Creole Cooking with Aunty Sandra Introduced at Cap Maison
May 02, 2018
Luxury boutique resort Cap Maison in St Lucia has introduced an authentic creole cooking experience that offers guests the chance to learn about the island’s heritage and its cuisine all under one roof – at Aunty Sandra’s house. The new excursion will give foodie aficionados a great insight into the local way of life and compliments the hotel’s other fine-dining options including a Deli Experience in their extensive wine cellar.
Aunty Sandra (so called as she is the Aunt of the hotel’s Sous Chef), welcomes guests of Cap Maison into her home on Morne Fortune, a lush hill situated just behind the island’s capital of Castries, to learn more about traditional creole cuisine with a delectable menu to accompany. Guests on this experience will be able to sample traditional Creole flavours, while sitting together and listening to colourful stories on the history of the food and the island’s rich culture. Having cooked Creole dishes from the age of twelve and inspired by her mother, Sandra has perfected the art of cooking this cuisine.
Dishes in this experience can include:
– Bouillon – a one pot dish which includes salted beef dumpling, carrot, christophine, potatoes and callaloo
– Saltfish and local herbs
– Pumpkin, pasta, dasheen, green plantain, local herbs and cow heel
– Creole chicken legs
– Baked macaroni and cheese
– Sandra’s speciality homemade ice-cream
Gastronomic immersion doesn’t stop there. The man at the helm of Cap Maison’s restaurants and culinary programmes is Executive Chef Craig Jones, the Caribbean Hotel Chef of the Year 2016. Welsh Rastafarian Jones has an impressive culinary background that spans across several top UK Michelin-starred restaurants including Longueville Manor, Gravetye Manor, and the famed Michelin-two-star restaurant, Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, under the legendary Chef Raymond Blanc.
For guests looking for a tasting experience that doesn’t require stepping foot out of the hotel’s grounds, the walk-in wine cellar is the place to be, with a knowledgeable in-house sommelier and ‘rummier’ on hand to help. In an unassuming corner of the resortsurrounded by a variety of botanicals, the Cellar Maison is stocked with an impressive assortment of fine wines from across the globe – South Africa to Italy, California and beyond.
Every Friday, the Cellar Maison team offer a Deli Experience that tempts the palate with an appetizing collection of amouse-bouche with flights to complement, from a luxurious truffle risotto to a selection of cheeses hand-picked to counterpart the wines and more. The cellar is also supplied with an extensive selection of Caribbean rums, including the Cap Maison Cask Aged Rum, a home-aged 10-year-old rum refined by St. Lucia Distillers. It is the tailored experiences like these that capture the essence of the Cap Maison culture driven by the family-run owner’s passion for creating an integral sense of place for guests.One can learn a little, laugh a lot and feel at home in the company of guests and staff alike.
Photo: Cliff at the Cap from ocean, Credit: Cap Maison
Two different yet equally alluring restaurants are available on site. The Cliff at Cap offers the one of the remarkable dining experiences to be had on the island, the dark wooden interior a sheer contrast to the deep cerulean sea views that can be admired from every table. The menu is inspired by French and West-Indian cuisine, a fusion that combines Jones’s classic training with seasonal local produce on the island.
Photo: Cap Maison Beach and Naked Fisherman, Credit: Cap Maison
The Naked Fisherman is a more informal dining setting situated on a cove just below Cap Maison, offering a more relaxed experience but with the same emphasis on detail and quality, with the waves for a soundtrack. Set in the heart of the exclusive Cap Estate, the location of the resort lends itself to a plethora of culturally immersive activities for guests, with the vibrant Rodney Bay just a few moments-drive away for shopping, a flourishing dining scene and a glimpse into marina life. The resort’s private cliffside setting is a haven whereby guests can simply take pleasure in the surrounding natural splendour, a cultural Eden in the northernmost tip of Saint Lucia.
Creole Cooking with Aunty Sandra Experience
– The experience includes a two-course lunch/dinner with soft drinks and rum.
– £60pp including round trip transfers, 2 course menu and drinks
The Deli Experience
– The Deli Experience takes place every Friday evening starting at 6pm
– £67pp per person for 5/6 wines paired & artisanal food
Experiences can be reserved by contacting the reservation team: reservations@capmaison.com
