Curacao Shopping Tips

Stocking up at the supermarket for you stay in Curacao is a serious business. We are not talking about fish of course which need to purchased directly from the fishing boats at Playa Piskadó https://goo.gl/maps/u368f3Uxm6SbUYUSA

For the rest of the kitchen (outside of the wonderful local fish and a few greenhouse herbs) can be all found imported at various supermarkets. Carrafour and Van den Tweel give you a slice of Europe - Van den Tweel is wonderful for self-squeezed orange juice but just doesn’t full the Curacao pantry for me. My favourite supermarket is Centrum … mainly because of the vegetable and fruit section which are the life of any kitchen.

Here is a shopping list for Centrum Supermarket based on what I deem to be necessities. I have broken them into categories with some cooking instructions.

• Cocktails

  Duty free arriving in Curacao has a good variety of brands. So staples to buy are fresh mint, big bag of brown sugar, a bag or two of fresh passion fruit and a lot of fresh limes … Passion Mojito

• Cheese

  So many great Gouda options. Also goat cheese is great. Select some bread - put it in the freezer until you need it.

  Sprinkle paprika and some slices of tomato.

  (Use the villa Panini Griller - please switch it off when finished.)

• Fish

  Fish is always fresh down at Playa Piskadó

  Buy fish directly from the fishing boats. Barracuda, Mahi Mahi, Blacktail Tuna, Yellowtail Tuna, Red Snapper, Queen Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper, Wahoo, Sailfish, Amberjack, Bluejack, Black Grouper, Lobster, Octopus, Lion Fish and many more.

  My favourite is Tuna. Ask them to fillet the steak whole and clean the bloodline well.
  
  Eat the belly as sashimi with soya and wasabi or sear the steak lightly in the round with a little oil and pepper grind. Leave the center very pink or it will become tough. Again add soya and wasabi.
  
  Lionfish is also great as sashimi and good for the reef. Have this well filleted as the spikes are poisonous.

• With Fish

  Curacao has wonderful white potatoes that have a sweet undertone. Buy artichokes and asparagus to steam with virgin olive oil.
  
  For guacamole buy large avocados, red onions, lime and cayenne pepper.

• Fish Soup

  Always keep the head and bones of the fish. Boil and strain the fish bones, fry separately lots of white onion, leaks, garlic, paprika with sea salt and fresh pepper.

  When everything is boiled. add vegetables to lightly cook before serving - okra, etc. whatever is yummy.

• Steak

  At the counter (not in the freezer or fridge) ask for a nice cut of tenderloin or prime rib, sirloin.

  Salt and get them to room temperature. Dry and sear on the stove nicely until pink inside.

  Separately, pan fry at a low heat garlic, olive oil and rosemary. Add rosemary later so not to burn. Make the garlic soft but not burnt.

  Serve on the meat with boiled Dutch yellow potatoes on the side.

• Dessert

  Any Dutch ice cream pastry or raw Portuguese tarts that you can cook up like souffle is wonderful.