Tyrrel Bay, Carriacou
May 25, 2014
I ate the Barracuda - Carriacou
I have been doing a lot of snorkeling and a little diving - especially around the reefs where all the pretty fish live. Well all the pretty fish and the barracuda that eats the pretty fish. In fact, i believe the barracuda to be anything but pretty with horrid teeth that make the creature look quite ferocious. Most fish see you snorkeling and keep their safe distance, as if they know you to be neither friend or foe. The Barracuda however seem a little "too friendly." In a recent snorkel at the Tabago Cays, a barracuda slowly inched its way towards me-almost as if it wanted to hide from the sun in my shadow. I found this to be a little queer-especially as i began to back away, and it increased its desire to be closer. Eventually i ended up swimming back (quickly) to the dinghy and cutting short my snorkel (complaining not of the "scary fish" to Shawn, but of the flipper that has worn through the skin on middle toe. Heaven forgive me if i encourage any reason to be fearful of fish.) I have known other cruisers to have similar experiences.
After a lumpy sail to Tyrrel Bay (the winds were around 20 knots and the swell exaggerated in the shallow waters around Carriacou Island) we anchored in the delightful anchorage which had a few shops along the shore - and the needed customs office so we could clear into Grenada. While doing our usual walk through town, we found a pizza joint - and an opportunity to have dinner for 2-for $15 US.
After finishing our walk and enjoying a glass of wine and bag of potato chips with our friend Steve aboard Pannikin, we returned for pizza. Of course they had a special appetizer with shrimp.... and a flat bread with olives. So we started with these (I only had one small piece of Shawn's flat bread. He stayed away from my shrimp as he would anything that comes from the sea). Then came the night's special -Barracuda. I have always heard barracuda to be full of bones making it difficult to eat - and dangerous to eat as it can harbor a toxin carried by reef fish (in the northern Caribbean islands). Shawn was no longer excited by the option of sharing a pizza (he had just finished the flat bread) so I ate the barracuda - which was lovely. I found it to have the taste and texture of halibut.
Dinner was $100 US - so much for the cheap pizza. That said, i won't be so quick to throw back the next barracuda i catch - if i can get past its teeth to get it off the hook!
We ate barracuda yesterday in St Lucia. It was terrific. This local woman flash fried up a chunk of barracuda, a small parrot fish (yes, I know pretty but yummy as well, wrong right?) and some other small fish. We did have to be careful of bones on all 3 but so worth it. Shawn - don't read this next part.....Tom learned to eat the head of the fish. All the islanders we talk to say it's the best part and Tom now agrees.
ReplyDelete