Top 9 New Caledonian Foods

Caledonian brunch casserole is a dish that makes for a perfect Christmas breakfast. It can be made in around an hour and a half, and the main ingredients are butter, bread, milk, and pepper. Similar to sandwiches, bacon or bread are placed between the bread slices and put in a glass baking dish. The sandwiches are then covered with a mixture of eggs, salt, pepper, and various spices, and left in the fridge overnight. In the morning the casserole can be baked, and preferably served with fresh, chopped fruit.Expand

Vol-au-vent des fruits de mer is an inexpensive and easy to prepare New Caledonian dish. The vol-au-vent is filled with seafood and coated with a sauce. Shrimps and scallops are typically used as garnishes, while cream, garlic, and champagne or white wine are preferred for the sauce. This dish is perfect for parties as it can be served as a starter or as a main dish that is often accompanied by rice.Expand

This traditional New Caledonian dish combines coconut milk with various root vegetables such as taro, manioc, and yams. Occasionally elevated with chicken, pork, or seafood, the combination is wrapped in banana leaves before it is placed over hot coals in traditional earthen ovens. Bougna is the most popular dish among the Kanak people, indigenous inhabitants of New Caledonia, and is commonly prepared for special occasional and traditional feasts.Expand

Civet de rousette is a traditional dish, considered by many to be a great delicacy. The preparation consists of marinating carrots, leeks, bouquet garni, salt, and pepper, in red wine and then adding pieces of fruit bats. More traditional, bougna style option, is to cook and serve bats in banana leaves. This is one of the unique dishes served during important festivals such as the Festival of Yam although sadly, due to high demand, fruit bat species has been in decline.Expand

This New Caledonian specialty is made with cooked and shelled New Caledonian prawns that are wrapped in fresh salmon fillets. After assembling the prawns with salmon, they are lightly sautéed in hot olive oil before being combined with finely chopped garlic, shallots, and basil leaves on top. The dish is typically accompanied by steamed white rice or fresh pasta on the side.Expand

This delicacy features the world-renowned blue prawns that hail from New Caledonia. New Caledonian prawns have a distinctive blue color, a unique sweet and sour flavor, and succulent flesh. The prawns are typically fried in a bit of hot melted butter or olive oil until nicely colored and slightly undercooked, which helps them to retain their delicate flavor. The cooked prawns are then placed on a serving platter and served hot with coarse salt scattered on top.Expand

Pineapple and fish balls is a New Caledonian delicacy filled with layers of tropical flavors. The dish is prepared by forming fish meat into small balls that are fried and combined with pawpaw, pineapple, onion, cabbage leaves, and various spices. This dish is typically served hot with cooked taro, breadfruit, or rice.Expand

Crab stuffed with crayfish is a New Caledonian dish that can be served either as an appetizer or as an entrée. The crab is first mixed with vegetables and fried, while the crayfish is cooked separately. Once they have cooled down, the crayfish and crab are combined and poured into buttered tins. After twenty minutes of baking in the oven, this dish is served hot and ready to be consumed.Expand

Prawns in coconut shells is a seafood-based New Caledonian dish. Chopped prawns or shrimp are mixed with coconut cream and pawpaw. The mixture is baked under a banana leaf, and is then typically served hot in coconut shells.Expand