I’m back after a short break, cooking food from Saint Kitts and Nevis! I’m going to attempt at least one post every two weeks, but we’ll see how it goes. This was another tough country; I did get a few suggestions from Reddit, but they were mostly dishes I’d already made for other countries. Probably the best suggestion was to look at restaurants in the area, which I’ve previously done for other difficult countries. Most of the dishes featured weren’t really unique to the islands but I did feel I got a better view of the country’s cuisine this way.
Saint Kitts and Nevis are actually the names of two Caribbean islands that make up the country. This is the smallest sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere in both area and population.
The islands were inhabited as far back as 3000 BC. One of the early groups to settle on the islands was known as the Igneri. They were a peaceful, religious people. It was originally thought that the Kalinago, a group from South America, invaded the islands and drove the Igneri out. However, later research showed it was more likely that the two different cultures merged.
Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover the islands, arriving in the late 1400s. He was told by the Taíno (another indigenous group in the area) that the Kalinago were a violent, warlike people, which is where the original theories about them most likely came from.
Despite this, the Taíno and Kalinago people eventually allied at times in an attempt to fight back against the European invaders. In some areas, this resistance was mostly stomped out by the mid-16th century, and the survivors were enslaved.
In Saint Kitts and Nevis and a few other nearby islands, the Kalinago continued to hold on despite the English and French who had settled there. There were many skirmishes between the groups, and the Spanish came in at one point and destroyed the English and French colonies.
Eventually, Spanish power declined and the British and French were left to fight over the islands. The British ultimately dominated, and in the 1800s, they outlawed slavery and freed all the slaves.
Saint Kitts and Nevis formerly came together as a nation in 1882, along with Anguilla, another island in the region. Anguilla seceded in 1967, leaving just Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 1983, the country achieved independence, though the islands are still part of the British Commonwealth.
What Do People Eat in Saint Kitts and Nevis?
The flavors here are typical of those found elsewhere in the Caribbean—the result of influences from many other countries. Restaurants on the islands often serve dishes such as jerk chicken or pork, fish and chips, steak, burgers, and curry chicken—so there’s a lot of variety.
Common ingredients include sweet potato, rice, coconut, and other tropical fruit. When it comes to protein, seafood of all kinds is popular. Goat, chicken, beef, and pork are also used often.
What I Made
- Saltfish with Coconut Dumplings and Sweet Potato
- Rikkita Beef (Steak Marinated in Champagne and Chilies)
- Coconut Shrimp
Scroll down to read about other popular Kittitian/Nevisian dishes I didn’t make!
Saltfish with Coconut Dumplings and Sweet Potato
The national dish of Saint Kitts and Nevis is saltfish, served with coconut dumplings and ‘provisions’ which consist of various local fruits and vegetables, such as sweet potato, plantain, and breadfruit. I made a quick version of saltfish by coating cod in salt and leaving it in the fridge for a couple of days. Not quite the same, but I think it was close enough for this dish.
There were a few components here so I will start with the fish. I simmered the salted cod in water. Then I sautéed some bell peppers, onion, green onion, and garlic. I stirred in diced tomato, then a few minutes later, I added the cooked fish with a little butter and pepper. I didn’t think it needed more salt! I broke up the fish with a spoon and when everything was combined well, I turned off the heat.
For the coconut dumplings, I combined flour, shredded coconut, salt, butter, and oil. I also added a little baking powder, which was not called for in the recipe, but I’ve had enough experience with dumplings by now to know that they always come out too dense without a leavening agent. I added enough water to form a stiff dough and kneaded it briefly. Then I formed the dough into balls and boiled them in water until cooked through.
For my provisions, I made a simple sweet potato dish. I sautéed some onion, bell pepper, and garlic, then added the sweet potato with chicken stock and dried thyme. I covered the dish and let it cook until the sweet potato was just about cooked through. Then I removed the lid so that the remaining liquid could cook off.
All together, I think these dishes worked well. And as a bonus, this was a fairly healthy dish! I do think the coconut dumplings were still a bit on the dense side, but they may have just needed more baking powder.
I found the fish and dumpling recipes on Ingmar. I based my sweet potatoes on the breadfruit recipe, found at the same link.
Rikkita Beef (Steak Marinated in Champagne and Chilies)
I’ll be honest and say I don’t know how authentic this dish is, since I couldn’t find many references. It sounded interesting enough that I wanted to try it anyway.
I began by marinating sirloin steak in a mixture of champagne, garlic, salt, and chili (I used a serrano). After about an hour, I removed the steaks from the marinade and sprinkled them with cayenne pepper, curry powder, and more salt. The recipe actually called for adding butter to a pan and heating the curry powder and cayenne before adding the steak, but I chose to season the steak directly and start it in oil rather than butter.
I seared the steak in oil, then added butter and the champagne marinade. I turned the steak often and took it out when it was medium-rare.
I served this with sweet potato and broccoli. I thought it was alright, but the marinade didn’t really seem to add a lot of flavor. I’m not sure this is something I would try again!
The recipe I used is from Q Zine.
Coconut Shrimp
Coconut shrimp are popular in many places, but I came across a recipe from Saint Kitts and Nevis that I liked the look of so I decided to try it.
These were super simple! I sprinkled Cajun seasoning over peeled, tail-on shrimp. Then, I coated them in flour, followed by egg, and finally a mixture of breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and shredded coconut. I fried the shrimp in oil and gave them a sprinkle of salt when they were done.
I served these with sweet chili sauce and they were amazing! Definitely a great combination of flavors. I’d make these again.
This recipe is from St Kitts and Nevis Island Life on YouTube.
Other Popular Kittitian/Nevisian Dishes
- Goat water – a goat soup or stew that is popular in many Caribbean countries; it’s usually spicy.
- Cook up – also known as pelau, this is a rice dish that is also popular on other islands in the area. It usually contains a variety of meat, including pig tails.
Final Thoughts
The food this week was okay, but the only dish I enjoyed enough to make again was the coconut shrimp. They were amazing!
Next time, I will be cooking food from Saint Lucia.