Cou-Cou and Flying Fish

Ingredients

• For the cou-cou
• 200 g fine cornmeal, fine-ground only; coarse polenta is unsuitable
• 800 ml water, salted
• 150 g okra, sliced into rounds
• 1 tsp salt
• 20 g unsalted butter, small knob, for resting
• For the flying fish
• 4 flying fish (Cheilopogon melanurus), butterflied
• 2 limes, juice only, for marinade
• 1 tbsp green seasoning
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• For the flying fish sauce
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 200 g tomatoes, chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 scotch bonnet chilli, whole or finely chopped, to taste
• 1 lime, juice only
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs

Method

1. 1
   Combine the sliced okra with the salted water in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil and cook until the okra is fully tender and its mucilage has dissolved completely into the liquid, making it visibly thickened and rope-like when lifted on a spoon. The okra must reach this point before any cornmeal is added; the dish cannot recover if this step is rushed.
2. 2
   With one hand working the cou-cou stick continuously, pour the fine cornmeal into the okra liquid in a slow, steady stream. Do not pause stirring at any moment — lumps set within seconds and cannot be stirred out once formed. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and continue to work the stick in firm, circular strokes, pressing the mass against the pot walls.
3. 3
   This is where the dish lives or dies: keep stirring without interruption until the cou-cou pulls cleanly from the sides and base of the pot in a single, cohesive mass. The confirmatory test is both tactile and audible — when struck sharply with the stick, the surface returns a clean slapping sound and the mixture does not stick to the pot wall.
4. 4
   Oil a bowl lightly. Turn the cou-cou into it and smooth the surface. Place a small knob of butter on top, cover, and rest for 3 minutes. The butter will melt into a glossy, golden film over the surface. Invert onto a warm plate immediately before serving — the cou-cou firms dramatically as it cools and must be served yielding and warm.
5. 5
   Butterfly the flying fish and combine with the lime juice, green seasoning, and thyme. Allow the fish to marinate until the flesh is lightly opaque at the very edges from the acid — the marinade is doing preliminary work on the proteins.
6. 6
   In a wide pan, sweat the onion in butter until soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes, scotch bonnet, thyme, and lime juice. Cook until the sauce reduces to a cohesive, glossy consistency and the raw tomato smell has left the pan.
7. 7
   Lay the marinated flying fish into the sauce. Cover and steam or braise gently until the flesh is just opaque throughout and yields to the lightest pressure of a finger without resistance. Do not overcook — the fish should hold its shape when lifted.