These are some of my recipes that I want to share with you. I hope you will find them interesting
COOKS TIPS
To peel Garlic: first crush them with the back of a cleaver, the skin just falls off .
Browning meat: Cook in a hot oil or margarine until brown all over, before simmering on low heat, this enhances the flavour and improves appearance.
Skillet: In the Caribbean they use a heavy shallow oval pot, we call it a Dutch pot forget your wok, every respsctable kitchen should have a duchy, buy it in Asian shops, failing that use a heavy frying pan.
Ackees: These can also be bought in the tin, drain well
Bakes: In Jamaica they call it Johnny cakes, the other islands call it bakes.
Tamarind: This is a pod type fruit gown in the Caribbean, it is sharp to the taste and at the same time sweet, it can also be made into a drink.
Goat meat: This is very popular in Jamaica, but lamb can be used instead.
Red Peas: kidney beans, but other dried beans can be used, Gungo peas, black eye peas, etc.
Jerked pork chops: Other lean cuts will do just as well, shoulder or leg.
Patties: These can be made in bulk and frozen, they make excellent snacks.
. Christmas was a time for plenty of Sorrell, Cock- chicken, home made Corned beef, and rich fruit Cake, how could I forget the delicious Rice And Peas, Chicken, or Snapper. Breakfast dishes of Bammies, Ackee & Salt Fish, fried dumplings and fritters, Calaloo green Banana and liver. Makes the mouth water.
1. SORREL
Sorrel is our favourite drink for Christmas and New Year.
To my mind it should not be made thick and sweet, for then it becomes sickly and cloying.
It should be a light, refreshing drink that one accepts gladly during one’s
round of Christmas visit and not one to be avoided.
The drink can be made from dried sorrel or sorrel syrup
8 cups(3 1/2 pints, 2 litres) Sorrel petals Rum
2 oz (50 g) grated ginger
Sugar
12 cups (5 pints, 3 litres) boiling Water
Place the sorrel and ginger in a large container and pour on the boiling water.
Cover and leave overnight, then strain through a muslin cloth or a sieve.
Add a little white rum to preserve and sugar to sweeten. Bottle and refrigerate.
Makes approximately 4 1/2 pints (2.75 litres).
2. BAKES
This is a bread similar to a pitta bread or roti eaten in the Caribbean Islands
2 cups all purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon sugar
About 3/4 cup water
About 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, then cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in sugar. Stir in enough water to make a soft dough. Knead dough gently on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 4 to 6 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Let stand 5 minutes.
Flatten the balls to 1/4 inch thick rounds. Heat oil in a skillet medium heat. Add rounds and cook until golden brown, turning. Drain on paper towels and serve warm. Makes 4 to 6 pieces.
3. SPARERIBS CARIBBEAN STYLE
If you want to be an authentic Caribbean cook, you’ve got to forget the bottle of barbecue sauce every time you
fire up the coals. This delicious Caribbean sauce is incredibly easy to make.
3 pounds meaty pork ribs, cut into individual ribs
1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup dry sherry 2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 (14oz.) can crushed pineapple
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup shredded coconut
Blanch ribs in simmering salted water 30 minutes; drain.
Preheat grill. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, sherry, vinegar,
Worcestershire sauce, salt and ginger.
Bring to a boil, add the crushed pineapple with juice and simmer 5 minutes.
Remove from heat; stir in hot pepper sauce and coconut.
Arrange ribs in a baking pan and brush generously with the sauce.
Grill under preheated grill 8 minutes, turn and grilll 8 minutes more.
Brush frequently with the sauce to keep the ribs moist.
Arrange on a platter; serve hot. Makes 6 servings
4. Fish is popular in Jamaica as you can find fresh days catch on the road side or in the market at any time. The head of the fish is eaten in most case and is said to be “de bes part a de fish”…
Roast fish
INGREDIENTS :
4 small whole gutted doctor fish or tirbit
2 small onions
3 sprigs escallions
6 sprigs thyme
10 pimentos
1 table spoon salt
1 table spoon pepper
1 garlic
2 scotch bonnet pepper
1/4 cup pick a pepper sauce
aluminum foil paper
Wash fish with cold salt water or vinegar.
METHOD:
wash fish in with vinigar and water
pour picka-peppa into bowl
dice up onion, thyme, escallions, scotch bonnet pepper, garlic & combine
Add salt, pepper, pimento
Combine all and mix in the bowl of picka-pepper sauce
dry and place each fish on a sheet of foil
stuff each fish with the seasoning mixture & wrap completgly in foil
Roast on open grill for 30 minutes or in an oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Serves 4