LOBSTER CAYMAN STYLE 6-8 lobster tails, cut in half lengthwise 1/2 cup chicken or fish stock 1/2 cup red pepper, diced 1/2 cup green pepper, diced 1/2 cup onion, diced 1/2 cup tomato concasse, diced touch of scotch bonnet pepper, chopped salt to taste pepper to taste thyme to taste a little cornstarch, dissolved in water olive oil for sauteing Salt and pepper the lobster and add a touch of scotch bonnet peppers. In a large pan, saute the lobster, flesh side down, 2 or 3 at a time. Then remove them from the pan and keep warm until you saute the rest of the lobster tails. Saute all the vegetables and spices and then add the chicken or fish stock. Bring to a boil. Correct the seasonings if necessary. Add the lobster to the sauce and cook for another 10-15 minutes until lobster are done and come out of shell. Put lobster back on a serving platter. Thicken the sauce with the cornstarch and water mixture. Pour thickened sauce over lobster. Serve with rice and beans and drink a couple of Cayman Mamas.	SNAPPER CAYMAN STYLE (SNAPPER STEW) 2 Snapper filets, 4-6 ozs each 1/2 cup onion, diced 1/4 cup fish stock or clam juice 1/2 cup green or red pepper, diced 1/2 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in water 1/2 cup tomato concasse, diced salt to taste pepper to taste a few drops of Tabasco 1 tblsp oil flour for dredging (Tomato concasse is peeled and seeded tomatoes). Heat oil in a saute pan. Dredge fish in flour to prevent sticking. Salt, pepper and saute each side of filet approximately 4-5 minutes. Remove filets and keep warm. Add remaining ingredients and saute lightly. Add fish stock or clam juice. Season with Tobasco and cook for 2-3 minutes. Thicken with cornstarch liquid. When mixture returns to a boil, pour over fish filets and serve immediately.
CURRIED GOAT 2 lbs goat, cubed, without bones 4 tblsp Jamaican (or regular) Curry salt to taste pepper to taste 1 tblsp thyme scotch bonnet pepper, chopped allspice to taste 1 onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic 2 tblsp oil Marinate the goat overnight with herbs and onions. Bring oil to an almost smoking point. Add goat and cook at lowest heat possible until done. Season to taste and serve. There is no liquid added in this recipe. The liquid will form by itself, just cook slowly. I use a Dutch Oven with the lid on.	COCONUT SHRIMP 6-8 whole shrimp, cleaned, deveined, with tail left on 1/2 cup corn flakes 1/2 cup beer batter 1/2 cup coconut, shredded 2 cups oil flour, for dredging Set up 2 bowls-one with the beer batter and one with the corn flake and coconut mixture. On a small plate, put the flour for dredging. Dredge shrimp in flour, dip while holding the tail, into the beer batter, then into corn flake and coconut mixture. Then, press the mixture to the shrimp with your hand so it holds. Repeat until done. This can be done up to a day ahead of time. Just keep the shrimp refrigerated. When ready, heat up the 2 cups of oil in a large pot and when the oil is hot (a good way to see if the oil is hot enough, if you don't have a high temperature thermometer, is to insert the end of a wooden spoon into the oil, if the oil bubbles, the oil is hot), fry the shrimp for 2-3 minutes until they turn golden brown. Remove and put on paper towels. Serve with apricot sauce.
APRICOT SAUCE 1 cup apricot preserves or apricot coating 2 tblsp ginger, chopped 1 tblsp English Dry Mustard Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Over extremely low heat, bring to a boil, then cool a little. Serve with COCONUT SHRIMP.	GRAND OLD HOUSE GROUPER (GROUPER WITH 10 SPICES) 6-8 oz grouper filet, per serving (or other firm, white fish) 2 tblsp olive oil
SPICE MIX 1 tblsp paprika 1 tblsp sage 1 tblsp marjoram 2 tblsp garlic 6 scallions 1 tblsp hot peppers 3 tblsp black pepper 3 tblsp lime juice 3 tblsp olive oil touch of clove Combine all herbs and spices. Mix in blender or food processor and let sit for 2-3 hours, or even overnight. Put the spice mixture on the fish as desired. Pan fry slowly for approximately 8 minutes on each side. This was one of the most favorite dishes in my restaurant in the Cayman Islands. It's a bit spicy, but it's original "Caribbean Food" at its best. Try it once and you'll love it forever.	GROUPER PARISSIENNE 1 6-8 oz filet of Grouper, Snapper or Striped Bass 1 tblsp parsley, chopped a few capers 1 tblsp shallots 3 tblsp mushrooms, sliced 2 tblsp white wine salt to taste pepper to taste flour, for dredging 2 tblsp olive oil, for sauteing Heat oil in a saute pan. Place the fish filet, which you have seasoned with salt and pepper, and dredged in flour, into the oil and cook on both sides for approximately 4-6 minutes, or until done (when cooking more than 2 filets, don't put all of them in the saute pan at once. You will not have enough heat, the pan will get too cold and the fish will stick to the pan and start bubbling causing the fish to fall apart. Cook only 2 filets at a a time. This is a very common mistake which is made when you put too much in a saute pan). Remove the fish and keep warm on a serving platter. Add all other ingredients into the saute pan, saute and pour over the fish. Voila!
BAKED SHRIMP MANOR HOUSE 6 shrimp, per person, peeled and deveined 1 tblsp garlic, chopped 1 tblsp shallots, chopped 1 tblsp parsley, chopped salt to taste pepper to taste 1/4 cup white wine 2 tblsp olive oil 1 recipe mashed potatoes 1 recipe hollandaise sauce Heat olive oil in a saute pan. Add the shrimp and all the spices. Saute for a few minutes until shrimp turn red. Add the wine and saute a little longer. Using some oven proof Ramekin Dishes, pipe with a pastry bag, the mashed potatoes in a ring around the Ramekin. Fill with the shrimp and all the liquid. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of hollandaise sauce on top and bake under a broiler until hollandaise turns brown. Serve immediately. Not exactly a "dirt dish," but every once in a while you have to splurge.	RED SNAPPER CAPRICE 4 6-8 oz red snapper filets 2 bananas 1/4 cup white wine juice of 1/2 lemon 1 cup chutney 1/2 cup Buerre Blanc salt to taste pepper to taste oil for sauteing flour, for dredging
INSTEAD OF CHUTNEY... VEAL RAGOUT (VEAL STEW WITH VEGETABLES) 4 tblsp vegetable 2 cups chicken stock 1 1/2 lbs shoulder or neck veal, cubed 1 cup carrots, scraped and diced 1 large onion, peeled and sliced 1 1/2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced 1 bay leaf optional 1 cup cauliflower florets salt freshly ground black pepper Heat the oil in a large saucepan, When it is hot, add the veal cubes and saute until they are brown. Add the onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste, and the stock. Stir well. Simmer, covered, for 1/2 hour or until the veal is tender, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots, potatoes and cauliflower and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Correct the seasonings, if necessary, and serve right away.	COCONUT SHRIMP 6-8 whole shrimp, cleaned, deveined, with tail left on 1/2 cup corn flakes 1/2 cup beer batter 1/2 cup coconut, shredded 2 cups oil flour, for dredging Set up 2 bowls-one with the beer batter and one with the corn flake and coconut mixture. On a small plate, put the flour for dredging. Dredge shrimp in flour, dip while holding the tail, into the beer batter, then into corn flake and coconut mixture. Then, press the mixture to the shrimp with your hand so it holds. Repeat until done. This can be done up to a day ahead of time. Just keep the shrimp refrigerated. When ready, heat up the 2 cups of oil in a large pot and when the oil is hot (a good way to see if the oil is hot enough, if you don't have a high temperature thermometer, is to insert the end of a wooden spoon into the oil, if the oil bubbles, the oil is hot), fry the shrimp for 2-3 minutes until they turn golden brown. Remove and put on paper towels. Serve with apricot sauce.