November 2010 - CaribbeanPot.com

Simple Chicken Liver And Gizzard.

May 27, 2025November 27, 201063 Comments

The majority of people I know are turned off by liver and when you mention chicken gizzards they have this look on their face as if they think I’m joking. People actually eat gizzards? I don’t blame the average North American for disliking liver as I too was turned off the first time I had liver at a local restaurant. A coworker insisted we go out for lunch at a pub that had liver and onions on special. The texture, smell and overall taste was not appealing. It was nothing close to the liver and gizzards that my mom would make with dhal and rice for dinner.

During my childhood on the islands I remember my mom having a bag in the freezer where she would put the chicken liver and gizzard from the weekly chicken we’d buy from the chicken farm, until she had enough for a meal. My job back then was to “feather” the chicken and I can safely tell you that I don’t miss that chore. Our mom hated the automatic “plucker” that the farm had, as she thought that it bruised the meat of the chicken. So little ole me had to hand pluck the chicken every Sunday morning.

Here’s my rendition of the recipe my mom would use back then.

You’ll Need…

1lb chicken liver
1 lb chicken hearts and gizzards
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of black pepper
1 small onion sliced
1/2 medium tomato sliced
2 cloves garlic sliced or crushed
1 scallion diced (green onion)
1/2 teaspoon green seasoning mix
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce (dark)
1/4 hot pepper (habanero or scotch bonnet)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ketchup

Start off by cutting the gizzards into small pieces (about 1/2 inch), but cut the liver into bigger chunks (I’ll explain why later). Place in a bowl and squeeze in the lime or lemon juice, mix well and rinse with cool water. Drain off all the excess water and let’s season this so it can marinate. Add the following to the bowl.. salt, black pepper, green seasoning, tomato, hot pepper (optional – can use hot sauce as well), scallion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Mix well and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Heat the oil on medium/high heat in a pan, then add the seasoned gizzard and hearts ONLY! This is why I suggested above that you keep the pieces of liver a bit bigger, so you can fish them out and keep them aside. Since liver cooks very fast we won’t be adding it to the pot until much later. So go ahead and add the gizzard and heart pieces, as well as any of the marinade. Give it good stir and add the ketchup and soy sauce. This will help it achieve some colour or it will be rather pale. Add the 1/4 cup of water and ring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a very gentle simmer, cover with a lid and allow it to cook for about for 25-30 minutes. The gizzard will take a while to get tender. Stir occasionally.

After 30 minutes there should still be a bit of liquid in the pot and the gizzard should be tender. Here is when we add the seasoned liver we set aside earlier. After adding the liver, turn up the heat to medium, give it a good stir and cover the pot. Let that cook for 3 minutes. Then remove the lid and cook for another 3 minutes. My mom would turn up the heat if at this point the gravy was thin, since we enjoyed it with little or no gravy.

Check this observation I made over the years. I remember when I first moved to Canada way back when… you could get a huge pack of chicken liver and gizzards at the grocery store for under a dollar. Today, you have to be lucky to even find it in the meat section and if you do, the price is almost as high as buying chicken breast. The influx of immigrants created a huge demand for such things. And butchers are only too happy to cash in. The same can be said for pig feet, oxtail, goat, etc.

If you’re not daring enough to try the gizzards and hearts, do try the liver only. Just season as above and cook no more than 6 minutes in total on high heat, or you’ll wreck the liver. And before you go I’d like to ask you to leave me a comment below – even if it’s just to say hello. It’s appreciated. BTW, have you connected with us on facebook yet?

Fry Aloo With Corned Beef.

March 5, 2012November 24, 201023 Comments

I was hoping to be a bit more creative with the title of the post, but it is what it is. After posting a pic on the Facebook fan site asking everyone to guess what I had cooking on the stove, someone responded by saying it was corned beef hash. Rewind a few years back and we were on the Caribbean Princess cruise ship en route to Antigua when I had my first experience with corned beef hash. Not until the person on Facebook said it looked like corned beef hash, did I clue in as to why I love it so much. I went every day after, up to the main buffet while on the cruise, hunting down corned beef hash. This fry aloo and corned beef was a hit of mine since I was a kid and that hash satisfied some serious craving.

Whenever my mom would have leftover corned beef from the day before, she would add it to the fry aloo the next morning for breakfast. I also recall she would add leftover, stew chicken, beef and/or pork… gosh those were some good days for sure!

With the leftover corned beef I saw sitting in the fridge, I knew the time was right to make this dish. For those of you who’ve been following my cooking exploits to date, will recall I did both at fry aloo and corned beef recipe a while back. And for those of you wondering what “aloo” is, it’s just another word for potato.

So here’s the Caribbean take on corned beef hash.

You’ll Need…

4 medium potatoes (I like using Yukon Gold to get that nice creamy texture)
1/2 onion sliced
2 cloves garlic (sliced thin)
dash black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 table spoons vegetable oil (olive oil works great – adds a nice flavour)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (or any pepper you like using) * Optional but really completes the dish)
1/2 cup left over fry corned beef (see link above for that recipe)

Note: If you don’t have any left over corned beef, use 1/3 can of a good canned corned beef. My fave is Hereford, as it’s the least fatty of the ones I’ve tried in the past. Simply empty it into the fried potato and mix it in. No need for the other ingredients I used in the normal corned beef recipe.

Peel, wash and slice the potato in somewhat thin slices. I usually cut each in half (long way), then slice. Give it a quick rinse under cool water to remove some of the starch. Then heat the oil in a pan and add the sliced onion, garlic and hot pepper and allow that to cook for a few minutes on medium heat. Until you start seeing golden edges.

Drain off the potato if you had it sitting in water to prevent it from going discolored and add the slices to the pan. Give it a good stir so everything gets coated with the onion and garlic. Turn down the heat to medium / low, cover the pot and allow that to cook for about 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on this as it will start sticking to the bottom of the pan – that’s natural. So stir every 3-4 minutes and turn down the heat if you find that it’s sticking too much.

Those brown bits at the bottom of the pot is where the real flavor in this dish is. Trust me! After the 20 minutes or so, the potato should be falling apart and tender (see pic above). It’s time to add the left over corned beef, or a 1/3 of a new can. Give it a good stir and cook for another 5 minutes with the lid open. You don’t want this going overly soggy.

I can eat this all by itself, but it’s great with sada roti or fry bake , as a side for breakfast with eggs etc and you can always grab some bread (slice, hops, pita..etc) and make some sandwiches. Before you rush to the kitchen to whip up a batch of this, please leave me your comments below – even if it’s just to say hello. It’s appreciated! Don’t forget to join the commess (chat) on facebook by clicking on the image on the right side (upper part of the page).

A Zesty Souse Recipe Inspired By A Cure For Hangovers.

May 27, 2025November 22, 201033 Comments

I’m not much of a drinker, though I do enjoy a good Scotch ever so often and I do appreciate a Guinness or two when I’m on the islands (stronger than the ones we get here in North America). So having to deal with hangovers is something that’s completely foreign to me. I recall my uncle making this dish quite often, as he was a true connoisseur of the “rum” and dealing with hangovers were part of his routine. Aside from souse, he also made a deadly fish broth, that I still crave to this day. Souse is traditionally made with parts of the pig that’s not really glamorous, but when I asked the butcher if she had any pig’s feet left, she told me they were all sold out. Imagine that!

Souse is basically a cold pickled soup, that’s marinated for a couple hours after you assemble it and it’s full of flavours from the peppers and pickling process. I guess it could be considered a light soup by our standards, especially since it’s not really filling (you’d have to eat a bucket full).

* Since I was unable to get the pig feet I went looking for I opted for the next best thing I could find, which was pork hocks. But I’m sure you could use pork bones or rib ends to make this with success. And if all fails, you can always use chicken feet.

You’ll Need…

1lb pork hocks
1/2 medium red onion sliced thin
juice of 4 limes
1 hot pepper sliced thin (use habanero or scotch bonnet for best results)
dash fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt (but do taste after marinating to adjust to your liking)
2 cloves of garlic crushed
4 cups water
1 cucumber sliced thin
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (traditionally shado beni is used, but I didn’t have any)

Wash the hocks or whatever parts you were able to source, then place in a deep pot with water – add the couple cloves of garlic and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and allow it to cook for a couple hours covered – until the meat starts falling off the bones. If you have a pressure cooker, do your thing.

Then drain the cooked meat and give it a good rinse under cool water and set it aside to cool down. Now prepare all the ingredients for the sort of pickling process. Slice the onion, pepper, cucumber and cilantro. if you’re using shado beni, use about 4-6 leaves.

By now the meat should be cooled enough to work with. Strip away the meat off the bone in small pieces and place in a large bowl. Traditionally the skin is also added in some instances, but I’m trying to live a little healthier, so out with the skin… but I did keep the bones. Then add all the stuff we sliced, the salt, fresh ground black pepper, lime juice and water and give it a good stir.

Now here’s where you’ll need a little patience, since the smell will be alluring and you’ll be tempted to dig in right away. The combination of the lime juice, fresh sliced cucumber and hot pepper gives this an amazing aroma. Cover this and allow it to marinate for a couple hours. I’ve seen some people add the garlic just before the marinating process with the other fresh ingredients, but I much prefer to add it during the boiling of the meat, just to infuse the meat with it’s flavor and not over-power the main dish.

Thoughts? Leave me your comments below an do tell your friends about this and all the wonderful recipes on the site. And before you go, please join us on Facebook by clicking on the Facebook image on the right side of the page or here >>> Caribbean Recipes On Facebook.

Scrumptious Island Stew Chicken With Chick Peas.

May 27, 2025November 17, 201029 Comments

This dish takes me back to when I first moved to Canada and would hang out with my cousin and her husband. He’s the one who got me into lifting weights way back when. After work they would pick me up and head over to their place where we’d work out in their home gym and my cousin usually had this simmering on the stove for us after we were done working out. Our evenings consisted of working out, having dinner and playing a bootleg copy of Tetris. Good ole days!

You’ll Need…

4 lbs chicken – cut into serving size pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 cloves of garlic – thinly sliced or crushed
1 teaspoon fresh ginger – crushed/sliced
2 tablespoon vegetable oil (one that can withstand high heat)
1 medium onion – chopped
1 medium tomato – chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4cup water
dash of black pepper
1/4 hot pepper (I used Habanero)
1 green onion or chive (scallion) – chopped
2 sprigs of fresh thyme (1 teaspoon dried)
1 lime or lemon or 3 tablespoons of vinegar
1/2 teaspoon green seasoning
1 can chickpeas (Channa) 540 ml/194 fl oz

* I used chicken legs since I love the flavor you get from dark meat. If using chicken breast, I would sill toss in a couple pieces of dark meat just to balance things a bit.

In a large bowl place the cut pieces of chicken and pour the vinegar/lime or lemon juice and work between all the pieces of chicken. Rinse with cool water and drain. Then add all the ingredients, except the oil, sugar, chick peas and water. Allow this to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or 2 hours to get best results.

In a large heavy pot – I used an enameled cast iron pot, as I didn’t want to dig for the iron pot I got in Trinidad a few years back. A heavy pot enables better distribution of heat and makes stewing the meat much easier. Heat the oil on high heat, then add the brown sugar and stir. This is a bit of a tricky process and it’s important you get it right. No worries, I have faith in you. You want the sugar to completely dissolve, then start going frothy and finally it will go to a rich dark brown colour. DON”T let it go black or really dark brown or it will give the dish a bitter taste. Follow with the pics below.

As soon as you get the rich dark brown colour, add the pieces of seasoned chicken and stir so every piece gets colored with the caramel we just made. Use a spoon with a long handle when putting the seasoned chicken into the pot, as the hot oil/sugar combo can cause some splattering. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium/low, cover the pot and allow that to cook for 15 minutes (stir occasionally).

If there’s any marinade left in the bowl – keep it. While this cooks, open and rinse the can of channa (chick peas). I like to rinse any canned beans I use as I don’t care for the liquid it’s packed in, plus it’s usually loaded in sodium. After a good rinse, empty it into to bowl with the left over marinade.

By this time the chicken should have a nice rich brown colour. Remove the lid and turn up the heat to cook off all the liquid which developed as the lid was on. The key is to burn off ALL that liquid.

As soon as the liquid burns off, add the leftover marinade and chick peas to the pot. Give it a good stir and add the 3/4 cup of water. Bring this up to a boil, cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow this to cook for about 12 minutes. Stir a couple times during this cooking period. After 10-12 minutes, check to see if the gravy is runny or thick. If you find that it’s too thin, turn up the heat and cook off some of the liquid. For me,, the perfect consistency is like a stew or thick soup as I usually eat this on a bed of rice and love thick gravy.

Give this one a try – it’s loaded with flavour and I’m sure it will be a hit with your family and friends! Please leave me your comments or questions below as it’s always appreciated. Even if it’s just to say hello. And don’t forget to check out the links at the side for the Cooking Videos, connect with me on Twitter and to join our select group on Facebook. See the images on the right side of the page to get started. And before I go I’d like to invite you to check out our new store, stocked with everyday cooking items. Including the cast iron pot I used in making this recipe. Browse The Caribbean Store. Do check out the huge selection of pepper sauces (Hot sauces) while you’re there!

Eggs In a Classic Curry Sauce.

May 28, 2025November 13, 201044 Comments

This is really known as “curry eggs” and when potato is added it’s called “curry eggs and aloo”, but I just had to give it a more dignified name. For those of you who’ve never had this, you’re probably debating the use of eggs in a curry, but trust me – it’s wonderful. After posting a teaser on the facebook fan page it was clear that quite a few people (even those from the islands) have never experienced this dish. Some had reservations about the eggs and curry combination, while others raved about how tasty a meal this can be. I have to agree with the tasty verdict.

You’ll Need…

4 boiled eggs
1/2 onion sliced
2 cloves garlic sliced thin (or crushed)
1/2 tomato sliced
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 scallion
dash of black pepper
1/4 hot pepper (I used habanero)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
salt to taste (less than 1/4 teaspoon)

* When using hot peppers you can minimize the heat factor by not using the seeds.

*NOTE! You’ll notice that I placed this post within the vegetarian section. I did some research online and found that some vegetarians do eat eggs and dairy, so to avoid any nasty emails and comments… if you’re a vegetarian and don’t partake in eggs please accept my apologies for posting this within this section. Sadly, I do receive hate mail for simple things like this.

Prepare the onion, hot pepper, garlic, scallion and tomato and set aside. Then put the eggs to boil. Here’s a tip I got from Caron when she makes her pasta salad and boils eggs – you’ll get perfectly boiled eggs every time. Put the eggs to boil on a medium to high flame (cover eggs with cold water and bring to a boil), then as soon as it comes to a vigorous boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot and let it stand in there for 10-12 minutes.

Heat the oil in a sauce pan on medium/high heat, then add the sliced onion and garlic and allow to cook for a few minutes. Until they go soft, release their aromatic oils and stars to brown on the edges. Then turn down the heat to medium /low and add the curry powder and slices of hot pepper (if you need some good madras curry powder, check out the store – where you can find tons of Caribbean goodies) and stir. Allow this to cook for about 3-4 minutes, so the curry won’t have a “raw” taste to it.

The next step is to add the water and give it a good stir and bring it up to a gentle simmer. Then add the slices of tomato and scallion and top off with the eggs. Cut the eggs in half before adding and be very gentle at this point forward, since the eggs will fall apart easily. Add the salt and black pepper at this point as well.

On low heat, cover the pot and allow to cook for abut 4-5 minutes, so the sauce thickens and all the flavors get a chance to marry together. If you find that the sauce is a bit runny, cook for an extra minute or two with the pot uncovered.

I usually enjoy this with roti and/or fry bake (see the recipe search tool on the top right side of the page for those recipes), but it’s just as tasty on a bun (sandwich), with sliced bread or any other way you enjoy your curry. Probably makes a great topping for rice, but my thing is roti.

Don’t forget to leave me your comments below, even if it’s just to say hi – it’s appreciated! And before you go I’d like to remind you to connect with me on facebook and twitter using the links on the right side of the page. This is where you’ll also be able to view the cooking videos I’ve created and the collection of pictures I’ve put together for your viewing pleasure.

Yummy Mango Muffins.

March 5, 2012November 8, 201021 Comments

I’m not much of a dessert person, but I do enjoy scones (must have raisins) or coconut sweet bread with my morning cup of tea. These days is decaf tea and not those rich cups of Ovaltine and Milo I grew up on. I’ve been hitting the gym quite regularly (have to get in some sort of shape for carnival – look for me if you’re playing in Tribe) so I have to try and stay away from the condense milk sweetened cups of tea I so enjoyed back in those days. I still recall dipping my Crix in the cup and making a meal out of it. GOOD TIMES!

Here’s a simple recipe using chunks of ripe mango to give any boring muffin a punch of true Caribbean flavor. I just love the warm and homely feel you get when you have the alluring scent of baking coming out of the kitchen. If you’re ever trying to sell your home and you have an open house, bake something. Buyers (especially women) will be drawn to the property for sure.

You’ll Need…

1 ripe mango (peeled and cubed)
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract.

* A nice addition to this would be chunks of pineapple as well – next time I decide to bake I’ll give that a shot.

This takes about 30 minutes from the time you start to the time the warm tasty treats comes out of the oven, so it’s a great treat for the family on a lazy Sunday morning.

Peel the skin from the mango with a vegetable peeler or pairing knife. Cut the mango vertically, with a sharp knife, sliding the knife along the seed on one side. Repeat on other side of the seed; cut any mango away from around the seed and chop the mango into small cubes. Be sure to use a ripe, but firm mango.

The next step is to mix all the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl; mix well. I used a whisk for this process so everything gets incorporated evenly.

BTW, while we’re getting the batter ready preheat your oven at 400. Combine the milk, oil, eggs, and almond extract in a medium bowl; whisk until smooth. Then add the milk mixture to the flour mixture; stir just until moistened (try not to over-mix). The final step is to stir the chopped mango gently into the batter. This step can be a bit messy if you’re anything like me, but pour the batter evenly into a 12 cup muffin pan. Bake the mango muffins until golden brown, 20 – 25 minutes. Remove the muffins from the cups and place on a wire rack to cool slightly.

* Don’t forget to lightly grease the muffin tray or do as I did and give it a good spray with baking spray.

Didn’t I say it was fairly easy and fast to make? Nothing beats a warm muffin on a cool morning with a hot cup or tea or coffee while you check your Facebook account to maco what your friends are up to. Speaking about Facebook… don’t forget to join our select group of foodies! CLICK HERE TO JOIN US ON FACEBOOK!

Saheena With Green Mango Chutney.

March 5, 2012November 4, 201017 Comments

My mouth waters just typing the title of this post. I fondly recall my childhood days on the islands around Divali (I was told it’s Diwali by and Indian programmer who works for me) time when we would go down the road to my mom’s cousins’ house for goodies on Divali night. I grew up in a Catholic home, but as the norm in Trinidad and Tobago we celebrate everyone religious festivals equally. How I wish the youths of today could experience that oneness and innocence I enjoyed those years ago. Back in those days all I looked forward to was the roti, curry channa with potato, pholourie and of course, saheena. I was never into the “sweets” , but my brother and sisters did do some damage when the sweets tray came around.

Here’s a simple recipe for making saheena, but not in the traditional size it’s usually made into. I refer to these as saheena balls and they work great as an appetizer or quick snack when you’re looking for something a bit different to munch on.

You’ll Need…

1/2 cup split peas powder (like flour)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 bunch spinach (see note below)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon roasted geera powder (cumin)
1/4 teaspoon amchar massala (optional)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric (aka saffron on the islands)
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 clove of garlic
2-3 cups vegetable oil for frying

For the mango chutney

1 green mango
4-6 leaves of shado beni
1 hot pepper (scotch bonnet or habanero)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt

Note: I used baby spinach in this recipe, but traditionally dasheen leaves (young or soft ones) are used. It’s almost impossible to source those in my location.

Let’s get the dough ready as it needs about 2 hours to rest before we can starting frying. Rinse the spinach leaves and roll into little bundles and slice very thinly. As thin as you can. Then I put about 3 cups of water to boil in the kettle and sort of blanch the spinach to somewhat pre-cook it. I put the thinly sliced spinach in a strainer and pour the boiling water over it and allow it to drain off.

Then in a large bowl, place the flour, split peas powder, salt, turmeric, geera, amchar massala, flour, grate or crush fine – the garlic, baking powder, instant yeast and squeeze out as much liquid you can from the blanched spinach and add it to the bowl as well. Then add the water and mix into a smooth dough. After everything is fully incorporated, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest on the kitchen counter for about 2 hours.

After the 2 hours of resting, the yeast will activate and the dough will double in size. Now heat the oil in a deep pot or pan on medium/high heat. Traditionally your hands are used to scoop and drop the dough balls into the hot oil, but here’s a safer method. Using 2 table spoons, scoop out a spoon full of batter and then using the second spoon as a sort of scraper, scrape off the dough into the hot oil. If you find that the dough is going brown fast, turn down the heat a bit as you want it to cook for about 4-5 minutes, so the insides cook evenly as well. Be sure the pot or pan you’re using is not too wide, so the oil is nice and deep – will allow for even cooking and nicely shaped saheena balls.

After 4-5 minutes (I move them around while frying) I place them on paper towels to absorb any excess oil from the frying process. You may be tempted to eat a couple as they come out of the pot, but I would advise against doing so. They will be piping hot!

Here’s a very simple recipe for a quick mango chutney to use as a dipping sauce for these wonderful saheena balls (you’ll notice that it’s very similar to the original mango chutney recipe I posted a while back)…

In a food processor or blender place all the ingredients I mentioned above and puree into an even consistency. Make sure you get a green mango (one that’s not ripe) and then remove the skin, then remove slices of the flesh to use. Discard the seed.

Do taste for salt at the end and if you find that it’s still sour or tart, add a dash of sugar to the mix to help balance it off.

This chutney can remain for a few days in a sealed container in the fridge, in the event you’re wondering. What are you all waiting for? Give this one a try, it’s very tasty and I’m sure your friends will be amazed at how appetizing these are at the next staff pot luck. Don’t forget to leave me your comments below – even if it’s just to say hello. It’s appreciated. And while you’re at it, why not join us on facebook? Click on the image below.