George's Garnaches
On my first trip to Belize, I was a man
in search of an authentic dish from the country. My guide, George,
provided me with a recipe directly from his mother’s cookbook.
And, it was one of his favorites. Actually, he gave me three
recipes. But, two of them were lost in a computer crash.
George's
Garnaches
San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize
San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize
Ingredients:
| 1 small onion Vinegar 25 soft tortillas Fat for frying 1 can refried beans |
1 bunch of cilantro 4 to 5 oz. cheese 1 small sweet pepper, diced 1 large tomato, diced and .....optional |
George,
fresh from harvest at sea
George was nowhere around when I
actually made my garnache. I was closely supervised under the
watchful eye of two Belizian friends, Cesar and Eloisa. They
told me the "correct" way to make a garnache, and I was wrong right
from the start.
I am a firm believer that you can substitute items in a recipe if you don't have what you need. It appears that a true garnache is made only with corn tortillas. I had no corn tortillas at hand. I did, however, have hand-made flour tortillas in the kitchen made by a Belizian cook. It worked for me. It didn't work for Cesar and Eloisa. So, if you need to be absolutely authentic, you know what you need.
George's recipe said you needed to dice an onion and soak it in vinegar. For best results, let it soak overnight. Nobody mentioned the need for that when I made my garnache. There was no vinegar in sight. It would appear that the lack of vinegar wasn't as important as the presence of flour tortillas.
Tortillas in San Pedro were not the huge ones I’m used to back in the States. They were closer to the size of a salad plate. Fry the tortillas up until they are crispy. In the center of the tortilla, add the refried beans, smeared on just like you would butter, and garnish them with diced onion, chopped cilantro, diced sweet pepper (or habenero, if you like fire), and grated cheese. George's recipe also called for tomatoes, but Cesar and Eloisa both said you didn't do that with garnaches.
Now, it’s much more authentic to eat these with the fried tortillas. However, it would be so much easier, and equally delicious, with soft shelled tortillas and a dollop of sour cream. Everything is always better with a dollop of sour cream.
I am a firm believer that you can substitute items in a recipe if you don't have what you need. It appears that a true garnache is made only with corn tortillas. I had no corn tortillas at hand. I did, however, have hand-made flour tortillas in the kitchen made by a Belizian cook. It worked for me. It didn't work for Cesar and Eloisa. So, if you need to be absolutely authentic, you know what you need.
George's recipe said you needed to dice an onion and soak it in vinegar. For best results, let it soak overnight. Nobody mentioned the need for that when I made my garnache. There was no vinegar in sight. It would appear that the lack of vinegar wasn't as important as the presence of flour tortillas.
Tortillas in San Pedro were not the huge ones I’m used to back in the States. They were closer to the size of a salad plate. Fry the tortillas up until they are crispy. In the center of the tortilla, add the refried beans, smeared on just like you would butter, and garnish them with diced onion, chopped cilantro, diced sweet pepper (or habenero, if you like fire), and grated cheese. George's recipe also called for tomatoes, but Cesar and Eloisa both said you didn't do that with garnaches.
Now, it’s much more authentic to eat these with the fried tortillas. However, it would be so much easier, and equally delicious, with soft shelled tortillas and a dollop of sour cream. Everything is always better with a dollop of sour cream.