HAITI: Haitian Spaghetti

Haitian spaghetti is bizarrely good. I say bizarrely because who knew a pasta dish made with anchovies and ketchup could hit it out of the park? But it has an addictive flavor profile I've never tasted prior. In Haiti, this spaghetti typically is served at breakfast. I can imagine tucking into a huge plate of this after an epic night out (if I still had epic nights out). But even for a weeknight dinner, I understand its allure.

Traditionally Haitian spaghetti is made with smoked herring, but as that is a more obscure ingredients, a few legit Haitian sites recommend anchovies as a substitute. Most note the fish is optional, but I say anchovies make everything better.

Haitian Spaghetti

1 lb thin or regular spaghetti

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 oz kielbasa or hot dog

2 anchovies

½ cup Haitian epis*

¼ cup tomato paste

2 tablespoons ketchup

1/8 teaspoon ground clove

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

1 Maggie or chicken bouillon cube, optional

1 medium yellow onion

2 bell peppers, ideally 1 red and 1 green

freshly chopped parsley, to garnish, optional

4 hardboiled eggs, optional

*Recipe below. Many of the ingredients are redundant to those in the spaghetti, so making your own epis alongside the pasta has an economy of scale.

1. Bring a large of salted water to a boil and cook pasta to al dente according to package instructions, reserving a few ladles of the pasta water for the recipe.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a large skillet or sauté pan. Slice the kielbasa or hot dogs into ½-inch discs and add to pan. Cook on both sides until a golden crust forms, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.

3. Add the last tablespoon of oil to the pan, then add the anchovies. Once the fish melt into the oil, add the epis, tomato paste, and ketchup. Cook 3-5 minutes, until the mixture darkens in color. If mixture starts to stick to the pan, add a few tablespoons of the pasta water, scraping up any browned bits.

4. Add the clove and black pepper to the sauce. Break apart the bouillon cube, if using, and add to the pan. Mix to combine.

5. Cut the onion in half, slice both halves into thin slices, then cut the strips in half. Cut both peppers into strips, removing the seeds, then cut the strips in half. Add the onions and peppers to the pan. Sauté 5 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften.

6. Add ½ cup of reserved pasta water to the sauce and let the mixture simmer an additional 5-10. Salt to taste.

7. Add the cooked pasta and mix to coat, adding more water if the pasta seems dry. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of epis. Garnish with chopped parsley and a hardboiled egg.

   
   

Haitian Epis

¼ cup of roughly chopped parley leaves

½ bell pepper

½ small onion chopped

1 scallion

1 clove garlic

2 sprigs of thyme

1 whole clove

1 cube Maggi or chicken bouillon cube

¼-½ scotch bonnet, optional

2 tablespoons of olive oil (80ml)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon line juice

1. Seed and roughly chop the pepper. Roughly chop the onion, scallion, and garlic.

2. Add all to a small food processor or blender and puree until it becomes a rough paste.

3. Save any leftover epis in a covered container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

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FUN FACTS:

• The Haitian Revolution was the first successful slave revolt in the Americas, leading to Haiti’s independence as the first black-led republic.

• Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, considered the founder of Chicago, was of Haitian descent.

• Voodoo is one of Haiti’s officially recognized religions and intertwined with Haitian culture.