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The cuisines of St Maarten and the neighboring St Martin are famous for their wide selection of continental
and Creole dishes. The dishes are invariably a mix of traditional Dutch and
Creole styles of cooking. In fact, they are pretty much similar to other
popular West Indian dishes. A popular drink in St Maarten is Guavaberry, a folk liqueur
made from the local fruit of the same name. Earlier, the concoction was
prepared by housewives. The berries are rare and mostly found in the lush green
hills at the center of the island. Consequently, the drink is much valued and
very popular. Also, delicious tarts are made from Guavaberries.
Other St Maarten specialties include sugar cakes, scones, potato-pudding and coconut pies. A staple among the islanders is the Callaloo soup - a delectable preparation of spinach, chicken stock, beef and crab meat. Below we have listed the recipes of a few popular St Maartenian delicacies. Try them out!
Callaloo Soup (Serves 6)
- 1 pound callaloo leaves or spinach
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 pound salt beef, fat removed and diced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons minced shallots
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 green chile pepper, chopped
- 1 cup okra
- 1/2 pound crabmeat
Remove the thick stems of the callaloo leaves, chop roughly, and put into a large saucepan. Add the chicken stock, onion, beef, black pepper, shallots, thyme, chili pepper, and crab meat. Cover, and simmer until meat is tender, about 35 minutes. Add the okra, and cook for 8 minutes. Remove the chili pepper. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Reheat, and adjust seasonings.
Crab Backs (Serves 6)
- 12 live blue crabs
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium tomato, chopped 3 tablespoons chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Unseasoned dry bread crumbs
Bring water to boil in a large pot. Add crabs. Boil 15 minutes, until the shells turn bright red. Drain and cool. Break open the claws and pick out the meat. Discard pieces of shell. Carefully open the crab backs, removing and reserving any meat and fat, but discarding gill and white intestine. Scrub empty shells thoroughly.
Preheat broiler. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, tomato and chives. Cook until softened and remove from heat. Stir in flaked crabmeat, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper. Refill crab backs with the crab mixture and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Place stuffed crabs on a baking sheet and brown under broiler. Serve hot.
Johnny Cakes
- 1 lb. flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- Warm water
Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add enough warm water to make stiff dough. Knead well until dough is smooth and all lumps have disappeared. Place on floured board and allow to stand for 20-30 minutes. Heat oil in frying pan and drop small flattened portions of dough in hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Serve hot.
Coconut Sugar Cake
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cup grated coconut
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 drops almond essence
Boil sugar and water until sugar is dissolved. Add coconut and essence and cook over medium heat, stirring all the time until mixture begins to look "grainy." Remove from heat and beat for a few minutes. Then, drop small quantities into small mounds on a greased baking sheet. Allow to cool and harden.
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