~558 cal · 38g protein · 56g carbs · 21g fat (estimated, per serving)
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Yellow cornmeal cou-cou beside fish in red gravy
🇧🇧 Bridgetown
Cou-cou and flying fish is Barbados itself — the cornmeal-and-okra staple (a cousin of West African fungi) beside the fish so iconic it appears on the coins. Steaming the fish in Bajan seasoning, that green herb-and-pepper paste, is the island’s signature.
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🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 4 —
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1.25 lbs flying fish fillets (or any firm white fish)
Marinate the fish (or tofu and palm hearts) in lime and half the Bajan seasoning.
2
Make the cou-cou: simmer the okra in 4 cups salted water 5 minutes, then whisk in the cornmeal and stir hard over low heat 15 minutes until thick and smooth; turn out into a bowl to set.
3
Fry the onion and garlic; add tomatoes, the rest of the Bajan seasoning, and a whole Scotch bonnet into a gravy.
4
Lay the fish in the gravy, cover, and steam 8 minutes until just cooked.
5
Turn the cou-cou onto plates and serve the fish and gravy alongside — rescue the pepper before it bursts.
Barbados national tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
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Bridgetown. The Bajan capital and home of the national fish.
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Barbados. Coral-island cooking crowned by the flying fish.
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North America. A collision of Indigenous, colonial, and immigrant tables.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
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Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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