Belizean Chefs Prepare Traditional Easter Meals

Belizean Easter cooking also includes those delicious hot cross buns. Paul Lopez went looking for the secrets to these with Chef Ainsley Castro of the Naked Chicken on Mahogany Street in Belize City. There, Chef Ainsley had his kitchen’s hot cross bun maker prepare a tray of the Easter special using his personal recipe. We also got a chance to see Chef Christian in action making a fish and fried plantain dish, with an array of sauté vegetables to add that extra touch of color and flavor.

Chef Ainsley Castro, Naked Chicken

“Basically this dah tradition weh everybody use to. Everybody dah hot cross bun, but you have it in design. Usually, here at Naked Chicken I do special orders. But, you have three kind of bun. You have the heavy bun that you bake first. That carries more sugar. Then you have the regular bun that you allow to raise longer, that is the lighter one. Then you have the one that you make into a swirl. So you have three kinds of buns, the heavy one, the swirl one and the light one.  You have the flour, you have the brown sugar, you have the nutmeg, you have the cinnamon, the butter, the raisin, you know. We can go on and on, it depends on how rich you want your bun. But, everybody goes for bun, because that is the time when everybody sell cross bun also. But then you run competition to see who have the best cross bun, because everybody has deh own secret. Bun and fry fish is a tradition, and I always have a hit to it. I add my happy cow cheese. I nice it up to another level.”

Ainsley Castro

Paul Lopez

“I saw your daughter getting involved in the process. You are showing them that even the children in the family can be involved in the process?”

Chef Ainsley Castro

“That is correct. I want them to be involved, because I always educate them and tell them you got be an entrepreneur and you don’t have to work for anyone. You can create your own business. Because, this dah the time of the year where lot of people make money off cross bun. You get cross bun for three dollars. You get for two dollars, you get for one fifty, you get for dollar. It all depends on the level of cross bun you want to push.”

Denfield Christian

Denfield Christian, Belizean Chef

“You know we had to purchase our fish fresh, because that’s what we do on a daily basis. We get it cleaned, we get it seasoned. And, when we season, we have our hot oil. You fry your green banana or green plantain first. Then you go and you start the process of frying your fish, making sure that it is nice and golden brown. Then you put it aside to drain a little. After that, you get your vegetables, your zucchini, your onions, peppers and you sauté it in another pan. You put it to rest a little bit, while the bun is in the oven baking. Then when you finish, you assemble everything on your dish, with your spinach, your plantain, your fry fish and your sauté vegetables. Garnish it with your lime, your habanero pepper and that’s it.”

Paul Lopez

“Would you see your parents, grandparents making fry fish around this time of the year?”

Denfield Christian

“As a matter of fact, I was always around my mother’s crack tail. And so, yes that is why I am here today in the culinary world because of her. May she rest in Peace. I have seen that for years and I continue that, and even my children, they also.”