Crab Pot

This dish from the Independent Isles is perhaps the one those from beyond their borders know the most. It is a rich, stew-like soup that has a natural sweetness and brininess, often complemented by a fair bit of heat.

Apart from the obvious ingredients, any precise recipe for this dish is difficult to come by as each island has their own variant and many households insist that feeling and personal taste is more important than definitive measurements.

The crab is first boiled in water or a fish stock and left to simmer. Meanwhile, a sauce is made by cooking equal parts flour and fat, whisking until it’s a rich brown. Onions and peppers are cooked in the sauce until the former is translucent, before minced garlic is stirred in and the sauce is poured into the pot along with herbs and spices.