Anguilla

We have been jumping from island to island recently. This time we are at neighboring of the Virgin Islands – at Anguilla.  Self-governing Great Britain’s overseas territory. The total area is only 91 km2 and the population is about 15,000 people. The name Anguilla comes from the Old English word anguila, which means an eel and is given because of the shape of the island by Christopher Columbus. Or at least so. In 1980 she was granted the right to self-government from the UK. There are a government and a governor. The highest point on the island is 65 meters. The soil is dry and poor. There are no conditions for agriculture, no natural resources. Anguilla’s economy is based on tourism, offshore management, and banking, insurance and fishing. She is famous for its beautiful beaches and coral reefs.

Due to the small size of the island and the poor soil, many of the products for the Anguilla cuisine are imported from outside. Seafood(langustas, lobsters, crabs, shrimps, red snapper) and goat meat, which make steaks and curries, is especially popular. Birds that are grown on site, pork and imported beef are also consumed. The base of many dishes is also the salted fever, which is also imported from outside. Among the few agricultural products produced on the island are tomatoes, peppers, lemons, and other citrus fruits, onions, garlic, pumpkin. Starchy foods such as rice, sweet potatoes, jackfrut, wheat, and corn flour are mostly imported.

Anguilla’s kitchen, like other Caribbean islands, is a mixture of traditions. It combines elements of local Caribbean cooking, Spanish, French and English influences and the strong foundation of African traditions, as the largest percentage of the population is of the Negro race, descendants of slaves transported from Africa. A large part of regional cooking is a solid and nutritious meal designed to feed the worker over a long working day. However, Anguilla is famous for its international cuisine and offers a refined range of lighter dishes.

Overall, Anguilla is an expensive and luxurious destination, but white sands that are washed by the crystal blue waves of the Caribbean Sea, delicious food, rum cocktails and pleasant temperatures all year round are worth a spending. At least I would do it with great pleasure. After Cuba, the Caribbean became one of my favorite destinations in terms of nature.

I did not have much choice for a cake, but sometimes the list not needed to be long enough to find something good.  Black cake – a fruit cake with a lot of rum. Quite Caribbean. A little late I found the recipe and initially worried that I would not have the time to prepare the fruit mix, but later in the recipe I read a shortened and rescue version for ones like me. I suppose the flavor would be fuller and more authentic if I could afford to marinate the dried fruit for a few months but … and so the cake was good and, most importantly, it was different from everything I’ve ever done. Sometimes different means not a very good choice, but in this case, this experiment adds to my favorite desserts another one that I’m almost sure you did not try. It is mainly prepared for Christmas and sometimes for weddings when almond paste and royal glaze are added to the base of Black cake for a more festive look. Everyone who prepares this cake has its secrets of how long it bakes, what spices it puts, what texture it tries to get. The recipe I used is mentioned 5-6 people who contributed to the final appearance. I have not tried this temptation before, and I do not know whether I prepared it well according to the culinary traditions of Anguilla, but according to the people in Bulgaria who have tried it is unbelievable. This is definitely a good assessment. Let’s not be maximalist. 🙂

For the fruit mix:

150 grams of prunes without pyrene

150 grams of dried blueberries or black currant

150 grams of raisins

70 grams of cherries (dried or candied)

30 grams of dried fruit mix (pineapple, papaya, mango …)

250 ml of red wine

200 ml rum (white or dark)

For caramel:

1 1/2 teaspoon of sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon of red wine

About Cake:

150 grams of soft butter

150 grams of sugar

3 eggs

juice of half an orange

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

vanilla

almond essence

100 grams of flour

3/4 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/3 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon of crushed cloves

1/4 teaspoon of ginger powder

For syrup:

20 ml of dark rum

20 ml cherry brandy

Steps of preparation:

Wash and dry all fruits. Mix together in a large bowl. Put the fruit into a blender. Add enough wine to bruise the fruit to paste. The mixture should not be too watery. Add rom. Stir and let the mixture soak in the best for 3-4 months, and better for more. If you do not have this time (like me), you can boil the fruit with the wine for about 20 minutes and then cool to add the rum.

Make caramel. Put the sugar in a small saucepan. On a low heat stir with a wooden spoon until it begins to caramelize. After dark brown, add the wine, mix and remove from the hot plate. Let it cool down completely.

Make the dough. Heat up the oven up to 150 C. Place the baking paper in the pan and on the walls.

Beat the butter and add the eggs (which are at room temperature) one at a time. Add spices.

In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Add the fruit mixture to the eggs, butter, and spices. Partly add the dry ingredients by stirring gently and bottom up to avoid leaving the air out of the mix. Finally, add the caramel.

Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for about 80-90 minutes. This cake does not look like an ordinary cake, but rather a pudding. Therefore, it should be baked at a low temperature. When you remove it from the oven it may look like boiled, but do not worry, it is normal. At this point, sprinkle it with the alcohol mixture on top and, after cooling, cover it with a foil for fresh storage.

The fragrance is best after a few days. You can moisturize it once a day with the syrup blend. It is worthwhile to wait until then. 🙂

I presented Anguilla with her black jewel – Black cake. The temptation is in every bite and I think it will be on my next Christmas table. Then I will do it according to tradition and start with the preparations in August. Not to forget I’m putting an alarm on 26 August . 🙂 Try it too. And then write to me / share. Once I can cook it, then every one of you can.

Next destination – Angola.