April 28th, 2009

Sundays are my favorite days here on Ambergris Cay. Usually my week’s work (yes, I do call this work…) has been completed and Sunday is a time when I can relax, fish, snorkel, scuba, and/or kayak.

This Sunday is specifically special. Captain Byron Sewell, Dion Parson (leader of our In Conversation With Jazz Weekend and 21st Century Band), Essiet O. Essiet (Bassist) and I spent our afternoon fishing the flats off the Northwestern tip of Ambergris Cay. Byron began our angling adventure explaining that this time of year boasts the highest and lowest tides seen in these waters; pointing out the reefs rearing their heads just above the water line… as we approached the reefs, Byron equipped us with mask, fins and snorkel and said “let’s go catch dinner folks…”

My first thought was, wait, Dion really wants to go fishing fishing… not snorkeling! On the plane down from New York, Dion walked me down memory lane, taking me back to his childhood days in St. Thomas, where weekends were spent with his dad, leaving school Friday afternoons destined directly for the beach, leaving only to go directly back to school on Monday morning. The men, as he explained, would spend the whole weekend fishing, roasting pigs on a spit, trading tall tales, creating memories, living off the land as one might say and being back in the Caribbean, he “Would LOVE to go fishing in these waters.”

So mask, fins and snorkel later, Dion, Essiet and I are in the beautiful blue diving for Caribbean conch aka deliciousness, while Captain Byron puts us right on a treasure trove of these tropical treats. It seemed like no more than a few minutes when Essiet, Dion and I had gathered nearly 10 conch, and that would certainly be enough for our feast. In the back of my mind I wanted to make sure that Dion was getting his fishing fix, especially after the smiles he splashed on the Ambergris Cay family’s faces.

Back at the dock, boat deck decorated with juicy jewels of the sea, Andy Stubbs, met us congratulating us on our catch. And the next thing I knew, we had the lovely Verona committed to cooking for us a true Caribbean Conch Sunday night dinner, on her night off!
On the menu was Conch Sashimi (dockside, while Captain Byron cleaned our catch), the best darn Conch Salad I have ever had- perfectly peppered with Scotch Bonnets and Turks & Caicos Stewed Conch- complete with hand-formed dumplin’s. When asked about how they liked their dinner, Dion looked at me with a huge grin and said “Mmmm, Mmmm, I am returning to my roots!”

Thanks to Captain Byron, Andy and Verona for creating yet another perfect paradise for Dion and Essiet.

-Mimi Crume

Filed under: Culinary, Events, Outdoor Pursuits |