Belizean Papaya Saute
It’s the end of my first full day in Belize. I swam in the Carribean and scoped out some tropical fish. I made tentative plans to go on a fishing charter later this week (so I can prepare and enjoy the freshest seafood possible). And, most importantly, I went shopping for local ingredients and used them to create some Belizean cuisine.
OK, so I don’t knows for a fact that a Belizean food scholar would deem this creation to be traditional Belizean cuisine…but having created it from local ingredients, I think it qualifies.
Jesse’s Belizean Papaya Saute
- one onion, cut to small dice
- one mirliton, cut to small dice
- one inch of ginger, minced
- 1/4 inch strip of habanero pepper, meat only (no pith!), minced
- 1/2 papaya, cut to julienne
- Juice of 1/2 large lime
- juice of 3 tangerines
- 3/4 cup - 1 cup local yogurt
- 3-4 tablespoons of butter
- salt to taste
Melt the butter in a saute pan. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and saute, briefly, until it starts to soften. Add ginger and habanero, and cook until the onion has started to caramelize and the ginger is starting to crisp up just a bit. Add the mirliton and another pinch of salt. Saute until the mirliton has softened and is starting to release its faintly tart aroma. Add the papaya to the pan and toss briefly so that the papaya heats up–but don’t let it cook too long, especially if the papaya is good and ripe–you don’t want it to get mushy!
Once the papaya has had a chance to heat, deglaze with the mixed citrus juices; let it reduce for about 45 seconds, then stir in the yogurt. Toss so that the yogurt combines with remaining citrus juices to form a sauce, then serve in fashionable bowls to appreciative diners. Garnish with a slice of lime, if desired.
Photo Credit: Julia Luscher Thompson