Anegada Life and Lobster
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We just finished our last charter for the season and have now packed up Green Flash and hauled her out of the water for hurricane season. There are always mixed feelings. It's hard leaving this beautiful place, but I am not going to lie, I am soooo excited to see my kids and my little brown dog. Santa Barbara life is good too!
One of my favorite islands in the BVI's is definitely Anegada. It's always so great to share this spectacular island with family, friends and guests. And of course, the lobster is fantastic!
Knowing this would be our last trip to Anegada for awhile, I really did take the time to appreciate this special place. It was pretty clear to me what my next blog post should be!
Anegada is very different from the other British Virgin Islands because it is flat and coral rather than volcanic. I believe the white powdery sand beaches are some of the prettiest in the world. About 250 friendly people live on Anegada. I just love the laid back vibe!
Depending on conditions, it's about an hour and a half sail on Green Flash leaving from the North Sound, Virgin Gorda. We usually have blue skies, white puffy clouds, and good wind making for an awesome sail.
One of my favorite things to do when we don't have charter guests is take the hour and a half walk to Cow Wreck Beach. Great way to earn Belle's BBQ lunch. Food always motivates me! It's an incredibly surreal walk. You literally walk for miles watching the sand, water and sky change colors before your eyes, with not a soul in sight.
Arriving at Cow Wreck!
It's just a fun place to hang out. If you show up and they're closed, no problem. The honor system still works on Anegada... imagine that!
You're probably wondering how Cow Wreck got it's name? In the late 19th century, a ship full of cow bones wrecked off Anegada's northwest coast and for years afterwards cow bones washed ashore, hence the name.
Renting scooters on Anegada is a great way to get around and see the whole island in a day. If you don't mind getting stuck in sand once in a while, you can take the back roads and really see some different parts of the island.
It's cool to see the cows wander freely on the roads and beaches.
Loblolly Bay, further up the island, is another pristine white sand beach where you can relax under a palapa or hammock. The snorkeling on the inner reef is fantastic as well.
Big Bamboo Restaurant and Bar is quite the hangout at Loblolly. We were fortunate to enjoy a day listening to local fungi music with the Lashing Dogs, the most famous band in the BVI. It was a very colorful day with lots of local flavor!
The people watching that day was awesome... everyone just relaxing and enjoying the music.
This gentleman and I just took a liking to eachother. He sat with us for a long time and had many stories. Between his accent and the loud music, I think I got about half of what he said. He claimed to be a "legend". Sounded good to me! He then got up and played the banjo with the next band that played that day. Sweet man!
The Anegada Reef Hotel Beach Bar is really the hub. There are always a lot of characters hanging out and sharing stories.
Anegada Reef is located in front of the anchorage and is a convenient place to get ice.
I just love how the kids can keep themselves happy all day with just some fishing line and a hook.
Now for the lobster!
Potters by the Sea is my favorite spot for this fabulous feast.
People love to leave a message or a little something behind. It's always fun to check out who's been there.
"Sam the Man" is the guy to talk to for dinner reservations. He's Potter's main guy and wears many hats. By the way, he's never been beaten in the limbo... very multi-talented he is!
Lobsters cleaned and ready for the grill.
Where else can you eat a massive amount of lobster in this setting?
Check out Potter with this beauty!
I just love the resourcefulness of islanders! Their BBQ's are made from old oil drums. They load them full of local wood and let the wood burn down to ashes. Then the lobsters are wrapped in foil and cooked to perfection.
"Sam the Man" doing his thing.
What a surreal dinning experience!
Aaahhh... the lobster!
Anegada Life and Lobster... what more can you say?!!
Any type of fresh or high quality frozen lobster will do. You may also substitute crab for this recipe. I've done it both ways.
This recipe can be plated as an appetizer or as a salad for lunch. I personally love it as a salad. Serve the cakes over your favorite greens. I like to keep it simple using scallions, colorful peppers and tomatoes. Dress the salad with a light, lime dressing.
Jalapeño Cilantro Lobster Cakes
Recipe Type: Appetizer or Main
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1/3 C Mayonnaise
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 2 tsp fresh Lime Juice, plus wedges for garnish
- 1 T Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 C fresh Parsley, chopped
- 1/4 C fresh Cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 Jalapeño seeded, minced finely (can use less according to taste)
- 1 1/4 C Panko (Japanese Breadcrumbs)
- 1 lb Lobster, coarsely chopped or Crabmeat
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together.
- Make into desired pattie size (no more than 1 inch thick). When I'm plating as a salad I like to do two or three small patties per plate.
- Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.
- Coat with flour and fry in 1 inch of vegetable oil until golden brown. If serving over salad let cool slightly before placing on top of lettuce.
- Serve over salad (already tossed with dressing)
- Top Cakes with Sauce (recipe below)
- Garnish
Jalapeño Cilantro Sauce
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1/4 C Mayonnaise
- 1/4 C Sour Cream
- 1 T fresh Cilantro, chopped
- 1 T Jalapeño, minced finely
- 1 1/2 T fresh Lime Juice
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 12 thinly sliced rounds Jalapeño for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the ingredients together and chill for 30 minutes.
Lime Dressing
Recipe Type: Salad Dressing
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- Zest from one Lime
- 2 T fresh Lime
- 4 T Olive Oil
- Pinch of Sugar
- Pinch of freshly ground Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Zest the Lime in a bowl.
- Add the Lime Juice.
- Slowly whisk in the Olive Oil to emulsify.
- Whisk in Sugar, Salt and Pepper.
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