Free The Sugar Mill Caribbean Cookbook by Jinx Morgan

taste
¼
cup mayonnaise
½
pound bay shrimp, rinsed and drained
1
cup heavy cream, whipped
Garnish
Lime slices
Orange slices
Watercress sprigs
    Combine the olive oil, garlic, and lime juice in a bowl. Peel and dice the avocados, and marinate them in the oil mixture for 2 hours.
    Put the water into the top of a double boiler. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water, then set the pan over boiling water. When the gelatin has dissolved, remove the top of the double boiler from the heat, and let the mixture cool.
    In a blender or food processor, purée the avocado and its marinade, the gelatin, the seasonings, the mayonnaise, and the shrimp. Fold in the whipped cream, taste the mixture, and add more seasonings, if you like. Pour the mixture into a 4- to 5-cup mold, cover the mold, and chill it for at least 6 hours.
    Turn the mold out onto a serving platter, and garnish it with lime and orange slices and sprigs of watercress. Serve the mold with crackers or toast.

Bambooshay Nuts
    During Carnival in the islands, you're likely to hear revelers saying, "Bambooshay!" which means "Enjoy yourself, have a great time!" That's what you and your guests will be doing as you nibble these nuts.
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½
cup vegetable oil
8
cups whole dry-roasted peanuts
1¼
cups sugar
2
tablespoons ground cumin
1
tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
¼
cup sugar
    Heat the oil in a large skillet (if you don't have a large skillet, divide the oil, nuts, and sugar, and cook in two batches). Add the peanuts and 1 cup sugar, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the nuts are gold en brown and the sugar has carmelized, about 3 to 4 minutes.
    Remove the nuts to a large bowl, and add the cumin and hot pepper flakes. Toss to distribute the seasonings. Let the nuts cool, then toss them with the remaining sugar. Serve them immediately, or let them cool, and store them in a tightly covered tin.

Caribbean Bouillabaisse
    This special soup takes a French idea and gives it an island spin. With some bread and a big green salad, this soup makes a very satisfying meal.
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1½
cups minced onions
¾
cup chopped leeks
½
cup olive oil
5
garlic cloves, mashed
2
cups peeled and seeded tomatoes
12
cups water
¼
cup minced parsley
2
tablespoons minced basil
¼
teaspoon fennel seeds
1
tablespoon Sazón seasoning (see [>] )
2
tablespoons grated orange zest
 
Salt and pepper to taste
4
pounds fish (whatever is available), cut into chunks
1

to

2
pounds shellfish (small crabs, shrimp, Caribbean lobster, whelks, etc.)
1½
pounds mussels
Rouille
½
cup chopped red bell pepper, simmered for several minutes in salted water and drained, or ½ cup chopped pimiento
2
jalapeño peppers, chopped, or Tabasco sauce to taste
2
medium potatoes, cooked and peeled
8
garlic cloves, mashed
1
tablespoon minced basil
½
cup olive oil
10
slices garlic toast

    In a large pot, sauté the onions and leeks slowly in the olive oil. Stir in the garlic and tomatoes, and cook 5 minutes. Add the water, herbs, and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes.
    To make the
rouille,
put all the ingredients but the olive oil in a food processor or blender, and whirl until they form a very sticky paste. Add the olive oil very slowly, with the machine running. Set the mixture aside. At this point you can let the soup cool and then refrigerate it, if you'd like to serve it later.
    About 20 minutes before serving time, bring the soup to a boil, and add the fish, shellfish, and mussels. Bring the soup back to the boil, and simmer it about 10 minutes. Beat 4 to 6 tablespoons of hot broth into the
rouille
. Place a piece of garlic toast in the bottom of each soup plate, and ladle in soup. Be sure each serving has plenty of fish, and mussels in the shells. Serve the
rouille
sauce in separate bowls.
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    Makes about 10 servings

Mango Soup with Raspberry Purée
    Aluscious fruit soup looks beautiful with a fragile spiderweb of