans in SauceSos Pwa Rouj

White BeansSos Pwa Blan

Sweet Peas and SugarSos Pwa Frans

Macaroni and CheeseMakaroni Gratinen

MilletPitimi

Couscous with Lamb/BeefKibi

Bulgar Wheat with HerringBle ak Aranso

Polenta with Smoked HerringMayi Moulen ak Aranso

Polenta with Red BeansThiaka

Polenta, Beans, and Coconut Pwa ak KokoyeMayi Moulen Kole ak

Cornmeal PorridgeLabouyi Farin Mayi

Moka PorridgeMayizena

Vermicelli with MilkLabouyi Vermisel

SOUPS

Soup DumplingsDonmbwey

Haitian SoupBouyon

Pumpkin SoupSoup Joumou

Shellfish SoupBouyon Fwi Deme

Pigeon Pea SoupBouyon Pwa Kongo

Oxtail ConsomméBouyon Ke Bef

Dumpling and Herring SoupSoup Donmbwey ak Aranso

Bread SoupSoup Pen

MEATS

How to Marinate Meats

Stuffed ChickenPoul Fasi

Chicken, Okra, and MushroomsPoul Neg Maron ak Kalalou

Haitian TurkeyKoden’n

Hen with CashewsManman Poul ak Nwa

Guinea FowlPentad

Marinated Beef, Dried and FriedBef Salé

Beef with Eggplant and CabbageLegim Berejen ak Chou

Beef with Chayote and SpinachLegim Militon ak Zepina

Beef with Watercress, Carrots, and CabbageLegim Kreson ak Karot ak Chou

Beef, Crab, and EggplantLegim Berejen ak Sirik

Beef with OkraViand Bef ak Kalalou

MeatballsBoulet

Pork BitsGriyo

Goat BitsTaso Kabrit

Pig’s FeetRagu Pye Kochon

Rabbit Creole StyleLapen

Beef LiverFwa Bef

SEAFOOD

About Salted Fish

How to Desalt Salted Fish

Creole ConchLambi

Eggplants with Small CrabsBerejen ak Sirik

Salted Codfish in SauceMori ak Sos

Creole Red SnapperPwason ak Sos

Salted Codfish in Eggplant, Chayote, and CarrotsLegim ak Mori

Herring OmeletZe ak Aranso

Fried Fish in SaucePwason Fri en Sos

Creole ShrimpKrevet

Grilled LobsterOma Flanbé

Salted FishPwason Salé

DESSERTS, JAMS AND SNACKS

Sweet FrittersBenye

Sweet Potato PuddingPen Patat

Rice PuddingDiri Ole

Egg CustardFlan

Bread PuddingPudin

Corn BreadPen Mayi

Spicy Peanut ButterMamba

Mango ChutneyKonfiti Mango

Grapefruit MarmaladeKonfiti Chadek

Peanut BrittleTablet Pistach

Coconut CandyKok Graje

Sweet Caribbean LemonsKonfiti Sitron

BEVERAGES

Corn Flour DrinkAkasan

Papaya ShakeJi Papay Ole

Grapefruit JuiceJi Chadek

LemonadeSitronad

Pineapple Skins JuiceGodrin

Beet JuiceJi Betrav

Coconut WaterJi Kokoye

Mint TeaTe ak Mant

Lemongrass TeaTe Sitronel

EggnogKremas

Rum MixturesTranpe

Hot ChocolateChokola

NEW RECIPES FOR THE EXPANDED EDITION

Red Beans with DumplingsPwa Rouj ak Donmbwey

Rice with PumpkinDiri ak Joumou

Rice with CabbageDiri ak Chou

Corn SouffléSouflé Mayi

Crab SoupBouyon ak Sirik

Vegetable SoupSoup bouyon viv

Chicken and VegetablesPoul ak legim

Macaroni and ChickenPoul ak Makaroni

Beef and PotatoesViand ak Pomdete

Stewed TripeGradoub

Lobster Creole StyleOma

Codfish with PotatoesMori ak Pomdete

DoukounouDoukounou

Foreword

I come from a family raised on a farm in Isabela, Puerto Rico. My mother’s childhood daily chores included feeding livestock, milking cows, picking and grinding coffee beans, and helping to make cheese. I spent all my childhood summers in Isabela. I loved picking fresh fruits and vegetables, helping feed the livestock, grinding fresh coffee beans, and watching the men and women of our family prepare typical beverages, desserts, and foods. At our home, slaughtering and roasting livestock were the norm. Today, our land continues to flourish with avocados, mangos, papayas, lemons, tamarinds, oranges, guavas, guineps, breadfruit, coconuts, beans, and root vegetables. My family continues to prepare jams, candies and traditional delicacies. Their influence has fostered my passion for natural foods and my fascination with how the environment determines one’s sustenance.

The first time I tasted Haitian food, at my Haitian mother-in-law Edith Thomas’ house, I was in love at first bite. Haiti and Puerto Rico share similar ancestral and historical references, and we grow the same fruits, vegetables, and spices. I believe that is why Haitian food tastes so familiar to me. I grew to love it so much I attempted to purchase a Haitian cookbook in the United States but could not find one. I immediately felt the loss of not having this cuisine documented in America, a country where cookbooks of all types flourish. Hence, my quest to write this book. My husband Delille, his mother Edith, and his sisters Claude, Dominique and Danielle immediately embarked on the journey. They delved into their memories and provided me with many delights, procured the help of their family and friends, and cooked the recipes they knew best while I measured the quantities, time and time again. This was a difficult task because Haitians are not accustomed to using exact measures. They cook by feel, sight and taste.

Others helped along the way, by either inviting me into their homes to teach me how to make certain dishes, by providing suggestions, or by introducing me to people with knowledge of special recipes. Most of these recipes, however, are not meant to be taken too literally. Ingredients like salt, black pepper, bell peppers, picklese, and cooking oil can be altered to suit one’s individual tastes or health concerns. Taste what you are preparing as you go along. If you feel it needs more salt, add it; if you are allergic, cook the dish without it.

While working on this book, Delille and I traveled to Haiti to visit his homeland that had captured my taste buds. Haiti, as most know, is a very poor country, but it is incredibly rich in traditions and customs. I was particularly interested in the outdoor food markets, where most of the merchants are women. If you rise very early, you see the women walking down the mountains, balancing their baskets full of produce on their heads, with such grace. Hot peppers, limes, mangos, grapefruits, papayas, avocados, soursops, cherries, root vegetables, sugar cane, djon-djon mushrooms, okra, pumpkins,