January 2011 - CaribbeanPot.com

The Ultimate Oven Jerk Chicken.

May 27, 2025January 29, 2011125 Comments

A bit of a bold statement and I’m sure my Jamaican friends are scratching their heads pondering why this “Trini” making such bold claims. One taste of this succulent jerk chicken after it comes out of the oven and you’ll know why it’s an “Ultimate” dish. Following on the other “Ultimate” recipes I’ve shared in the past, this one will not disappoint (search “Ultimate” on the right side of the page to see the other recipes in this category).

Yes, traditional jerk is made on the grill with pimento wood as it’s base of flavor and while you can’t duplicate this in the oven, this one is very convenient for people who don’t have a grill or live in northern climates and have to deal with bitter cold winters. Personally a little snow and minus degree temperatures can’t keep me away from my grill, but lately I’ve found that I don’t brave the outdoors as much as I used to in the winter.

NOTE: For the marinade for this you’ll need to refer to: A Classic Jamaican Jerk Marinade.

You’ll Need…

6 chicken legs (with back attached) about 4-5 lbs
1 lemon or lime (or 1/4 cup vinegar)
1 cup Jerk Marinade

Tip: Line your baking dish with aluminum foil to make the clean-up after easier.

Trim off the excess skin and fat off the chicken (but leave most of the skin – you can remove it later before eating), then pour the lime or lemon juice (or vinegar) over the trimmed chicken. Then rinse off with cool water and drain. Now take a pairing knife or fork and pierce the chicken pieces. This will allow the marinade to penetrate the meat and really “juice” it up. Now you’re set for marinating the chicken. In a zip lock bag or bowl with a lid, pour the jerk marinade and mix everything well. Now seal and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. I used a large baking dish, which I sealed with plastic wrap. This way when I’m ready, it can go directly into the oven.

After 2 hours take it out of the fridge and pour everything (including all the marinade) into a baking dish and let it come up to room temperature while you oven heats up. I had mine marinating in the baking dish already, so I was good to go.

Preheat your oven at 375 degrees.

Place the baking dish with the chicken on the middle rack and allow this to cook for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. The chicken should be cooked after that, so if you want to add some rich colour to the finished dish, you may need to turn on your broiler for a few minutes.

If you want you can place some aluminum foil over the dish the first 30 minutes of cooking, but I find that leaving it exposed (open) works great. While this cooks in the oven your home will be blanketed with the lovely scent of rich Caribbean spices and herbs and you’ll be counting down the minutes until you can devour a succulent piece of the Ultimate Oven Jerk Chicken. Here I have it served with some rice and creamy coleslaw. BTW, the sort of sweet and creamy flavours of the coleslaw complements this jerk chicken wonderfully.

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Peanut Punch For Two.

March 5, 2012January 26, 201149 Comments

There’s been a number of requests for a peanut punch recipe, so I caved in today and finally got around to putting one together. My dad who’s one of my go-to people when I’ve never made something before, is wintering in the Caribbean so this recipe cost me a long distance call. And though his recipe calls for using custard, which I didn’t use… you’ll be amazed at how simple, quick and how delicious this drink is. Peanut punch is one of those drinks that we tend to associate with sexual prowess in the Caribbean and it’s said to be good “for the back”… thoughts?

This recipe will yield enough for two people or one greedy person 🙂 You can always make more by doubling the recipe.

You’ll Need…

8-10 cubes of ice
2 tablespoon peanut butter (smooth or chunky – your choice)
1 cup milk (again your choice – I used 2%)
1 tablespoon condensed milk (Sweetened)

Note: Once you’ve made this basic or traditional peanut punch you can experiment a bit by adding some of these ingredients…
– dash vanilla essence
– ripe banana
– dash nutmeg
– honey
– granola

* If you don’t have condensed milk, you can add sugar or honey as your sweetener or a combination of both.

You’ll need a blender or as I did, a magic bullet. Start by placing the ice in first. This way the condense milk and peanut butter will go on top of it and not settle on the bottom where the blades will not reach.

After the ice I put in the peanut butter, followed by the condense milk and milk. Then blend for about 30-40 seconds until everything breaks down and is incorporated evenly.

You’ll have a delicious, very filling, creamy and frothy drink. Serve immediately to make use of that ice we crushed during blending. Above you’ll notice that I listed some additional ingredients you can use as you become a bit more experimental. I would suggest adding one or two to start and go from there. For a more filling peanut punch, you can add the ripe bananas and/or granola I mentioned above.

My favorite memory of peanut punch other than the tetra packs my mom would have in her parlor, was going to visit my god father on Saturdays at his “chinee” shop in Princess Town, where he had peanut punch in the sort of fountain that had all the freshly made drinks. His fruit punch was also deadly!

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There’s Nothing Caribbean About This Coleslaw.

May 27, 2025January 18, 201126 Comments

If you’re hoping to find a coleslaw with a sort of Caribbean twist, you may have to hit Google and search another source. This one however is a classic coleslaw recipe, and though most people think of this dish as something to bring out during the summer months, I just love the way the creaminess and crunch compliments the spicy nature of good jerk chicken. I did this recipe a few nights ago when I posted the Jamaican Jerk Marinade. As I did a batch of oven jerk chicken with the fresh jerk marinade and just had to have me some coleslaw.

If you’re guilty of purchasing those overpriced small containers of coleslaw at the grocery stores that are drenched in watery dressing, you’ll see how simple this is to make and wonder why you’ve not been making your own all along.

You’ll Need…

About 6 cups of shredded cabbage (approx 1/2 a medium cabbage)
1 large carrot
3/4 cup miracle whip (see comment below)
2 tablespoon sour cream – optional
1/4 red onion sliced very thin
2 tablespoon sugar (white)
2 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh cracked black pepper

Note: I like using Miracle Whip instead of traditional mayonnaise, as I love the sort of tangy elements of it. So feel free to use your favorite brand of Mayo if you so desire.

We’ll start by shredding the cabbage. I don’t have access to a food processor (seems Santa wasn’t paying attention or didn’t get the memo), so I used a sharp knife and after removing the core of the cabbage, I cut it into very thin slices. I did cut the 1/2 of cabbage into 3 smaller pieces to make handling easier. If you have a food processor, make use of it.

Then I washed and peeled the carrot and using some elbow grease, I grated it. Again, if you have a food processor, figure out which blade to use and this will take seconds.

Then slice the red onion as thin as you can so at no time while eating will you get a chunk of overpowering onion.

Place the carrot, cabbage and onion in a large bowl and get ready to make the dressing.

Add all the other ingredients into a bowl and using a whisk, work it for a minute or 2. The idea is the incorporate everything into a smooth dressing.

All we have to do now is add this wonderful dressing we just made to the main bowl with the other ingredients and give it a good mix. Try to break up any clumps of carrots and mix evenly.

I personally like giving this at least 30 minutes in the fridge to sort of marinate and bring out the true flavors I’m looking for… enjoy!

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Classic Jamaican Jerk Marinade

December 8, 2025January 14, 2011155 Comments

I just love the variety of exciting and scrumptious dishes you can find as you work your way up and down the islands that make up the Caribbean. To date I’ve not been to Jamaica, even though my friends who hails from there have extended several invitations the past few years. Hopefully I can make the trip down the next time they plan a vacation and finally get to see “jerk” done the traditional way. Until then, I’ll keep making my homemade marinade/sauce and hopefully you’ll give it a try. Beware! You won’t go back to the bottled stuff you get in the grocery store once you do though. You won’t believe how simple this is.

You’ll Need…

5 scallions (green onions)
5 sprigs of fresh thyme (about 1 tablespoon chopped)
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 scotch bonnet peppers
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1 onion
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger

Notes: If you’re using dried thyme, use about 1/2 table spoon. This makes about 3 cups of marinade and it can be stored in the fridge for about 1 month.

Basically all you’ll be doing is making a puree with all the ingredients I mentioned above. So you’ll need a blender or food processor.

Rough chop the scallions, peppers, garlic, onion and thyme and place in the food processor to make it easier to puree. Remember when working with these hot peppers to wear gloves (the natural oil is deadly). Also note that most of the heat is within the seeds and the membrane that surround the seeds. So to control the heat, discard those. However, for that true authentic Jamaican feel.. keep the entire peppers.

Now add all the other ingredients and pulse to start. Then run the puree speed for about 2-3 minutes until everything breaks down to a smooth consistency.

For best results use this sauce immediately, but marinate your pork, chicken or fish (haven’t tried beef yet) for at least 2 hours before grilling or roasting in the oven. The next recipe I post I’ll show you how simple it is to use this marinade/sauce to make the Ultimate Oven Jerk Chicken. Stay tuned.

In the coming months I’ll also show you a secret ingredient I use to give this a Canadian twist.. I can’t right now as I’m sending off a challenge to Bobby Flay (he’s taking entries for a new show he’s working on). Wish me luck.

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BTW, as we “Trinis” do… you can always add our signature to this by adding a couple shots of rum (I would use a dark rum), a little shado beni and how could we forget a drop or two of Angostura bitters.

Mother In Law As A Condiment?

May 28, 2025January 13, 201137 Comments

My first encounter with “Mother In Law” was about 7 years ago when we had some relatives here on vacation during that summer, from Trinidad. My aunt had a huge pot of pelau bubbling in the back yard (love cooking in the outdoors during the warm months) and my other aunt who was visiting, raved that we must try her “mother in law” as a condiment with the pelau. I learned that day that “mother in law” was the name given to a sort of crunchy salsa, that’s packed with flavour and heat from extremely hot peppers. We’ve perfected the art of eating spicy foods, peppers and hot sauces in the Caribbean and this is yet another example of how creative we can get with our cuisine and word association. So where does the name come from? (don’t quote me on this) I believe it’s because like this hot sauce/salsa, a person’s mother in law is notorious for being heated, spicy and finds a way to leave an impression on you (negative or not) without much effort.

Once you adjust the heat level on this one, you’ll find that like me, this will be your favorite “hot” condiment. I learned on that summer’s day, with a steaming plate of pelau in hand, that I could actually love my “mother in law” 🙂

You’ll Need…

1 large carrot (diced)
1 medium onion (minced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
4 hot peppers (I used habanero)
juice from 2 limes or lemons
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium green mango (diced)
1 caraili (bitter melon) -optional – I dislike this so I didn’t use it.
2 tablespoon white vinegar
4 leaves of shado beni (chopped fine)
fresh black pepper

Notes: I didn’t have fresh shado beni, so I opted for 3 table spoons of chopped cilantro. Normally caraili (bitter melon) is used for this recipe, but since I don’t like this vegetable I left it out. If you can’t get caraili or you’re like me and don’t like caraili, you can use a medium sized cucumber. I recommend leaving the skin on the cucumber if using this instead (for a bit of crunchy texture).

The key here is to dice/cube everything the same size and if you’re not using a food processor, it can be a bit time consuming. I love working with my hands so I used a sharp chef’s knife. Peel and wash the carrot, then cut it into 2 main pieces, then jullien and finally dice into very small cube like pieces (see pics below)

Wear gloves for this step – chop the hot peppers the same size as you did the carrot. For maximum heat I recommend keeping the seeds. But if you’re a wuss, do remove the seeds to control the heat.

Now peel the mango, give it a rinse under cool water and dice the same as you did with the hot peppers and carrot. When shopping for a “green” mango (one that’s not ripe), you’re looking for one without any blemishes, very firm (hard) and with be a bit shiny and dark green or a reddish green depending on the variety you get. A ‘green’ mango will be very tart in taste and crunchy in texture.

Add all these ingredients to a large bowl and get ready to assemble everything. I assume you’ve done the same to the onion and garlic (try to get the garlic a bit more fine). Don’t forget to chop the shado beni or cilantro as I did and dice the cucumber if you opted to use that.

In the bowl with the onion, garlic, carrot, shado beni… etc, add the salt, fresh ground black pepper, juice of the lime or lemon and vinegar. Give this a good stir, cover and allow it to marinate in the fridge for a couple hours. Obviously I’m greedy and started on mine seconds after making. The fresh scent of the lemon juice, coupled with the cilantro and hot peppers was just too alluring for me to show any sort of restraint.

This can last for a couple weeks in the fridge if you’re wondering (glass bottle), but the longer it stays in the fridge it will have the tendency to get less spicy.

I have to ask… do you know why it’s called mother in law? Was my explanation close? BTW, I was told there’s one that’s even more spicy… guess what it’s called – Daughter In Law!

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A Classic Trinbagonian Caraili Recipe.

March 5, 2012January 6, 201137 Comments

Do you have things you refused to eat as a kid, but find that as an adult you have a new appreciation for them? There’s quite a few dishes that would make my list, but (and I really tried) caraili is something I could never like. Caraili, bitter melon or as it’s known in India… karela, just isn’t for me. I tried what my mom and friends on the facebook fan page suggested to remove the overly bitter taste and though it did make a huge difference, it still reminded me of a hot Guinness. With the majority of kids on the islands disliking this dish for as long as time itself, who’s carrying on the tradition of cooking and enjoy this? BTW, see the bottom of this page to read a little about the nutritional benefits for bitter melon (caraili).

For those of you who like this dish, but never got around to making it yourself or if you’re someone who like to try new and different things, here’s a quick recipe. And according to my dad, a delicious one. You be the judge!

*You’ll notice that I posted this recipe under “Fish” as well as “Vegetarian”. To make it fully vegetarian, you can leave out the salted cod pieces but remember to taste for salt at the end. Additionally, you can add a little curry powder to it for another layer of flavor.

You’ll Need…

2 average size Caraili (sliced thin)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion sliced
2 cloves garlic sliced
1/4 hot pepper (I used habanero)
2 tablespoon vegetable oil (I prefer to use olive oil)
1/4 cup of shredded salt fish (salted cod)
*salt for cooking (most likely you will not need any)

There’s a little prep time needed for this dish to help remove some of the bitter taste. Cut off the ends and discard, Then cut in half and using your fingers push down the inside to remove the seeds etc. An easy way is to make a cut down the middle (length) and use a spoon to scoop out the inside(refer to pics below). Then slice as thin as you can.

Discard everything you removed from the inside and start slicing (crosswise) as thin as you can. To help remove the bitter taste, place the slices on a dish and sprinkle with the salt. Allow that to sit for at least 30 minutes (I left mine for 1 hour). This will draw out most of the bitterness.

Now using your hands or a tea towel, squeeze out as much liquid as you can. You’ll be amazed at how much liquid will come out. The next step is to rinse with cool water, squeeze again and repeat this step one more time. Try to get as much water/liquid out as possible.

While this was sitting salted, I prepared my salted cod. I placed it in a bowl with hot water and allowed it to soak until the water cooled. This step is to remove some of the salt and to add some moisture back to the salted cod as the salting process dries the fish out. I then rinse with cool water, squeeze dry and shred.

In a heavy pan heat the oil on medium heat, then add the garlic, onion and hot pepper. Allow this to cook for a few minutes – until the edges start browning. Now add the shredded salted cod… lower the heat a bit so it doesn’t stick/burn and cook for about 5 minutes. You want to get that rich salt fish flavor. Remember if you going vegetarian, you’ll skip this part. Now it’s time to add the sliced caraili and stir.

With the heat on medium/low, cook this with the pot uncovered for about 25 minutes or until you start seeing the edges start going brown (refer to the pic below). Since we salted this early as we prepped it and though we did rinse it off, the salted cod we add should have added enough salt to the entire dish. however, feel free to taste and add salt if required. I didn’t need any. It may start to stick to the bottom of the pan while cooking, so do take time ever few minutes to stir. If you find that it’s overly dry and not browning, add another teaspoon of oil to the pot.

Caraili are very low in calories but dense with precious nutrients. It is an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, and B3, C, magnesium, folic acid, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, and has high dietary fiber. It is rich in iron, contains twice the beta-carotene of broccoli, twice the calcium of spinach, and twice the potassium of a banana.

Caraili or bitter melon, contains a unique phyto-constituent that has been confirmed to have a hypoglycemic effect called charantin. There is also another insulin-like compound known as polypeptide P which have been suggested as insulin replacement in some diabetic patients.

Do you have a caraili memory from your childhood days? Leave me your comments below, as I’d love to know how many of you have a dislike for this as I do. And don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos and join us on Facebook (see images on the upper right side of this page)

Ground Provisions Exposed.

May 28, 2025January 4, 201128 Comments

In this post I’ll attempt to explain what “Ground Provisions” are, the part it plays in Caribbean cuisine and a simple recipe for preparing everyday ground provisions. In previous recipes I’ve shared, I’ve commented on using ground provisions and over time I’ve come to realize that I had left my readers a bit confused when I did. It’s one of those things where you assume everyone knows what you’re speaking about and don’t give it much thought.

Ground Provision, Provision, Blue Food, Dry Food, Food For The Back, Country Food… yes, I just had to add some more confusion to the mix. These are just some of the other names people use when the refer to ground provision in the Caribbean (BTW if you have a different name for ground provision, do share with us in the comments below). And though it’s called “Ground” not all the items are directly from the ground. Ground provision or provision is one of the main staples I grew up on living in Trinidad and Tobago. That rice and flour made up a major part of our diet. I guess it can be compared to the way potato is used globally.

So what is considered provisions? Yam, Sweet potato, eddoes, dasheen, taro, tania, cassava, breadfruit, plantain, moko and green fig (banana). And for the most part, the most common way of preparing the majority of items, is by boiling. Like in the recipe I’m about to share below…

You’ll Need…

4 medium eddoes
4 medium sweet potatoes
1 taro (about 2lbs)
1 teaspoon salt

* I went looking for dasheen in the grocery store and saw what I thought was dasheen, but they had it labeled as Taro.
* Tip – When working with ground provisions, it’s best if you rub some cooking oil all over your hands or use a pair of latex gloves, as you may find that your hands may itch from handling them when peeling.

Peel the eddoes, sweet potato and taro and cut into chunky pieces, but make sure they’re about the same size (I usually just cut the sweet potato and eddoes in halves) so they cook uniformly. If you’re peeling them in advance of cooking, be sure to place them in a deep bowl and cover with cool water to prevent them from going discoloured.

I’ve seen where people put a pot of water to boil, then add the provisions, but I much prefer to place the peeled provisions into a deep pot, cover with water and then bring to a boil on a high heat. When it comes to a boil, you then add the salt and turn the heat down to a simmer.

As it boils you’ll notice some stuff start to settle at the top, that’s mainly starch and other impurities that you can spoon off and discard.

Allow this to boil for about 20 minutes or until you can pierce through a piece with a sharp knife without any resistance. While cooking this taro I noticed that it did cook faster than the sweet potato and eddoes, so I would suggest you either remove the taro after 15 minutes or so, or add them to the pot after the other provisions have been cooking for about 5 minutes. I much prefer removing, as if you add it during the cooking process it will lower the heat within the pot and you’ll have to adjust the heat.

The next step is to drain as you would if you were boiling potatoes and then enjoy. The options now are endless as you can re-fry these as I did in the “yam recipe” and the “cassava” recipe or eat them with stewed meats, make a pie as I saw being made in Tobago with bread fruit or simply top with some butter and/or cheese and enjoy. Two classic combinations for ground provisions are provision with tomato and salt fish and provision with saltfish buljol. And if you like eddoes, be sure to check out the eddoes talkari recipe I shared a while back.

With the provision I cooked above I had it with stewed pork – see pic below:

One of the things the majority of us from the Caribbean miss when we leave the shores of our beautiful islands is definitely the abundance and ease of getting fresh ground provisions. Whenever I get homesick I rush out to the many ethnic grocery stores to find some yam, dasheen, eddoes, green bananas or cassava (as a last resort only) and if I’m lucky I can score a breadfruit. A classic “oil down” using breadfruit simmered in stewed pork and coconut milk is the ultimate in comfort food for me. Not only is it packed with many layers of flavours, but it takes me back to my childhood when my dad and his friends would be up all night playing “all fours” and the menu for the night was oil down.

Yes, provisions makes up a huge part of everyday Caribbean culture and cuisine… what would Saturday soup be without provision?

During world war 2 when everything imported was rationed, my dad told me that provision was “king”, as there wasn’t much rice and flour entering the islands. And those who once frowned on what was considered “poor or country people” food, had no choice to to resort to eating it.

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