Whole Roasted Fish with Gullah Mopping Sauce

"Fishing is the heart of the Gullah Geechee People."

- Marquetta Goodwine, Chieftess of the Gullah Geechee Nation

It is said that, apart from the cuisine of the indigenous peoples,  Gullah cuisine may be one of the oldest foodways in North America. However, unlike native cuisine, Gullah cooking draws its roots from across the oceans. Those roots can be found in the ingredients used in, and preparation of dishes from across the African continent, from Senegal to Angola and beyond. I explored some of that history as it related to the use of rice in my post about Carolina Crab Rice.

Another important part of that history lies with the impact that  Gullah cuisine has had upon the ingredients and preparation of dishes in North America. For instance, there has been a long tradition of barbecue in Gullah cooking. The Gullah (and Geechee) live along the Atlantic coastline from North Carolina to northern Florida. Thus, the centerpiece of Gullah barbecue revolves around pork, particularly the whole hog. The barbecue is an event, centered around family first and then the pig, with sauce being little more than an afterthought. 

Somewhat ironically, it is the sauce that opened the first door into Gullah barbecue for me. I had spent quite a bit of time trying to find an authentic Gullah (or Geechee) barbecue recipe. My research led me to this recipe, Whole Roasted Fish with Gullah Mopping Sauce. By definition, a mopping sauce is a thin flavored liquid that a pitmaster "mops" over the smoked meat. The purpose of a mopping sauce is to add additional layers of flavor while helping to ensure that the meat remains moist through the smoking process. However, the use of fish seemed out of place (in my humble opinion) for Gullah cuisine, because everything I have read emphasized how pork was the principal protein for barbecue. 

In fact, the use of fish, even in a smoked preparation, is not so out of the ordinary in Gullah cuisine. The Gullah and Geechee have been fishing the local waters of the Carolinas since the 1600s. Indeed, many of the Gullah and Geechee were driven to the marshes, coastal inlets and islands, thereby making fishing an important means of survival. Put differently, fish plays an important role in the diet of the Gullah Geechee. Indeed, it was the primary source of protein in their diet prior to the Civil War. More importantly, as at least one study found, the Gullah Geechee are "motivated to fish by childhood experiences that were frequently interwoven into their daily lives and by a sense of cultural preservation of the role and value fishing and fish consumption carries in this population."   

In the end, it was an interesting insight into a culture that I know very little about. My hope is that this small insight will hopefully serve as the springboard into a deeper exploration of Gullah Geechee culture and cuisine. Only time will tell. 

WHOLE ROASTED FISH WITH GULLAH MOPPING SAUCE

Recipe from the James Beard Foundation

Serves 3

Ingredients (for the fish):

• 3 dressed whole trout (1 1/2 pound each)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 lemons, each sliced into 4 rings
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup of mopping sauce

Ingredients (for the mopping sauce):

• 2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 8-ounce can tomato juice
• 5 1/4-inch-wide paper thin slices of lemon rind (only the yellow rind, not white pith)
• 1 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• Dash of hot sauce

Directions:

1. Prepare the mopping sauce. Whisk the ingredients together in a sauce pot over medium heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool. Store this mopping sauce refrigerated in a jar for up to six months.

2. Prepare the trout. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat the fish dry inside and out with paper towels. Make 3 diagonal cuts through the skin on each side of the fish and place on a rimmed sheet pan. Generously and evenly pour the olive oil over the fish. Season the inside and out with cayenne pepper (or paprika), garlic powder, salt and turmeric. Gently stuff the thyme sprigs and lemon rings into the fish's belly. Scatter the tomatoes in the pan and pour the mopping sauce over the fish. 

3. Roast the fish. Roast the fish for 25 to 30 minutes, basting every 8 to 10 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the fish from teh oven and serve immediately. 

ENJOY!