Tri Tri (Chi Chi)

In Vincy (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) we have what is known as Tri Tri season — Tri Tri, pronounced by some locals as “Chi Chi”. The Tri Tri fish is also known to some as the West Indian Whitebait. In most cultures, or to natives familiar with its existence, it's normally prepared similar to saltfish cakes, and even boiled.

When some of our families abroad can't get hold of our fresh Tri Tri in the US — be it through a family member or friend packing it in their suitcase, wrapped in newspaper — some would make do with Japanese White or Sea Silver Fish. Other names for this fish are Icefish or Noodlefish. This fish is white in appearance, while Tri Tri has more distinct physical features. I've never tried the silver fish and I'm not too thrilled to do so any time soon. Reason being, it's a frozen product, and I'm sure it wouldn't be the same.

The adult Tri Tri ranges in length from 3½–4½ inches, while the young Tri Tri ranges from ¼–1¼ inches. In the dry season the adult Tri Tri migrates downstream to the sea, where they lay their eggs — probably near the river from which they descend — and then apparently die, as no adult fish are ever seen to return. The young Tri Tri, or young fry, ascend the rivers by the thousands in the wet season (preferably August, September and October).

“Like chameleons, they harmonize quite well to their surroundings.”

The tenacity of life of the young Tri Tri is remarkable. They can be found in streams in Grenada and Dominica, and are also caught in Bequia. In fact, I met a Dominican lady (lovely lady) a few years ago who shared with me some of her Tri Tri preparations, one of which boils the Tri Tri in a flavored coconut broth. It was a few years ago, so that's all I remembered lol.

The Tri Tri fish is found at the mouth of the river — “weh e rivah does meet e sea”, as some locals may say. Some of the more known locations are the Layou River, Richmond River and Walliabou River. “Tri Tri” comes shortly after the quarter moon. Locals set up their tents, camping out at night, as catching Tri Tri requires patience and help in numbers — whether for leisure or business. At the mouth of the river, sheets (or, as some locals know them, “rugs”) are spread out using large cuts of mesh, with rocks to submerge them and sticks to keep them wide open, placing palm leaves at the base as well to keep them there. As dawn breaks and the sun throws its first light on the sea, they can be seen glistening in the water like thick soup — or, as others have seen, proof of a big ball comprised of a school of fish bursting out in the waters of the sea, heading to the shores by the river. Some even link lightning to the nearing of Tri Tri season. In the old days people used to tell each other with beaming excitement, “Tri Tri ah come!” — and so locals gather with buckets by their numbers, or anything that can be filled. It is considered a profit, for over the years one large bucket can cost hundreds, where they are taken to the fish market and sold by the scoop in white 5lb plastic bags.

For video on how Tri Tri are caught, please continue.

Now, on to the part I enjoy the most — food experimentation! 😁

There must be some challenge, some level of creativity with a touch of simplicity, ensuring that flavors marry. So I tried my take on an amuse-bouche — as most persons outside of Tri Tri consumption may scoff at — pairing it with fresh elements.

Based on food preparation, salt/cod fish and Tri Tri fish are treated quite similarly when fried. The consistency of the batter before frying is also similar, as seen below:

On the left is the saltfish batter, and on the right is that of the Tri Tri. The saltfish batter I normally prepare consists of flour, yeast, baking powder, mustard, pepper sauce, chive, pimentos, garlic, onions, black pepper and water. Yeah — FULL FLAVORED. Salt is added based on how the saltfish is boiled. Might throw in a little Chadon Beni in the mix (is d trini in meh). The Tri Tri batter for my recipe varies — I don't add mustard, yeast nor baking powder; in addition I flavor with curry and salt, as it's a fresh fish with no sodium content like cod fish has. All the other fresh ingredients are added, including a bit of celery leaves finely chopped. But for my special dish I added a bit of potato starch to make the batter more crispy for overall texture.

Fresh herbs are key when frying Tri Tri cakes. They give them character and excite the palate. After I made my batter, I spread a thin amount on a flat-top griddle (la plancha) to cook to about 70% doneness, thereafter transferring to a deep fryer at 350 degrees to finish until crispy. That way I got the shape and texture that I wanted. As soon as it was ready I removed it from the fryer and patted the excess oil off, as these cakes have a tendency to absorb excess oil. At this stage I had to move quickly, as I wanted the fried Tri Tri to stay warm and work with the other components. I decided to pair the Tri Tri with a play on a frisée salad — fresh arugula, artisan lettuce, and micro arugula & red cabbage leaves tossed with a golden apple vinaigrette.

Soun licko fancy na chu? Well, me na dun yet lol. I also added a roasted pimento mayo dip with it. Of course, all the accompaniments were prepared beforehand so that I could pay more attention to detail and fry the Tri Tri last, to keep the texture and temperature right. If you think of it, it can be a chaud-froid amuse-bouche as well. So, readers, I give to you my pièce de résistance, my crème de la crop, my bébé, my finished beauty, my… ok I'm done lol…

So she's got a little character going on with her fine self. Classy much! The fruit vinaigrette dressed on the salad, snugged in the center of the warm fried Tri Tri 'cake', sitting on a roasted pimento mayonnaise dip, is sure to twist things up a bit and intrigue one's fancy!

Bon Appétit!

Written by Chef Ambrose