In brief
- Chatrou fricassee is a Caribbean octopus stew, called chatrou in Creole, simmered with onions, garlic, herbs and tomato
- Origin: Martinique and Guadeloupe, in the French Caribbean
- Essential ingredients: octopus, onion, garlic, chives, parsley, lime, Caribbean chilli
- Family dish, often prepared on Sundays, served with white rice and red beans
Origins and cultural history of chatrou fricassee
Chatrou is the Creole name for octopus in the French Caribbean, an eight-armed cephalopod living in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea. Its fricassee is among the most common preparations of octopus in Martinique and Guadeloupe, alongside grilled octopus, in the same way as lambi fricassee for conch or colombo for fish.
Fricassee is a cooking method inherited from French cuisine, adapted to the Caribbean with local herbs, chives, thyme and bay leaf, and spiced with chilli. The octopus must first be tenderised, by letting it release its water dry in a pot, before simmering for a long time to become tender.
What are the essential ingredients of chatrou fricassee
The recipe calls for few ingredients, but a fairly long cooking time to tenderise the octopus flesh.
- octopus (chatrou), cleaned and cut into pieces
- onion and garlic
- chives and flat-leaf parsley
- lime
- whole Caribbean chilli
- thyme, bay leaf and cloves
What to know about fricassée de chatrou
Fricassée de chatrou is an Antillean stew of octopus, called chatrou in Creole, simmered with onion, garlic, chives, parsley, lime, tomato, thyme, bois d'Inde and chili. The octopus first cooks alone, dry and covered, to release its water, then simmers slowly in the sauce until tender. It is a family dish, often prepared on Sundays and served with white rice and red beans.
Frequently asked questions about chatrou fricassee
What is the chatrou used in this recipe?
Chatrou is the Caribbean Creole name for octopus, an eight-armed cephalopod from the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea. Its flesh, firm when raw, becomes tender after a long, gentle simmer in sauce.
How do you tenderise the octopus before cooking it?
The octopus is first cooked alone, dry and covered, for a few minutes so it releases its water, before simmering for at least 30 minutes in sauce: without this step, its flesh stays firm.
Where to find the ingredients for chatrou fricassee in France?
NKOSI sells the lime juice, garlic pulp, hot chilli, thyme, bay leaf and clove for this recipe on nkosiagro.com and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.
