Name: Charred Squid and Conch Buljol with "Soused" Green Figs and Tomato Chokha Coulis
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Ingredients: 2 small green bananas, peeled and cut into small chunks; 2 ounces frozen or fresh, cleaned conch, finely diced (about 1/2 cup) (see Tips, below); 2 tablespoons diced red onion; 1/2 celery stalk, diced; 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper; 1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper; 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper; 1 pimiento pepper, seeded and diced; 1/4 Scotch bonnet chile, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves); 1/2 scallion (green and white parts), finely chopped; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro; 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 12 each squid tubes and tentacles; 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 dried red cayenne chiles, minced; 1/2 clove garlic, mashed to paste with mortar and pestle; 1/2 small red onion, diced (about 6 tablespoons); 3 scallions (white and green parts), chopped; 2 cloves garlic, mashed to paste with mortar and pestle; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup fresh lime juice; 1/4 teaspoon salt; Pinch freshly ground black pepper; 2 1/2 medium beefsteak tomatoes; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1/4 Scotch bonnet chile, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves); 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh shado beni (See Tips, below); 1 1/2 teaspoons diced onion; 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

Editor's note: This recipe is from chef Khalid Mohammed of Battimamzelle in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Mohammed also shared some helpful tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page.

Buljol, a popular Trinidadian breakfast dish, is a cold salad made from salted codfish. In his Trini-fusion version, Mohammed substitutes squid and locally abundant conch and adds green "figs" (green bananas, called by their local name, and "soused," or pickled, a traditional cooking method). He finishes the dish with the tomato chokha, a local sauce.

Khalid Mohammed shares his tips with Epicurious:

• "Green bananas" are simply the unripe (green) form of the regular bananas sold in supermarkets. They can be hard to peel. To make the process easier, first trim the ends with a paring knife and score the skin lengthwise in three places around the banana, then peel.
• Frozen conch is available in many fish stores and West Indian markets. If you're using fresh conch, here's how to clean it: Using a hammer, knock a hole in the shell between the second and third ring of bumps down from the tip. Insert a paring knife into the hole and cut the muscle that connects the conch to its shell. (If you feel soft flesh rather than hard muscle when you insert the knife, the hole isn't in the right place.) Grab the claw (foot) and pull the conch out of the shell. Cut off the head (black and yellow-spotted, with eye stalks), mantle (orange spotted "skirt") and attached slimy viscera, and intestine (dark vein on bottom). Make a cut through the dark tough skin from the claw to the other end of the body. Work your thumb under the skin and peel it off, exposing the white muscle. Finally, cut off the black claw. (Be sure NOT to cut off the claw until you've peeled off the skin — you'll need the claw to grasp on to.) The conch meat is now ready to be chopped and cooked.
• If you can't find conch, additional squid can be substituted.
• Also called chandon benet or culantro, shado beni is a broad-leafed plant that has a slightly stronger flavor that its relative cilantro. Regular cilantro may be substituted.

Recipe notes