Cooking with Sea Purslanes

Before I went to Bermuda I searched for a place to do a cooking experience and found a unique one offered by Doreen Williams-James.  She calls herself a forager, an expert in locating, eating, and preparing food that grows in the wild. Foraging runs in the family; she learned from her father who learned from his father.  Doreen does many Wild Edible tours, makes a variety of items from items she has forage, and does cooking demonstrations.  Mostly, she makes things on order so everything is fresh. 

Doreen showed me how to make Sea Purslane Fish Cakes.  I was not keen on the fish part but the finished product was excellent and didn’t contain fish but made use of sea purslanes which are a perennial found along the coast in many regions of the world.  They looked like small snap peas. Eaten plain they were excellent. Not at all fishy but a bit salty and crunchy with a delicate lemony taste with a mild peppery kick.  I think they would make an excellent snack and they are healthy because they are high in Omega-3 fatty acids and beta carotene along with many minerals.

Sea Purslane Fish Cakes

Olive oil as needed
1 can of drained and rinsed cannelloni beans
1 can of drained, rinsed chickpeas
6 peeled and boiled potatoes
1/2 cup chopped Parsley
1 cup chopped onions
2 tsp chopped thyme
4 sheets of dried seaweed
1 ½ tbsp. vegetable bouillon
Handful of sea purslane chopped finely
Flour as needed

Salute chopped onions in a tbsp of olive oil, add chopped thyme

and bullion. Mash cannelloni beans, chickpeas, and boiled peeled potatoes in a bowl, add sauteed onion, mix in parsley, crushed seaweed sheets, and chopped sea purslane.  Mixed thoroughly and roll into balls. Take balls and roll into flour.

Heat frying pan with enough olive oil to cover bottom of frying pan.  Place floured balls into the heated pan and fry till golden brown then turn over and fry other side. About two minutes on each side. Makes 12 - 15 fishcakes

St. George is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I met with Doreen at the World Heritage Centre in St. George where she often does the cooking classes and other programs. The World

Heritage Center is located in the heart of the town near where the ferry lands. The Centre is located in the Queen’s Warehouse, an 1860 historic building that was once a cotton warehouse. The pulley system used to raise the cotton imported from the southern states of the United States is still visible in the center of the building.  The multi-functional

building contains “Gateway to Bermuda” Orientation and Exhibit Gallery on the main floor with interpretive and interactive exhibits. There is also Second-Hand Rose Shoppe loaded with “gently-used” second-hand “treasures.” A great place to look for a unique memento of Bermuda to take home. The Age of Discovery, Bermuda’s historic links to Jamestown and the first settlers, the wreck of the “Sea Venture”,

and the story of Bermuda’s first forts are explained. Upstairs there are three Exhibition rooms including a short film "A Stroll Through St. George’s" which is helpful when planning a walking tour of the town. They also offer several brochures including a handy walking tour.  I missed the “Daily Dunking” that takes place in King’s Square and other things I’d like to do so, hopefully I will get a chance to return.