Culinarily intuitive, nationalistic with an international twist, and blessed with presentational flair in abundance, Norma Shirley was without doubt, a chef extraordinaire. Lauded as the Caribbean’s Julia Child, the self-taught chef prepared dishes for celebrities the likes of Pierce Brosnan, Michael Bublé and Kim Cattrall and her food fare has graced the pages of such publications of Vogue, Condé Nast Traveler, Bon Appétit,and The New Yorker in addition to appearing on the Food Network and the Discovery Channel.

As she shared with us, so Thursday Food shares with you a few delightful recipes courtesy of Norma Shirley.

Norma’s Catch of the Day

Here are two savoury fish recipes, perfect for the Easter season.

Salt-fish Bull Jhol or ‘Pick-up’ Codfish

Ingredients

1lb salted cod (soak in ice water for 24 hours, changing water frequently to allow cod to rehydrate)

1/2 cup vinegar (if using balsamic use white balsamic so it does not change the colour of the cod)

3 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup lime or lemon juice, freshly squeezed.

1/2 cup diced plummy tomatoes, seeds removed

1/4 cup diced red pepper

1/4 cup diced yellow pepper

1/4 cup diced red onions

1/4 cup finely chopped escallion

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Mince Scotch bonnet to taste

Method

Remove cod from ice water. Debone and flake fish into small pieces. Place in a bowl add all other ingredients. Mix well. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and season to taste. Place in large lime or lemon shell.

Serve with toasted garlic rounds.

Steamed fish in vegetable broth with bammy

Ingredients

6 fillet of fish or 3 whole snappers, approximately 1lb each

2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup chopped escallion

2 plummy tomatoes cut in quarters

1 Scotch bonnet pepper

1 tbs butter

1 small onion sliced

sprig fresh thyme

Method:

Place all ingredients in a skillet, then bring to the boil.

Simmer, add fillet or whole fish and cover the skillet to steam for approximately 10-15 minutes for fillet, or 20-25 minutes for whole fish.

Add vegetables — julienne of 1 cho-cho, julienne of 1 carrot, 3 okra sliced

Add 3 bammy

Cook for further 5 minutes. Remove fish to a bowl with vegetables.

Continue cooking broth with bammy. Reduce broth and season to taste. Pour over fish with bammy.

Serve immediately.

NB: Ensure Scotch bonnet pepper is not broken.

Photo

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Sitting in a pool of falvoured broth, steamed fish fillets are topped with vegetables and served with bammy.

Tomato with Buffalo Mozzarella and Fresh Basil

Ingredients

6 large tomatoes

basil leaves

3 slices of fresh buffalo mozzarella

balsamic vinegraigrette

salt and pepper (to taste)

Method

Place tomatoes into a pot of boiling water. Remove when skin begins to loosen (after about 30 seconds).

Peel off skin immediately. Plunge into cold water.

Cut horizontally into 4-5 inch thick slices.

Keep slices in order and sprinkle each slice with salt and pepper and a few drops of balsamic vinaigrette.

Reassemble on individual plates — the tomatoes with basil leaf and buffalo mozzarella. Drizzle heavily with balsamic vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper.

Tomatoes with Anchovies, Orange and Olives

Ingredients

1 dozen tomatoes

12 anchovy fillets

1 bottle of black or green olives

12 slices of orange

Method:

Slice tomatoes generously (1/4 inch thick). Arrange the tomatoes in overlapping layers on a platter.

Peel and remove both the skin and pith of each orange. Slice diagonally approximately 1/8 inch thick.

Arrange alternating between tomatoes.

Distribute anchovy fillets and then olives over tomatoes.

Before serving, drizzle balsamic vinaigrette over the platter of tomatoes and oranges.

Garnish with flat parsley sprigs.

Serves 6.