- 3 days ago
Ainsley's Taste of the Bahamas - Season 1 Episode 1 -
Flavour Foundations: Bahamian Classics
Flavour Foundations: Bahamian Classics
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00:00Brought to you by Nassau and Paradise Island.
00:09The best way to experience the true flavor of a place is through its food.
00:14So, I'm off on my culinary travels again.
00:20I'm looking for dishes with a story to tell.
00:24It's an aphrodisiac.
00:25Traditions passed down through generations.
00:34And the freshest and ziniest of ingredients, from land and sea.
00:39So, here I am in the Bahamas, exploring islands of white sands, turquoise seas, and food that is as vibrant as its people.
00:49From hidden beach shacks and fish fries.
00:52Ooh, a little bit of sesame.
00:55To fine dining with a Caribbean twist.
00:58It's out of this world.
01:00Scoop it off.
01:01Ooh.
01:02This is the last bottle known to man.
01:04Wow.
01:05I'm diving headfirst into the flavors, the colors, and the rhythms of island life.
01:13So, come on.
01:14Grab a plate.
01:15Loosen that belt.
01:16And join me in my quest as I search for a lick of bit of island zest.
01:21Welcome.
01:22Taste of the Bahamas.
01:24The Bahamas is a collection of around 700 islands that stretch across warm, clear waters on the western edge of the Atlantic.
01:40Most people live on New Providence, home to Nassau and neighboring Paradise Island.
01:46There's a rich mix of influences here.
01:49African roots, Caribbean spice.
01:51They drive on the left like us Brits, but in left-hand drive American cars.
01:56And their food is all about simple island produce.
02:00Fresh papaya, spicy chilies, zingy citrus, plenty of rum, and some of the best seafood you'll ever taste.
02:08And almost every table has a sea view.
02:12So, come on.
02:13Let's get stuck in.
02:15You know, today is all about island life.
02:18And I'm getting my first taste of the Bahamas.
02:21And finding out what flavors make these islands tick.
02:25Yeah, boy.
02:25I'll be meeting a chef, sharing his knowledge of Bahamian food with the world.
02:35Now, I don't measure.
02:37Chef, in the Bahamas, chef, like probably here in the Caribbean, we don't measure.
02:41We use a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
02:44And I'll be seeking out some super fresh island ingredients.
02:47What do you think I should take?
02:48You know, do what the Bahamians do.
02:51Choose the biggest one.
02:55As I add my own little tropical twist to one of Nassau's seafood favorites.
03:00Yeah, not kank fritta, pranang quokkanot fritta.
03:09But first, I'm headed downtown to answer the age-old question.
03:14Why did Ainsley cross the road?
03:16Well, to get to the chicken on the other side, of course.
03:20This is where the locals like to eat.
03:22Forget your fancy plates.
03:24We are talking about big, bold flavors in a big, brown paper bag.
03:29Bamboo Shack is a Bahamian institution.
03:32And I'm here to find out why the locals keep coming back for this famous chicken in the bug.
03:37Time after time after time.
03:43Bamboo Shack is fast food Bahamas style.
03:46You place your order, grab your ticket, and wait for your brown bag of fresh-cooked fried chicken to hit the counter.
03:52Yeah, could I have chicken in a bag, please?
04:00Chicken thigh in a bag.
04:02And, you know, I fancy something sweet.
04:05Can I have any lemonades?
04:07And how much is the damage?
04:09Oh, good.
04:10OK.
04:11That's it.
04:12Oh.
04:14God.
04:14I just loved this money, didn't you?
04:16Eh?
04:17Everything's tat, tat, tat.
04:18It's quite nice to feel the old cattle.
04:21Oh, thank you very much indeed.
04:23It all started back in 1990, when a woman called Elaine Pinder opened a tiny kitchen with a big idea.
04:32Make the best fried chicken on the island.
04:35Spicy, salty, crunchy, with a touch of sweetness and hot sauce galore.
04:40And all popped into a brown paper bag.
04:43It's so popular, the locals here will tell you there's nothing more Bahamian than chicken in the bug.
04:49Ainsley.
04:50Yeah, here we are.
04:52Hi.
04:53Welcome, family, chef.
04:54Oh, thank you so much.
04:55Very lucky number one.
04:56Yeah.
04:57Oh, what?
04:59Oh, thank you.
05:00See you tomorrow.
05:01Oh, maybe you will.
05:05Do you know, I really want to open this bag, but before I do, I want to know more about the story of this place from Elaine's daughter, Gandhi.
05:15So, Gandhi, was it an instant success?
05:17Did people suddenly start queuing like they are here, or was it a gradual thing to catch them?
05:22Well, you know, chicken in the bag was always a popular thing and a Bahamian staple.
05:25So, from Keith's chicken shack to Father Alan's chicken.
05:28But when you have that recipe and that hot sauce and that ketchup and the chicken and the conch and everything coming together, it was just like almost like an instant success.
05:37You've got something really, really special here.
05:40You must be so proud.
05:41Yes, we are definitely so proud, and we really want you to try it.
05:45Come all the way from England to try your bamboo shack thing.
05:51No, but what you have to say in Bahamian accent, I want try, say it, I want try.
05:56I want try.
05:57The Bahamian ting.
05:59The Bahamian ting.
06:00Ting.
06:00Ting.
06:01Okay.
06:01All right.
06:02I want try the Bahamian ting.
06:04Right.
06:06My sister.
06:07Straight answer.
06:08I'm excited.
06:10We want the reaction.
06:11Yes, look at that.
06:12Okay.
06:13I'm being terribly British.
06:15I am being terribly, terribly British.
06:17Do forgive me.
06:18Well, you fit right in.
06:19Yeah.
06:20Welcome home.
06:22First bite.
06:24First bite.
06:26Sound effects.
06:30Take it in.
06:32Is it deliciously Bahamian?
06:35Gandhi, I don't know what the Bahamian spice is supposed to be like.
06:38All I know is that this is a wonderful, succulent, crispy piece of chicken, you know, with great taste.
06:45Love in a greasy chin.
06:47The perfect combination.
06:48You have to do it.
06:49If you're not all in it, if you don't get a little grease, it's not chicken in the bag, okay?
06:54That's like one of the signature things.
06:56Oh, dear.
06:57Absolutely.
06:58So now you had bamboo shack, which is deliciously Bahamian, and so now you're an honorary Bahamian.
07:02I might be queuing up tomorrow.
07:05Well, we look forward to welcoming you, and I'm going to steal one of your fries if you don't mind.
07:08You can do, Gandhi.
07:11Well, now that I'm an honorary Bahamian, I think I need to up my cookery game a bit, so I can cook more like a local.
07:18Luckily, I know just where I need to go.
07:22I'm on my way to the kitchen cookery school, where chef Tevin Kemp is preparing a Bahamian classic.
07:28At Tevin's cookery school at Bahama, hotel guests learn true Bahamian cooking.
07:36And while chef Gabby prepares some delicious main courses to try later, well, Tevin is going to teach me the ultimate side dish.
07:44I call it Jamaican rice and peas, but here they call it...
07:47Bahamian peas and rice is a staple here from the Bahamas, and it's different from the Jamaican rice and peas.
07:53Wow.
07:53Right, go ahead.
07:54Should I chop this up, then, this onion?
07:55Certainly, and I'll go ahead with the bell pepper while I buy it.
07:58Yes, so what is the difference, then, or why do they make such a big noise about it?
08:02Because it's basically the same thing, isn't it?
08:04Ah, similar, it's similar.
08:07I must say the difference is the tomato paste.
08:09Bahamians use tomato paste like how Asians use soy sauce, right?
08:14We add tomato paste in everything from our stews to our chickens to our, whether it be our fish preparation, you'll find tomato paste in there.
08:24So we're going to go in, chef, with, we call it western oil, or should I say vegetable oil.
08:28Vegetable oil, yeah, I understand that.
08:30To make the best rice you need, I need some good oil.
08:33We're starting off with our aromatics, it's going to be the onions inside there.
08:37I'm also coming behind with the green bell peppers, I'm going to dive it inside there as well.
08:42Beautiful.
08:43And, chef, if you may, can you add some of those aromatics, that being the thyme and the bay leaf, give it some good flavor and some lovely scents inside the room.
08:52Okay, a bit of this going in, chef?
08:54Ah, yes, we could go ahead with some thalbeaks as well.
08:56And then we're going to throw that pepper in there as well, I'm going to turn the stove right up, the gold pepper right inside there, perfect.
09:01Let's sit, allow it to do, and then we're going to also add in the bay leaf and thyme, right?
09:09Mm-hmm.
09:09So we're going to add those thyme and bay leaf, we're going to save the garlic at the end.
09:13Beautiful.
09:14So what's happening is all of the onions, sweet onions, and of course the bell peppers are starting to get translucent, all of that is going to be the base of the flavor, exactly how we cook.
09:23Tomato going in, chef, how much, just about that much?
09:26Yeah, you know exactly what's going on, we're going to dump it right in there.
09:28And now the trick about the tomato paste, we're going to add just a little bit more of that tomato paste.
09:33Okay.
09:33You want to cook it out until it starts to caramelize, the sugar starts to almost burn, and that's when you know you've reached to the flavor profile you want for peas and rice.
09:42Okay, wow.
09:43We're going in now with the tomatoes, good.
09:46Bit of garlic now, chef?
09:47Yes, add all of the garlic, we add the garlic now so it doesn't burn.
09:50You want it to stay true and stay bright, but you don't want it to get bitter.
09:54Mmm, this smells wonderfully aromatic.
09:56And you can throw in those pigeon peas at the same time as well.
09:59Okay.
10:00Pigeon peas are a Bahamian staple, nuggets of nutty goodness that bring warmth and depth of flavor.
10:08So that's what we're looking for, chef, that kind of caramelization there.
10:11Correct, that's exactly.
10:12You always know it, you want to do it just before the milk goes in because the milk is going to reduce for another moment, just for another layer of flavor as well.
10:20Beautiful.
10:21Right, chef?
10:22Actually, we're going to go in with a little bit of browning.
10:24You want to add at least about a quarter of that browning.
10:27I think we should be good with that.
10:29Yeah, perfect.
10:30Happy with that.
10:31Nice.
10:32I'm going to add the water now.
10:34Okay.
10:34Right?
10:34Adding the water at this time.
10:36Mm-hmm.
10:38Beautiful.
10:38So we want to turn it up very, very high, we want to come to a rapid boil, and that's when we're going to stir in.
10:43Now, I don't measure.
10:45Yeah.
10:45Chef, in the Bahamas, just like probably here in the Caribbean, we don't measure.
10:48We should be using a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
10:51Yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:51Now, I'm going to pour the rice, and you're not going to judge me.
10:53I'm going to do it like how my Grammy teach me.
10:55Yeah, okay.
10:56You pour until you get a hill, and I go a little above the hill, and you stop right there.
11:01Okay.
11:01Stirry that all around.
11:02Stirry just straight in?
11:03Straight in.
11:04So what I want to do while that's on a simmer, I'm going to cut the bottom off these scallions, because I'm not going to cut this up.
11:12I'm going to drop that hole right inside the pot and allow that to cook right inside there, pulling it out at the end.
11:17So we're going to give it just about, I would say, four minutes on a simmer.
11:20So the lid goes on, and our peas and rice will soon be done, the perfect accompaniment to the feast Tevin's team have laid on for me.
11:30Call it peas and rice, call it rice and peas, whatever way you say it, it's simply delicious.
11:36Chef, I truly enjoyed every piece of you coming here to cook along some Bohemian food.
11:42Yeah, I tell you what, I've so enjoyed cooking along with you.
11:45Can't wait to get stuck in.
11:46Merci.
11:47Yeah, come on.
11:47Coming up, I go island shopping.
11:53Hold one Pokemon.
11:55And put a spicy spin on a crunchy Bahamian classic.
11:59Me don't need no kunk, me just need pranangkwokanang.
12:04Ainsley's Taste of the Bahamas, brought to you by Nassau and Paradise Island.
12:25Ainsley's Taste of the Bahamas, brought to you by Nassau and Paradise Island.
12:30Welcome back.
12:35Welcome back, my Bahamian flavoured adventure is well under way.
12:39I've enjoyed chicken in the bag.
12:41I want to try the Bahamian tea, right.
12:45And I've learnt the importance of putting my peas before my rice.
12:50Now, I'm going to pour the rice and you're not going to judge me.
12:53I'm going to do it like how my grammy teach me.
12:55But now, I'm after some fresh Bahamian flavours of my own.
13:00You know, when you come to the Bahamas, it's not just about the beautiful white sandy beaches and translucent waters.
13:06Oh, yeah, lovely.
13:07It's about the people and it's about the produce.
13:11The Gladstone Road Farmer's Market is packed with the good stuff.
13:15All the island staples the locals love.
13:18There's homemade sauces, there's cakes.
13:20Breadfruit.
13:22Breadfruit, coconut milk and breadfruit.
13:24Cinnamon, vanilla and just the flour.
13:27There's freshly pressed sugar can for sweet refreshment on tap.
13:34Beautiful.
13:37Wow.
13:37What are the benefits?
13:39It's good to buy a breath.
13:40Are you saying I've got bad breath?
13:43It's good for bad breath.
13:44No, I say that a lot.
13:45I say that a lot.
13:47And avocados, big enough to feed a giant.
13:52Wow.
13:53The size of these.
13:54But I'm here for two main ingredients to take back to my seaside kitchen.
14:00First up, a lovely fresh coconut.
14:03Why the juice coming out?
14:05I know, but it's OK.
14:08Now, that is a beautiful coconut.
14:11The way that you tell, it's white on the inside.
14:14The way that you tell if it's good or not, you want to shake it.
14:16Yeah.
14:17And make sure you hear that water in there.
14:20See, I answer, that's a better probability that I'll be OK.
14:23So I'm going to take one of these.
14:24I'm going to grate it up.
14:26Instead of using the dry, desiccated coconut, I could use this, yeah?
14:29Yes.
14:29This is, nothing beats fresh.
14:32Sold one coconut.
14:34What is the best one?
14:34What do you think I should take?
14:36You know, do what the Bahamians do.
14:38Choose the biggest one.
14:39So...
14:40Now, I just need something with a bit of a kick.
14:51What got you into hot pepper sauce, then?
14:53You've got about 50 varieties here.
14:56My son and my husband, they like hot, spicy stuff.
15:02Yeah, I like it spicy, too.
15:04I am not the spicy one.
15:06I just make everything and they do the tasting, so...
15:10Wonderful.
15:11Out here, they love a really spicy pepper they call the goat.
15:16Is it the greatest of all time?
15:18There's only one way to find out.
15:21So, Grace, this is the perfect sauce to go with my prawn and coconut fritters, yeah?
15:25Yes.
15:26Beautiful.
15:26Yes.
15:27Just use that, put a little bit in there, jazz it up, stir it up.
15:31Good to go.
15:32Good to go.
15:32Thank you so much.
15:33You're welcome.
15:34Lovely talking to you.
15:34You're welcome.
15:34Are you, too?
15:35I've had a taste of two cracking Bahamian classics so far.
15:40But there's a third island favourite that has people flocking to it every single day of the week.
15:45And it's provided me with a bit of inspiration for my recipe.
15:50Everywhere you go in the Bahamas, it's all about the conch.
15:53I'm talking about conch fritters.
15:54I'm talking about conch chowder or conch salad.
15:57But I thought, can't get that at home.
15:59What can I do?
16:00So, I've decided to come up with a little bit of an alternative.
16:04Yes, and saying a big thank you to the Bahamas.
16:06I'm doing coconut and prawn fritter with a calypso sauce and a pickled coconut slaw.
16:13All right.
16:14Shall we carry on with that?
16:15Hey, what about these prawns, eh?
16:17Very nice.
16:18Going to get that straight onto my board here.
16:20And I'm going to chop those up.
16:23There we are.
16:23I want them sort of quite fine-ish.
16:25Because we're going to be making fritters in a mixture, including some lovely flavours.
16:33And, of course, the flour and everything to bind it together.
16:37Let's just chop these up.
16:43Once you get to that stage, just transfer that into your bowl there.
16:51Beautiful.
16:52That's what we're looking for.
16:54Okay.
16:55I'm just going to give my board a little bit of a wipe here.
16:58That's it.
16:59Just wipe down as you go along.
17:02Now, what about getting some flavour into those prawns?
17:06I'm going to start off with just a little bit of lime.
17:08So we've got a touch of lime zest.
17:17And I'm also going to just squeeze on a little bit of lime juice too.
17:21Okay.
17:22Just a bit of juice to go along with that zest.
17:27A little bit of fresh thyme here.
17:30I'm just dragging some of those leaves off like that.
17:34There you go.
17:37There you go.
17:39Next, it's in with some finely chopped peppers, a good pepper, a touch of garlic, and some spring onions and celery.
17:47All right.
17:49Okay.
17:50Just give that a little bit of a mix through there.
17:56Mmm.
17:58Guys, look what I've got here now.
18:00I've got some flour here with a bit of paprika and some coconut.
18:06And that's baking powder.
18:07All right.
18:08The idea of that, that's to kind of give everything that little bit of a sort of pop, if you like, when it goes into our hot oil.
18:20Let's just mix that together.
18:21Now, I've got some coconut milk.
18:25Give it that real Bahamian kind of flavour.
18:29There you go.
18:30A bit of that going in there.
18:31I think that's the perfect consistency now.
18:40And a quick check on the temperature of the oil.
18:45And I think that's pretty good, actually.
18:48Shall we crack on?
18:48Let's make a few more.
18:49Oh, baby, I don't need the conch.
18:55All I need is my pran and coconut.
19:00Yeah, me don't need no conch.
19:03Me just need pran and coconut.
19:06Drop it in there.
19:07Me don't need conch.
19:09Me just need pran and coconut.
19:12Yeah, boy.
19:14Come on.
19:15And here you go.
19:16And then you cook those off.
19:19These are looking absolutely perfect here.
19:34There you go.
19:35Look at those.
19:36Puffed up, golden and beautiful.
19:40Ready to devour.
19:42But I think it needs something else, doesn't it?
19:45Pickled coconut salad.
19:46Maybe a little bit of spicy hot sauce dip.
19:51Let's do it.
19:53Yeah, cutting up some more peppers.
19:55More good pepper.
19:57Garlic and fresh thyme.
19:59It really is so, so aromatic.
20:01We love it, me love it, me love it.
20:03And what we're going to do?
20:04Well, I'm going to take my cabbage, my carrots,
20:07my onions that are already sliced up with some coconut.
20:10Add these bad boys to it.
20:11That's it.
20:16Give that a little bit of a mix through.
20:19And a little pickling needs to go on here now.
20:23So a bit of sugar.
20:25Some white vinegar.
20:27And a little squeeze of lime juice.
20:29That just goes on top of our slaw.
20:32Let's just work that together a touch.
20:39Just let that pickle up a little bit more.
20:43And we'll serve it with a nice sauce.
20:46I've got my mayonnaise there.
20:48And my hot pepper sauce.
20:50You're not going to chill with this, I tell you.
20:52I can't space things up.
20:55Hot pepper sauce, a touch of lime juice,
20:57and a licking bit of ketchup.
20:59Give that a good old mix.
21:03Oh, yeah.
21:06And do you know what?
21:06I think we're ready to serve up.
21:09Coriander there, just...
21:11That's my lovely dipping sauce.
21:13Beautiful.
21:14Fab.
21:15My lovely coconut salad.
21:21And that's it.
21:22And you kind of know what's going in the centre
21:24of my pickled coconut nest, don't you?
21:27It's these wonderful prawn and coconut fritters.
21:31There you go.
21:33Yeah, them bad boys.
21:35Yeah.
21:36Look at that, eh?
21:37Ha-ha.
21:39Ah.
21:41You hungry?
21:42Well, why not try my prawn and coconut fritters?
21:46Yeah, not kunk fritter.
21:48Prawn and coconut fritter.
21:49I've got to say, I've so enjoyed
21:54some classic Bahamian flavours today,
21:56and they've definitely tickled the old taste buds.
21:59Wow.
21:59And you know what?
22:00I can't wait to continue my island adventure.
22:05From the buzz of the market to Tevin's Kitchen,
22:09I've got to say, I've had a real taste
22:11of the true foundations of Bahamian life.
22:14And I'm really enjoying it.
22:16I'm really enjoying it.
22:44Ainsley's Taste of the Bahamas, brought to you by Nassau and Paradise Island.
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