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00:08Ainsley's Taste of the Bahamas, brought to you by Nassau and Paradise Island.
00:19The best way to experience the true flavor of a place is through its food.
00:24So, I'm off on my culinary travels again.
00:30I'm looking for dishes with a story to tell.
00:33It's an aphrodisiac.
00:38Traditions passed down through generations.
00:44And the freshest and ziniest of ingredients from land and sea.
00:49So, here I am in the Bahamas, exploring islands of white sands, turquoise seas and food that is as vibrant
00:57as its people.
00:59From hidden beach shacks and fish fries.
01:02Ooh, a little bit of sesame.
01:05To fine dining with a Caribbean twist.
01:08It's out in this world.
01:09Scoop it up.
01:10Ooh.
01:11This is the last bottle known to man.
01:14Wow, I'm diving head first into the flavors, the colors and the rhythms of island life.
01:23So, come on, grab a plate, loosen that belt and join me in my quest as I search for a
01:29lick a bit of island zest.
01:31Welcome to the taste of the Bahamas.
01:34Yeah.
01:43The Bahamas is a chain of hundreds of islands and coral shallows in the warm Atlantic Ocean, just a short
01:50hop from Florida.
01:52And right at the heart of it all are Nassau and Paradise Island, my Bahamian base.
01:58Today, I'm making the most of my morning.
02:01I'll be preparing a beach side breakfast.
02:03Yeah, baby.
02:05Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.
02:06You know what I'm saying?
02:07I'm going to squeeze out the juice.
02:08Yeah.
02:09Snorkeling over underwater sculptures.
02:11That sculpture, it just seems to, it's like a goddess in the water.
02:17And cooking up a cracking Bahamian brunch.
02:20My plantain and sweet potato rosti with crab salad and hot peppered avocado.
02:25Hey, anyone for brunch?
02:33But first, coffee.
02:35There's lots of coffee shops in this world.
02:37And the Bahamas has all the usual suspects.
02:40But it also has some cool independent cafes that are much more up my street.
02:46I don't know about you, but I can't start the day without a good old pick-me-up.
02:50But today, I'm not going for your average cup of the old Joe.
02:53I've been told that this place here gives a tasty island twist to, let's say, the morning latte.
03:02Ha ha!
03:02Am I ready for a bit of caffeinated creativity?
03:05You bet.
03:08Andrew Bell is the man behind Best Brew, chasing that perfect cup, one batch at a time.
03:14And it all starts with the beans.
03:18All right, I've got the beans.
03:20I suppose this is the most important stage, isn't it?
03:22It's where your beans come from.
03:24Where do they come from?
03:25So this set is actually from Brazil.
03:27And it's probably like a nice medium to dark roast coffee that you want to get out of it.
03:32Nice cocoa, chocolate notes, very mellow.
03:34It's good for a good base for an espresso, good base for cold brew.
03:38It's kind of what we use it for.
03:39And, you know, what's really interesting here is that a lot of people look at this, it looks like a
03:43bag of lentils or something.
03:44But this all coffee looks like that, doesn't it?
03:47Yes.
03:48Now what we're going to do is we're going to drop it into the actual roasting chamber.
03:52Yeah.
03:52Which is just a big stainless steel drum.
03:55It's rotating over, you know, 12 or so torches.
03:59We're going for a medium roast here and we're leaving nothing to chance.
04:03Roasting times and temperatures have to be just right.
04:07So here we go, let me start the laptop.
04:09And then we drop it in.
04:12In go the light green beans and the roast begins.
04:1815 minutes later, our beans are roasted and just right.
04:23Oh, wow.
04:25And there goes the coffee.
04:27Wow, amazing.
04:32Andrew's going to prepare two different coffees for me, an iced coffee and a cold brew.
04:38Iced coffee is hot coffee that's cooled down, while cold brew is a coffee that's never been heated up.
04:45So how different do they taste?
04:48So here with the wooden stirrer, we have a iced coffee, typical iced coffee, which is just water and a
04:53shot of espresso on ice.
04:55This is a typical taste of coffee that you're going to get.
04:58The citrus notes, the citrus notes, the bitterness, the sharpness that you normally taste in regular coffee.
05:03And the freshness too.
05:04Yeah.
05:08Oh, it's lovely and clean.
05:10When you get that pure coffee hit, don't you?
05:13Yeah.
05:13It's amazing.
05:14It's coffee, then you get that little bit of sort of like a cocoa taste.
05:18A dark cocoa taste.
05:19Beautiful.
05:19Yeah, especially after taste.
05:20And moving next door.
05:22So this is the cold brew.
05:23Uh-huh.
05:24This here is, again, a process that kind of takes some of that bitterness and some of that citrus sharpness
05:29out of the coffee.
05:30I'll let you try and see the difference.
05:32Okay.
05:36Oh, that's very different.
05:38Feels like there's a little hint of alcohol or something in there.
05:41Yeah, not at all.
05:42Really?
05:43Not at all.
05:43What is it, then?
05:44So when you're dealing with an iced coffee, you're dealing with coffee made the old-school way.
05:50Hot water, pressure, pulls out the oils, some of the bitterness out of the actual coffee itself.
05:55Whereas cold brew, it sits at room temperature, soaking for 14 hours.
05:5914-hour coffee, but with more caffeine.
06:01Yeah.
06:02Very refreshing.
06:03Yeah.
06:03Oh, wonderful.
06:06Before I go, Andrew's got one last Bahamian coffee treat for me.
06:11A sky juice latte.
06:13Made with coconut water, condensed milk, a little bit of seasoning and a few secret ingredients.
06:22Beautiful.
06:23Well, it's, uh, you've decided to make loads of different caffeinated things this morning for me,
06:29and I've enjoyed every one of them, especially the process of how you get there.
06:33Yeah.
06:33What a joy.
06:34Thank you so much.
06:35It's an honour.
06:37Big honour.
06:37Pleasure, man.
06:38Pleasure.
06:39Yeah.
06:40Wow.
06:41What a way to start the day.
06:42Free coffees I never knew I needed.
06:44Now, I reckon I'm ready for breakfast.
06:49So, I've headed just west of downtown Nassau to the place the locals call the fish fry.
06:54A perfect spot for the first meal of the day.
06:58Here in Nassau, breakfast is a big deal.
07:00You've got to find something to make your belly feel good.
07:03So, this morning, I'm pushing the boat out and I'm going for the full Bahamian breakfast.
07:09Yeah, boy.
07:10Which comes with an unbeatable sea view.
07:16This seaside shack is called Gone Fishing, and thankfully the owner, Hamish Moxie, is back
07:21from fishing and has already started the cooking.
07:27Hamish, how you doing, my man?
07:29Hey, young fella.
07:30How are you?
07:30Look at you.
07:31You getting the grits cooking?
07:33Getting some nice yellow grits.
07:34Mmm.
07:35Staple of the Bahamas, staple of the Bahamian people.
07:37Yeah.
07:38So, what are you going to be cooking for me today?
07:40Oh.
07:40Well, we're going to be doing some boiled fish.
07:42Uh-huh.
07:43Now, boiled fish is a national dish of the Bahamas for breakfast.
07:48It all kicks off with thick pieces of grouper drenched in lime juice and then Hamish's special
07:54seasoning.
07:56Smell that.
07:58Oh, what is going on in there?
07:59That is amazing.
08:01That's a flavour.
08:02You can rest it right here.
08:03Okay.
08:03Take one of the fish and follow me.
08:04Mm-hmm.
08:05So, we're going to do this.
08:07Just going to rub that down.
08:08Okay, so we've got the lime juice in there.
08:10Yeah.
08:10And now we're going to put the lovely...
08:12What's in this mixture then now?
08:14This is fresh kosher salt.
08:16It's fresh at the pond, never processed.
08:18Uh-huh.
08:19And it's grind up with the habanero peppers and also a little garlic, fresh garlic and
08:25some little seasonings to keep it going and keep the flavour enhancing.
08:29Okay.
08:30And we're going to take that and we'll drop this right in here.
08:33Okay.
08:34Okay.
08:34Shall I do the next one you hold on to that?
08:37Okay.
08:38You're the man.
08:38Yeah, me the man.
08:40You're the man.
08:41But boiled fish is no proper way of doing it.
08:44It's your way.
08:45Yeah.
08:45At the end of the day, it's all about flavour.
08:47Every house is different, isn't it?
08:49Every way you go.
08:49Everybody has their way, putting it in.
08:51Some people put their potatoes in first, onions, all of that, you know.
08:55Hamish's way means it's potatoes next, then some thick slices of onion.
09:00You're the man.
09:03Some chopped celery and the juice of half a lime.
09:06Uh-huh.
09:07Yeah, baby.
09:08Yeah, right.
09:08That's what I'm talking about.
09:10You know what I'm saying?
09:10I'm going to squeeze out the juice.
09:11Yeah, squeeze out the juice.
09:13We've got to squeeze out the juice, got to squeeze out the juice.
09:16Yeah, man.
09:20Beautiful.
09:21Beautiful, beautiful.
09:22Okay.
09:22We can throw the cover on that for now.
09:24You know what it's time for, right?
09:26Old school Bahamian pan-fried bread.
09:30Whoa.
09:31Yes, island style.
09:32Okay.
09:32Put a little flour in there.
09:35We'll grab a little salt.
09:38And we're going to put some sugar inside of there.
09:40About a half a cup of that.
09:41Okay.
09:41Half of that right there.
09:43I think that should be good.
09:45And we're going to dust some nutmeg inside of it.
09:48Okay.
09:48Probably about a half a teaspoon, probably.
09:51Let's see how it looks.
09:53Chukyana, chukyana, chukyana, chukyana, chukyana, no chukyana no more.
09:56Oh.
09:57Going down two nuts on the millboat.
10:00Huh?
10:01All right.
10:02Yeah, right.
10:02Hear me, what you're going to throw in there next?
10:04A little baking powder, you see?
10:06Yo.
10:06Tell it round.
10:07Play with D.
10:09And now when you shake a little bit of that in there.
10:11Lovely.
10:12And one, two, three, and four, and five, and six, and seven.
10:16And that's perfect.
10:17I love that.
10:18A handful.
10:19And that's perfect.
10:20A handful.
10:20A handful.
10:21Now you take, get the spoon again, mix that up.
10:24We're going to add a little water.
10:25All right there.
10:27Perfect.
10:27Okay.
10:28She looking good.
10:29Beautiful.
10:32Lovely.
10:35Yeah, that's it right there.
10:37Nice.
10:39A bit of sprinkled flour on the choppy board, and two spoonfuls of dough right in the middle.
10:45Okay, Chef, then we're going to take this.
10:49Now look at you kneading your bread there.
10:51That's lovely.
10:51You've got a nice style.
10:52Yeah, we've got to get butter.
10:54Gonna just melt that round a little bit.
10:57Beautiful.
10:58Drop that in there.
10:59Mmm.
11:00Look at that, Chef.
11:01Beautiful.
11:02Put the lid upon the top.
11:04Put the lid upon the top.
11:06This is going to be some breakfast, isn't it, eh?
11:10I'm salivating.
11:13It's some location, isn't it?
11:15I'd be happy to eat any kind of breakfast here, but Hamish is spoiling me with this all-time
11:19island favourite.
11:23I'll tell you what else is special, Hamish.
11:29I don't get any better than that.
11:31Oh, man.
11:32Welcome to the Bahamas, baby.
11:34Welcome to the Bahamas.
11:35Boiled fish, cold bear, pound fried breads, and avocados and breads on a beautiful view.
11:41What more can we ask for?
11:42Perfect.
11:43Perfect.
11:49Coming up, my morning adventure continues with a brisk swim around some underwater art.
11:55That was amazing.
11:57And we round things off with a delicious Bahamian brunch.
12:02I can't wait to sit on top of the rusty.
12:04You wait till you see what sits on top of you.
12:17Ainsley's Taste of the Bahamas, brought to you by Nassau and Paradise Island.
12:27Ainsley's Taste of the Bahamas, brought to you by Nassau and Paradise Island.
12:37Welcome back.
12:38Today, I'm making the most of the morning sunshine here in the Bahamas.
12:42I've had several cups of coffee already.
12:45Very refreshing.
12:47Oh, wonderful.
12:49And a delicious beachside breakfast.
12:52I don't get any better than that.
12:53Oh, man.
12:54Welcome to the Bahamas, baby.
13:02But now, it's time for a dip in the ocean.
13:07So me and the crew are heading out into the wild blue yonder.
13:13You know, it's hard to beat that feeling of setting off from a sandy beach into a turquoise sea.
13:20Sun in your face, spray in the air.
13:24And that lovely hum of the engine as you glide along.
13:29You know, the Bahamas is beautiful above, but equally stunning is in there, underneath that beautiful translucent sea.
13:41Just under the surface here is something very special.
13:47And even though I'm not the most confident swimmer, today, I'm going to take the plunge.
13:52My guide is Jasmine Colley from the Bahamas Reef Environmental Educational Foundation.
13:59Jasmine, what am I going to find down there?
14:01You're going to find brief Sir Nicholas Nettle Coral Reef Sculpture Garden.
14:06So it's a unique fusion between art and conservation and our outdoor classroom.
14:12Oh, wonderful. I love the way you say outdoor classroom.
14:15So a lot of people get here to be educated about what's beneath.
14:19Yes. So we use this site to teach about marine conservation.
14:23We do have our coral nursery.
14:26When we go down there, we're going to see it.
14:28And then also we have some of the largest underwater sculptures.
14:36Yeah.
14:37One being Ocean Atlas, which is a young lady holding up the entire ocean on her shoulders.
14:43Wow.
14:44Yes. And we also have Virtuoso Man who is passing on the torch of the older generation to the younger
14:52generation to Ocean Atlas.
14:54So we're going to see that as well.
14:56I'll be honest, I love the sea, but deep water always puts a little flutter in my chest.
15:02I mean, not much of a swimmer, you know.
15:05Trust me, I do this every day. You'll be perfectly fine.
15:08This could mean marriage.
15:12OK, I'm in safe hands and I've got all the gear.
15:16Put these off.
15:18I'm, er...
15:20Are you OK?
15:21Snorkel ready.
15:22So, it's Geronimo time!
15:33It takes a while to get my bearings, but once I realise I haven't sunk like a stone, the world
15:39shifts.
15:39The noise drops away and I'm in an underwater garden, gliding past gentle giants of stone, floating over a reef,
15:51surrounded by fish, and all dressed up like they're in some kind of Junkanoe festival.
16:01Do you know what?
16:04That was amazing.
16:05I've never seen so many different coloured fish.
16:08That sculpture, it just seems to, it's like a goddess in the water.
16:13Do you know what I mean?
16:14Yes.
16:15It was unbelievable.
16:16It's stunning.
16:17Oh, just stunning.
16:20This is definitely one of the most enjoyable lessons I've ever had.
16:24Exploring these waters really does make you appreciate the life in our oceans.
16:29It reminds me that we're all part of nature.
16:33And it's not just humans that make amazing art.
16:40Back on dry land, it's time for me to get creative now in my beachside kitchen.
16:45You know, the Bahamians love to start their day with a hearty breakfast and I can't blame them.
16:51It's obviously going down and visiting Hamish and cooking down that lovely pizza.
16:56Oh, beautiful fish, that grouper.
16:58And of course, having fresh coffee with Andrew.
17:02Perfect way to start the day.
17:04What about my perfect dish?
17:06My plantain and sweet potato rosti with crab salad and a lick a bit of hot pepper avocado.
17:13That would be a really good breakfast too.
17:14Shall I show you how to do it?
17:16Got some sweet potato here.
17:17I've already started grating that down, so I'm just going to continue to grate that.
17:21Okay, coarsely grate it.
17:25So we've got some sweet potato there.
17:27Lovely.
17:28Put that to one side.
17:29And the plantain.
17:31Well, here it is.
17:32I'm running my knife down there.
17:34Reminds me of what my mum used to do.
17:36And then once you get inside there, you're just peeling that down.
17:43And once we get to that stage, then we can grate up our plantain to go with our sweet potato.
17:55Lovely.
17:57Now we grate up some ginger, add the zest and juice of a lime, a touch of allspice and let's
18:05not forget the good chilli.
18:08Everything's got goat chilli, you know.
18:11I've never seen so much goat chilli, nor have I.
18:18I think that's enough.
18:19It's quite a powerful flavour, this, you know.
18:23Okay.
18:24A little bit of goat chilli going in there.
18:26And some of those lovely fresh thyme leaves.
18:31And flour's going to go in there.
18:36Let's season that up.
18:38Let's season that up.
18:38Some salt.
18:41And some pepper.
18:44And some elbow grease.
18:49Bit of Elvis.
18:50Uh huh.
18:51Uh huh.
18:52Uh huh.
18:53Uh huh.
18:55Stir up.
18:56My plate are rusty.
18:58I've got plantain and I'm flour in there.
19:00It's salt and pepper that makes me freeze it.
19:02Whoa.
19:02Just stir it up.
19:03Make it kind of bind.
19:05Then you put it in some hot oil.
19:07Breakfast out of sight.
19:09Oh yeah, breakfast out of sight.
19:14And I think.
19:15That should do it.
19:17Now.
19:19That's perfect.
19:21Before I get the oil again.
19:22I'm just going to make up a few of these rosties.
19:24Ready to go into our pan.
19:25Alright.
19:26That's it.
19:27Here we go.
19:29It's all handiwork this, you know.
19:31Squash it together.
19:33And then we flatten that out.
19:41Okay, let's get that oil on and let's get frying.
19:46And a touch of butter too.
19:53Let's get these guys in here.
20:04Let those guys fry off a little bit.
20:07Now let's get on with the crab salad shall we.
20:10So I've got that beautiful fresh crab.
20:14It's another thing that they love here in the Bahamas is their crab meat.
20:18So that I'm going to add some chopped tomatoes.
20:20Some green peppers.
20:22And you guessed it.
20:24Goat pepper again.
20:26Goat pepper again.
20:29Oh yeah.
20:30Alright mate.
20:31Even the flamingo's there mate.
20:36Bit of that going in there.
20:38Yeah boy.
20:40Okay.
20:41In with the spring onions.
20:42A bit of lime zest.
20:44A squeeze of orange juice.
20:45And some fresh coriander.
20:49Mix that up.
20:51And just look at that.
20:52Look at that combo there.
20:54Really, really lovely.
20:57Yeah.
20:58You ready?
20:59Yeah, I'm ready Ains.
21:00Now crab.
21:01I can't wait to sit on top of the rusty.
21:04You wait till you see what sits on top of you.
21:07I'm talking about my hot peppered avocado.
21:12So I'm just going to quickly slice up my avocado.
21:15Pop them into a blender.
21:17And I'm adding a clove of garlic.
21:19Touch of mayonnaise.
21:21Lime zest and juice.
21:22And a generous helping of hot sauce.
21:32Yeah.
21:32I think that's good enough.
21:33That's beautiful.
21:35Time to serve up.
21:46Woo hoo hoo.
21:48Lovely, lovely, lovely.
21:50There we are.
21:55Hey, and there you have it.
21:57My plantain and sweet potato rosti with crab salad and hot peppered avocado.
22:03Hey, anyone for brunch?
22:06Wow.
22:07What a way to start my day.
22:18Freshly ground coffee.
22:19Boiled fish.
22:21And a morning snoker.
22:23I never knew breakfast could be such an adventure.
22:53Ainsley's Taste of the Bahamas.
22:55Brought to you by Nassau and Paradise Island.
22:58All this time, hope and hungryП
22:58Futures ofnanade.
22:58a whole hand over midnight.
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