There is an old saying in the Caribbean, "nicknames are used in case the Devil comes asking for you." That may explain why many of the islands have nicknames. There is "Spice Island" (Grenada), "Helen of the West Indies" (St. Lucia), "Little England" (Barbados), and the "Island of Flowers" (Martinique). There is also "Nature Isle." This is the nickname for the Commonwealth of Dominica; or, as the indigenous Kalinago people refer to the island, Waitukubuli, which translates to "tall is her body."
Both Waitukubuli and "Nature Isle" are apt descriptions for the little island, which have some of the tallest peaks -- like Morns Diablotins and Mount Trois Pitons -- in the Caribbean. Those peaks rise out of and are covered by rainforests that are the homes for many rare species of animals, birds and plants. The island also boasts of 365 rivers, such as the Indian River and the Rosalie River. And, then there are the beaches, the blue waters and the coral reefs.
As much as I love nature, this post takes me to the towns and villages to learn more about the people, culture and their cuisine. Dominica has had a rather unique history, which has been shaped by resistance and colonialism. When the Spanish attempted to colonize the island, they met resistance from the indigenous Kalinago peoples. The French were more successful, establishing a permanent colony followed by sugar and coffee plantations. The French also brought slaves from Africa, and, eventually, people of African descent were the majority of those living on the island. The British ultimately seized control of the island and Dominica became a British colony. The British enacted the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833. Almost five years later, Dominica was the first colony in the British West Indies to have a legislature comprised of a majority of citizens of African descent. Needless to say, the white plantation owners had issues with that situation, which led to a less representative government. It would not be until 1967 when Dominica was able to take full control of its internal affairs and until 1978 when it became an independent country.
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| A view of Roseau, the capitol of Dominica (photo by Mike LaMonaca). |
This history, as briefly outlined above, shapes the cultures and cuisine of the Dominican people. There is a mix of African and indigenous influences, along with British, French and island Creole. There are also influences from nearby islands, such as Trinidad and St. Lucia.
MAIN COURSE
Dominica's (unofficial) national dish is known as Mountain Chicken. Despite the name, chicken is not an ingredient in that dish. "Mountain chicken" is the local moniker for the Caribbean's largest frog, which also goes by the names of Crapaud. Herpetologists -- that is, those who study reptiles and amphibians would refer to these frogs as Leptodactylus Fallax. This frog can grow as large as seven inchs long and weigh over two pounds. That is a good size if one is a frog.
The mountain chicken has an important place in the culture of the indigenous peoples of Dominica. Local
folklore, songs, poems and even jokes have been written about the frog.
Some of those works of art tell the story of the mountain chicken, especially what confronts the species. For example, poet Delroy N. Williams wrote The Crapaud Story, which begins as follows:
De sey de Crapaud smoked my pipe
but me doh hear no Crapaud last night
An long I doh eat no Crapaud in a stew.
I doh even hear anybody talking about that frog.
Something must definitely be wrong.
To be sure, there is definitely something wrong. Years of hunting the frog -- with anywhere from 18,000 to 36,000 be caught per year on Dominica -- combined with natural factors, such as a fungus that causes chytridiomycosis, caused a steep decline in the populations of the mountain chicken. The fungus and its disease is believed to have caused a decline of nearly 80% in 18 months. The situation became so dire, that mountain chicken were no longer seen in the wild. By 2008, people believed the species may have went extinct. Returning to the poem:
It was once our national emblem
Now reduced to the crannies of de "Station."
If somebody doh talk den nobody go listen
So I glad dat Machel an dem doing something
Cuz de Crapaud is Domincia's blessing.
Dat fungus come out from nowhere
An got us forgetting Crapaud is our heritage.
We cyah just give up, dat would leave Crapaud in a sad state.
De Chyrid ting is very dangerous
Been around for just a decade
Got Crapaiud in decadence.
Fortunately, people did step up to save the mountain chicken. There has been a
study in which the frogs were treated with an anti-fungal drug, which showed some promise. There have also been
efforts by the Dominican government and non-profit organizations to protect the species. These efforts have had some mixed success, but still provide promise to restoring the mountain chicken populations. As the poem closes:
From our forests an even our minds
Look we even searching for a new national dish
Want to remove Crapaud from its podium of pride
An reduce it to jus hindsight
But Crapaud stronger dan we think
An wit a likle help fromForestry
Dat frog go leap back unto its pedetal
We go hear Crapaud sing again
We go hear Crapaud after a shower of rain
An den we go really understand.
Cuz de Crapaud is Domincia's blessing.
Dat fungus come out from nowhere
An got us forgetting Crapaud is our heritage.
The hope in this poem is important. While some may have to make sacrifices by foregoing their (unofficial) national dish, that effort, combined with scientists and researchers, may provide the basis for that hope to become a reality.
Turning to my personal culinary challenge, I obviously did not use mountain chicken to make this dish. Instead, I purchased some frog legs from a local grocery store. That was the easiest part of the preparation. I had a little more difficulty getting my hands on the "provisions," because not every grocery store has true yams and none of the stores around me had dasheen root. After searching for a while, I decided to make "provisions" with what I could get at the store. I ultimately used sweet potatoes (which are not yams) and name root.
The actual preparation of this dish is very easy. It is a simple sauté of the frog legs, a basic gravy, and a simple boil of the provisions. These processes made me question whether the dish will have any taste. (I have to admit that I am not a big fan of root vegetables, especially if all that is done to them is to boil them.) Nevertheless, I forged ahead and completed the main dish.
MOUNTAIN CHICKEN WITH PROVISIONS
Recipe from National Foods
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 12-16 frogs' legs
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 lime, sliced in half
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup water
- 2 dasheen roots (cut into 4 pieces)
- 2 yams (cut into 4 pieces)
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Prepare the frogs' legs. Rinse the frogs' legs with water and then wash them in lime juice. Rinse the frogs' legs again in cold water. Dry the frogs' legs and then place them in a bowl. Season the frogs' legs with the thyme, vinegar, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Let the frogs' legs rest for two hours.
2. Fry the frogs' legs. Put the flour in a shallow dish and coat each leg in the flour. Heat the oil on high in a skillet. Fry the coated frogs' legs until golden brown and set aside.
3. Prepare the gravy. Sauté the onion in a mixture of melted butter and one tablespoon of oil. Add a cup of water, bring to a boil and then add flour to thicken the gravy. Simmer the gravy for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the frog legs to the gravy, cook for a minute and turn off the heat.
4. Prepare the provisions. Boil the yams and dasheen root in salted water with the green pepper. When the provisions are fork tender, turn off the heat and drain.
5. Finish the dish. Serve the Mountain Chicken with the provisions, rice and peas.
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In the end, I successfully completed this challenge. I was quite surprised by the end result. The gravy provided enough additional flavor to work with not only the frog legs, but also the provisions. It is a reminder that sometimes the most simplest elements can contribute the most.
Now, I need to turn to my next challenges. There is definitely more to come. Until then,
ENJOY!
