Buljawou is a traditional Sint Maarten recipe for a classic dish of salt cod with mixed vegetables that's either fried with or served accompanied by fried plantains. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Sint Maarten version of: Buljawou.
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Buljawou evolved from Buljol, the classic saltfish salad breakfast of many Caribbean islands. It's more or less the same, except that instead of the bakes (fried bread) that comes with most bujol breakfast buljawou is served with fried plantains. This is a slightly more 'chefy' version where the plantains are grated, fried and included in with the salt cod to make a prettier looking dish.
Ingredients:
500g saltfish (salt cod)
3 unripe plantains, peeled, coarsely grated
oil for frying the plantains
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, finely dice
2 large tomatoes, cut into medium diced
1 large yellow or green bell pepper, cut into small dice
3 large spring onions, minced
5g fresh coriander leaves, chopped
½ habanero chilli, halved and minced (remove the seeds and veins if you want it milder)
½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 lime
ground cinnamon, for dusting
Method:
The night before, thoroughly wash the salt cod under cold, running water to get rid of any excess surface salt. Place the fish in a large bowl, cover with water and set aside to soak over night (if possible change the water three times during this period).
The following morning, drain the fish, place in a saucepan, cover with plenty of water and bring to a boil. Continue boiling for 20-25 minutes, until tender. Drain the fish and set aside to cool and discard the water. When the fish is cool enough to handle, finely shred the meat discarding any and all bones and pieces of skin you may find. Set the flaked cod aside.
Now prepare the plantains. Heat oil for frying in a deep pan. Peel the plantains then grate coarsely. Add to the hot oil and fry until the plantain is golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside until it's time to assemble the dish.
In a large frying pan over medium heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bell pepper and cook for 1 minute more.
Stir in the flaked cod, fried plantains, spring onions, coriander, habanero chilli, black pepper and the juice of the lime. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are softened and the cod has started to disintegrate slightly and meld with the pan juices (about 3 minutes).
Plate out and serve. If desired these can be accompanied by Johnny cakes.
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