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Antigua is blessed with many traditional delicious delicacies which show its rich cultural heritage. A blend of African traditions has been taken by the main cooking ingredients of this region.
Their most favourite dishes include ‘duccana’ and ‘saltfish, both the items are prepared from the mixture of grated sweet potato, coconut and cornmeal flavoured with different traditional spices and steamed in banana leaf. The national dish of Antigua is funji and pepper pot. Funji is a preparation that is very similar to the Italian Polenta.
You can change the taste of Funji by adding Sugar or vegetables to the mixture. To make a quick breakfast you can sliced the funji balls and fried them. Following is the recipe of yummy Funji and Paperpot.
Travelers can enjoy their meal with fresh fruit juices or coconut water or with their traditional beverage rum prepared from fermented molasses.
Their favourite stew is goat water. It may sound something different but it is really a mouth-watering one made with goat meat and seasoned with peppers, cloves and cinnamon. Wherever you go you will get this delicious item in almost all the restaurants and even in roadside stands.
They like to have fish with tomato sauce, specially the codfish. In spite of the widespread availability of European and American cuisines in Antigua, the locals always prefer to add traditional West Indian flair to any of their dishes. Dining in Antigua will give you an unforgettable pleasure for whole life.
Recipe of Funji and Pepperpot
Ingredients--For Corn Meal Funji
4 cups water
2 cups corn meal
1 tsp salt to taste
6 okras, cut into small pieces
For Pepper Pot
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
Vegetable oil
Meat scraps (pieces of meat, bones & skin)
4 cloves, cut
2 medium onions, chopped
4 tbsp ketchup
4 tbsp margarine
1 bunch thyme
1 bunch chive
1 lb spinach, chopped
2 cups fresh greenpeas
4 fresh green eddo leaves
1 lb antrobers(eggplant), peeled & cut
1 lb okras, chopped
1/2 lb pumpkin,peeled & cut
1 lb salt beef, chopped
1 lb pig snout (optional), cut
1 lb green papaw, cut
3 small squash, cut
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
Corn Meal Fungee Preparation
Place water, okra and salt in a pan. Bring to boil until okras are cooked. Remove half the liquid. Stir with a wooden spoon. The corn meal is mixed to a pasty batter by adding cold water then stirring & mixing this.
Add wet corn meal. Reduce the heat, stir continuously with a wooden spoon until mixture becomes fairly stiff. When the mixture breaks away cleanly from the pan (i.e it does not stick), the fungee is ready. Butter a bowl, turn the mixture into the bowl, shaking it into the shape of the bowl, then turn it out into a serving dish.
Serve hot with Pepper Pot, boiled fish or stew.
Pepper Pot Preparation
Wash all leaves and vegetables in salted water. Place cut vegetables; eggplant, squash and leaves to soak in fresh water Cook salted meat in water with no salt for 10 minutes.
Remove, drain and heat vegetable cooking oil. Add salt meats. Fry for about 15 minutes, add onions and fresh meats. Fry for another 5 minutes. Add all vegetables, except peas. Stir. Add just enough water to cover and cook the vegetables till tender. When the vegetables and meat are cooked, add the peas along with all seasonings.
Allow all ingredients to simmer under low fire for approximately 15 minutes or until thick. Serve with okra fungee rolled in butter or margarine. f you are a non-vegetarian then you can prepare it with chicken also.
Source: recipeisland.com
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