Theme Recipe: Buccaneer Fish With Sauce Ti-Malice

The origin of the word "buccaneer" is Native American.  It comes from Caribbean Arawak, similar to the modern Karifuna/Garifuna languages still spoken today.  It comes from the word buccan which was the term used for a very heavy wooden barbacoa, on which native meats, in the case of the heavy buccan large animals like Manatees would be smoked over.  Both words have given us the modern words Buccaneer and Barbecue.  "Buccan" was corrupted by French speaking hunters in the islands; and through that channel, when they were joined by wayward English and Dutch, all displaced by the Spanish to Tortuga island, they turned to piracy (man I wouldn't want to meet this crowd in a boat!!), the word was further corrupted in English speech to the modern form.  Although it was a term used for hunters of European origins in the Caribbean, when they took to the sea, it came to mean the same thing as  "pirate."  The Pirates of the Caribbean films at least nail Tortuga's reputation!!

This is a recipe that has been around for a long while, long enough it has solid Pre-Columbian Native American roots.  It is also a dish that is now made with other types of ingredients not native to the New World, such as chicken, beef and pork,  the fish dish is the oldest.  This version is narrowed down, but a delicious version from a book in my New World collection that I love, Christopher Idone and Helen McEachrane's Cooking Caribe, alas now out of print.  She makes it with red snapper, but this is an old impromptu dish that natives handed off to the make-shift European of any nationality who came to the "West Indies"--so use what you like!  

2 pounds fish of choice (really use what is local, that's the point!),  fillets with skin are easiest


Salt and fresh ground pepper (my note:  try using a multi pepper pre mix in a grinder--they can be bought this way)


1/2 cup olive oil (Does Not Need to extra virgin)


1/4 cup fresh lime juice (bottled will do in a pinch)


2 sprig thyme or 1/2 tsp dried (my note:  I grow fresh herbs, to my taste 1/2 tsp. dried is too much, more like 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. dried)


1/8 tsp dried mustard (I increase this to as much as 1/2 tsp. depending on brand of mustard--if it's Colman's, stick to the 1/8)


Veggie oil for the grill


Sauce to follow.


1. Season the fish with the salt and pepper.  


2.  Combine the rest of the ingredients (except sauce), stir and marinate fish for 30 minutes, turn and marinate another 30 minutes.


3.  Prepare charcoal grill for even grilling.  When coals are slightly dusty, brush grill with some oil.  Place the marinated fish, skin side down to cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, brush the fish with oil and turn and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.  Remove and sauce.  You can serve this without the sauce.  In fact, any fish that is "hot smoked" fish or meat can be described as "Buccaneer."

Sauce Ti-Malice:

Is a classic Haitian style hot sauce in the native tradition, with real Afro and Euro elements, making it a real Creole concoction of the Old and New World.  It's call for both onions and shallots, give away the French side of the spicy sauce.  This has to be made ahead of time--not quite the same thing as New World "salsa."

2 onions, finely chopped

2 shallots, also finely chopped

1 medium sized ripe tomato, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (this really has to be fresh)

3 tbsp olive oil (same note applies about Xtra V)

Cayenne pepper to taste (1/8 tsp. minimum)

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste (white pepper is traditional)

Combine all ingredients in a glass jar (left over spaghetti jars are great for this!), cover and shake well and refrigerate for 48 hours.  


Serve at room temperature over the fish or whatever you like.  Note:  Sliced Scotch Bonnet pepper can be halved or sliced and marinated in the sauce an hour prior to serving, or floated on top to "decorate" and flavor (just don't let the uninitiated eat them!!)