Bajan Fish Cakes - Dumplings to die for

Hi There!

Thank you for stopping by

Today's blog was supposed to be all about homemade food, but what with my busy week I've hardly had chance to eat let alone make anything from scratch! This got me trawling back through my photo library to see if I had any pictures of food that I might be able to share with you.  I stumbled on a plate of Bajan Fish Cakes from back in November last year and so I thought I would share with you a bit of their history and also how to make them.

Bajan Fish Cakes - Dumplings to Die for!

I first became aware of this dish on a holiday to Barbados, everywhere you go, you can be sure there will be Bajan Fish Cakes on the menu. I had them as a starter in a fancy restaurant and also as part of a buffet on a boat when I went swimming with turtles. They are not your British style fish cake made with chunks of fish and potato and covered in breadcrumbs, they are deep fried dumplings, flavoured with salted cod. They are delicious as a snack, but as with anything deep fried, you have to watch those calories, particularly as they are incredibly moreish! 

St. Lawrence Gap - where local fishermen bring back small hauls to BBQ on the beach.

Traditionally Bajan Fish Cakes are served with a Marie Rose sauce, like the kind you have on a prawn cocktail, made from mayonnaise and ketchup, however I had them with a spicy aioli, made from egg yolk, garlic, olive oil and some kind of hot seasoning - this combination was to die for!

When I decided to write my blog post on these fish cakes, it got me thinking about how they became to be a traditional Bajan dish and I apologise in advance for the slight geekiness that is about to follow.

First let me explain a little bit about salted cod.  To make salt cod, the fish is preserved by removing all the moisture after being cured in salt, which is said to preserve a lot of the nutrients. To use the fish in cooking, it must be rehydrated and some of the salt removed by soaking, perhaps overnight and then boiling. You might need to boil more than once if the fish is still too salty.

Salted cod was bought to Barbados in the 16th Century by the Canadians who traded the fish for resources made on Barbados such as molasses, rum and sugar. It fast became a staple dish and so Bajan Fish Cakes were born.

A Bajan sunset, the perfect setting to enjoy local cuisine

Have a look at my recipes tab where you will find details of how to make this dish - the recipe is courtesy of totallybarbados.com and if you are inspired to have a go, please do let me know how you get on.

Thanks for reading, See you next week

Lottie x