I never thought we would get so fancy on this journey, but tonight we had lobster in a vanilla butter sauce. Courtesy of a former French colony where both lobster and vanilla are plentiful on possibly the most beautiful smelling country in the world. Comoros produces vanilla, cloves, and the ylang ylang flower which is used in perfumes.
Our house didn’t smell quite as nice, but we did ok.
THE CUISINE
Have you heard of Comoros? Well, it’s an archipelago in the Indian Ocean in Eastern Africa. Ever heard of an archipelago? Well, it’s a series of islands. You have heard of islands, I’m sure.
The islands of the Comoros (there are three that are part of the independent country) are not only beautiful, but they are volcanic and supposedly smell very nice. More on that in a bit.
The islands were French territories from 1946 until 1975, which is why most of the islanders, who are a mix of Bantu, Malagasy, and Arab people, speak French in addition to Comorian and Arabic.
The food, of course, is influenced by the many people (including the French) who have inhabited the islands. The word “islands” also implies that seafood is a big part of the diet. In addition to shellfish (like lobster and crab), tuna, swordfish and cod are very popular.
Many of the seafood dishes are made with cassava or plantains, both being very important ingredients.
The smells on Comoros are also intoxicating (I imagine) since spices, like cloves, cinnamon, and vanilla are very important. Vanilla is a major crop in Comoros (just like in nearby Madagascar).
In addition to these aromatic spices, Comoros is also known for the less edible ylang ylang flower, which is prized for its use in essential oils and perfumes. So one more reason I’d love to visit this archipelago. I like things that smell good.
Traditional Dishes:
MSHAKIKI – beef skewers that sound irresistible made with ginger garlic, chili pepper, lemon juice, curry powder and grated papaya. Yes, please!!
LE ME TSOLOLA – this truly Comorian stew is made with both beef and fish (usually mahi mahi) cooked slowly in coconut milk with onions, tomatoes, and spices
INFALITON LEMAI – breadfruit is the main ingredient in this Comorian snack, which is fried with salt and coconut oil
AMBREVADES AU CURRY – this vegan curry is based around pigeon peas, but also featuring coconut milk, cumin, tomatoes, cardamom, and turmeric
COMORIAN FOOD IN NEW YORK
Even though New York City, is a series of islands just like Comoros, I have not been able to locate a single New York restaurant that specializes in the food of this region.
There have been a handful of fusion restaurants with some influence from Mozambique and Madagascar, but unfortunately Comorian food is a phrase not very often uttered in NYC.
THE VIDEO
This video is our most squeamish yet. We do start with a live lobster, which Sam got a bit freaked out about.
It’s the first time we brought our dinner home live before it ended up on his plate. I do think it’s important for my young son to understand where his food is coming from. And if this makes him not want to eat meat any longer, then that is ok with me. As long as he develops a taste for vegetables, of course.
Spoiler alert: the lobster does not make it alive to the end of the video.
Despite the terror of a live creature in our house, Sam does seem very eager to get his hands dirty making the bread. But you’ll notice he’s nowhere in the kitchen once the lobster’s time comes.
THE DISHES
THE RECIPE
Recipe Card
Recipe Card
Mkatra Foutra from Comoros
Description
A very typical bread from the Comoros islands, this is made with coconut milk and sesame seeds. Cooked like a pancake it is also very useful for pairing with breakfast or sopping up sauces or stews.
Ingredients
Instructions
Make Dough
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Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, add the yeast.
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Pour in the milk and beat everything together.
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The dough shouldn't be too thick or too liquidy. You can add a little water of flour as needed.
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Let the dough rest, covered, for about an hour.
Fry Bread
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Heat a non-stick pan with a little bit of butter over medium high.
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Add a ladle or two of the dough and smooth it out to make a pancake.
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Once the edges begin to brown, sprinkle sesame seeds evenly on top.
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Gently flip the bread and brown the other side.
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Serve with butter, honey or a stew or soup.
HOW WE SCREWED IT UP
Cooking lobster is hard and scary. I have done this before and while I am ok with others killing my dinner, it has always been a challenge to do it myself.
The easiest way, of course, is to put the lobster into boiling water. Some say it is painful for the lobster and others say, it doesn’t feel anything. One option is to put the lobster in the freezer to put it to sleep, but that also seems cruel.
Perhaps the most humane and quickest way to do the deed is to plunge a knife right in between the eyes of the little creature. That sounds like fun, right?
I could not decide which to do so I did all of the above. Am I monster? After putting the lobster in the freezer, I boiled him for a bit. I’m sure by then he was dead. And then I split it in two so I could finish it in the oven. I wanted to get a browned quality to the meat.
It didn’t really help. The meat was a bit overcooked and not as crisp as I would have liked. But at the end of the day, it’s lobster and it was bit difficult to mess up.
The vanilla sauce was interesting. I think it could have used a bit of sweetness rather than the buttery tanginess that overpowered the vanilla a bit.
The mkatra foutra bread came out really nice and buttery. Sam got a little carried away with the sesame seeds which managed to get lumped into one section, so we didn’t get the full effect.
But the butteriness reminded me of a naan bread and the sesame seeds provided a nice savory nuttiness.
SAM’S REACTION
He doesn’t care to remember but Sam has tried lobster years ago in Maine when he was a baby and would eat anything.
This time around, he didn’t want to get anywhere near the sea bug.
That’s fine with me, considering how expensive lobster is. Might be best that he doesn’t develop such expensive tastes like his Dad.
The bread, however, is something he showed interest in from the moment we added it to the frying pan. He declared early on that he was going to try this bread.
And sure enough, he did and he loved it. A buttery bread-like pancake. What’s not to love?
NEXT TIME
Next time we’re getting two countries for the price of one. Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were split into countries in 1960, but there are a lot of similarities still especially when it comes to the food. It’s the first time we’re going to be re-visiting a dish and Sam, for one, is very excited…
