It was four hours before my 10am flight to Bermuda from JFK airport, I woke up, dazed from entertaining clients just a few hours ago; the pizza we ordered from Stone Street just stood there, embedded in my stomach like a bronze boulder. That uneventful Saturday morning I almost didn’t jump onto Jetblue flight 1731, I almost didn’t experience a place so life-changing that I would eventually consider it the holy-grail of relaxation, I almost cancelled my trip to Bermuda; but instead I rolled out of bed, stuffed some clothes and a brown suit into a kaki-green duffle bag, took the elevator down 21 floors, gave a passing smile and a nod to my doorman Julio, then I jumped into a yellow cab and I was on my way.
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| Bermuda - Pictures don't lie; crystal clear waters, pastel houses and amazing people |
A 2-hour flight later, I was in the land of pristine pink sandy beaches, immaculately clear waters and, best of all, the home of Bermuda fish chowder and Dark & Stormys (a cocktail) - I was blown away! Bermuda is perhaps one of the most beautiful places I had ever been to and I was kicking back at the Fairmount shortly after my arrival; chilling at the beach, sand in-between my feet and an icy-cold, perfectly prepared, Dark & Stormy in hand.
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| The proper color for a Dark & Stormy |
Amidst the beautiful pastel colored colonial houses, the beautiful people on the hundreds of beaches sprawling across the island and lilac sunsets (not kidding), I did manage to find two culinary gems in Bermuda, which were, before my trip, unknown to me.
Bermuda Fish Chowder
A chowder so potent with rum and sherry pepper sauce, you can almost describe it as happiness enveloped in seafood broth. The Bermuda fish chowder is essentially a chowder of white fish, some shellfish and then spiked with copious amounts of dark Bermudian rum and a swig of sherry pepper sauce (potent stuff). Although the recipe varies from restaurant to restaurant, the underlying characteristics of Sherry Pepper sauce really makes the entire dish and gives it a unique distinctive taste. I have tried recreating it with other brands of hot sauce, but the taste just pales in comparison to the original Outerbridge’s brand.
Dark & Stormy (cocktail)
Often been described as Bermuda's National Drink (no wonder Bermudians are always happy) they are served in plastic cups on the beaches, the serving method really doesn’t do this drink any justice. It’s perfect for warm and humid weather. PERFECT for the weather we have in Singapore!!! The drink in itself is rather simple, a combination of Gosling’s Dark Rum, Ginger beer and a wedge of lime, but there’s something special about this combination. Maybe it was the pink sand or maybe I took one to many Dark & Stormys in Bermuda, but I have been drinking it ever since coming back and I predict I will be drinking it for many years to come.
Recipe for Nick’s Dark and stormy Serves 2
120ml Gosling’s Bermuda black rum
240ml Bundaberg Ginger beer
2tsp lime juice
2 lime wedges, for garnish
Oh did I mention how beautiful the beaches in Bermuda are??? I would love to go back there, perhaps cookup a storm on the beach, hit back 3 or 4 drinks and just listen to the waves and the sound of silence before retiring to the hotel for the rest of the evening.
Have you been to Bermuda? Would you like to see Bermuda fish chowder and Dark & Stormys at a restaurant near you soon?
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