Were we making ceviche all along?
I think I was about 9 years old the very first time I had the opportunity to sample one of the Friday night rituals in Marabella. A small town, known for it’s vibrant weekend market and the hub for oil workers after work on a Friday evening. That ritual being “oyster cocktails”. A spicy drink made from oysters harvested that day in the Gulf Of Paria (eastern shores of Trinidad). You’d go over to the stall that sold it and had to choose how spicy, how large and what type of additional seasons you wanted as you placed your order. Street food at it’s best!
The stalls would be lined up around the same area (Marabella round-about) that had people also selling doubles, roast corn, black pudding and many other delectable delights! The hardest thing was deciding which option to go with. However, the Oyster Cocktail was merely used as an appetizer… as far as I knew. Later on I learned that the older folks considered it an aphrodisiac and those with “plans” would stop by here first before going on their mission.
It’s been more than 20 years since I last had this, so what you’re about to experience is all from memory and what I could recall tasting (ingredients). I’m sure you may have a different version and I do encourage you to post yours in the comments box below.
You’ll need…
2 large oysters
3 pieces of chives (sliced thin)
1 clove of garlic (crushed, then minced)
1/2 large tomato – diced
1 large lemon (juice)
1 lime (juice)
1/4 cup cold water
1 teaspoon ketchup
dash black pepper
dash salt (as to your liking)
1 teaspoon soy sauce (optional)
3-5 leaves of shado beni or (3 tablespoons of cilantro minced)
1 habanero pepper (or your fav hot pepper)
Start by taking the oyster flesh from within the shell… if you notice there’s liquid in the shell, do keep that. Pour the oyster and any juices into a small container.
Now start by mincing all the ingredients into very small pieces. (garlic, chives, tomato, shado beni and habanero – include the seeds for that extra PUNCH!)
Place all the minced items in a bowl.
Go back to the bowl you have the Oysters in and place in on a cutting surface. Like everything else, you want to mince the 2 oysters as well.
Add everything into the bowl. Remember to get the oyster juice from the original container you had the oysters sitting in before you minced them. Now all the other ingredients, including the juice of the lime and lemon. Don’t forget the water and to taste for salt.
Mix everything around and allow to marinate a bit. I usually place it in a plastic container with a screw type lid into the fridge. How to serve? Get out those fancy “shot” glasses you’ve been collecting and fill each with a shot of this spicy aphrodisiac, then just before dinner serve chilled.
BTW, do you see the similarity to ceviche?
Swiss chard with an inkling of salted cod and garlic.
There are so many things I’d never touch even with a 10ft pole as a child, but I find myself having cravings for the very same things as I grew older. Fish, Fried Ochro, Pumpkin, Water Cress and any of the more stronger tasting greens like Chorai. But I’ve always been a huge fan of dasheen bush baggie (sp) and due to necessity, I’ve grown very fond of Swiss Card. To this day I still won’t touch “Caraili” or in most cases cooked goat. I can only imagine how dificult it was for my mom having to cook to please the appetite of 4 children. It’s a good thing both my mom and dad never made a fuss about food.
Every spring one of the first plants to hit the dirt in our small backyard garden is Swiss Chard. I usually go overboard by planting too much and end up having more than I could possibly cook in one season. At least Caron’s friend’s mom loves the stuff and accepts the extras without any force 🙂
You’ll need…
1 bundle Swiss Chard (wash and cut – see image below)
1 chili pepper (optional)
2 tablespoon coconut cream (optional)
Salt * Only if you don’t use the salted cod.
dash black pepper
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves garlic crushed/sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 tablespoon salted cod (optional) * please excuse my measurement.. I didn’t know how else to explain this.
Start by washing each leaf of the chard under running water. The chard we get here in Canada seems to have been grown in sandy soil, so washing is very important. Cut out the tips of the stalk (area that may be brown or discolored) but don’t remove all the white stem..we’ll be using that as well. Grab a few leaves and wrap them tightly, then with a sharp knife on a cutting board, start slicing into thin strips.
After you’ve sliced the entire bundle of Chard, place in a drainer and run cold water over it again to ensure any sand/dirt is completely removed.
Peel and sliced the garlic and onion, as well as the chili pepper.
I usually soak the piece of salted cod in hot water for about 10 minutes, then I strip into pieces.
Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan under med-high heat. Then add the strips of salted cod and allow to cook from about 3 minutes. Then add the onion, garlic and chili. Allow this to cook until it starts going golden brown (about 3-5minutes).
At this point you can start adding the sliced Swiss chard to the pot. It will pile up quite a bit, but as it cooks, it will decrease in size. Keep adding as it goes down in size. Then cover the pot and allow to cook on a low heat. it will release it’s own natural juices. Don’t forget to add a dash of black pepper.
After about 15 minutes or so, add the coconut cream and stir everything around so the cream gets to flavor everything. Continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes (until all the liquid dries up and everything starts to melt). You may prefer to keep things a bit more crunchy (like a stir fry). The choice is yours… just control the cooking time.
* Salt – since I added the salted codfish, there will be no need for adding additional salt. However if you choose not to use the fish, please taste and add salt as to your liking. The coconut cream (milk) is also optional, but I find that it really enhances the dish so I do recommend that you do use it.
I’d love to hear from you. please leave me your comments in the box below or send me a message by clicking on the contact link above.
Succulent herb and lemon roasted chicken.
Though roasting is usually reserved for the oven, this one can also be prepared on the BBQ. Providing you know how to control the heat on your grill. I’m still to test it on the rotisserie gizmo I have for our grill, but I’m sure it’ll be just as delicious. I’ll probably get the neighbors peeping over the fence when the aroma hits them! Remember that old cereal commercial with the toucan..”follow your nose”? Toucan Sam was his name I think.
Warning! Speaking about “following your nose” be sure that your family is not at home while you cook this up. During the roasting time, the entire house will be filled with the amazing fragrance of herb, lemon and garlic. You’ll get tired of hearing “how much longer before we eat?”.
You’ll need…
1 Chicken (about 4 to 5 lbs)
1/4 tea spoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 bunch of fresh thyme (about 6 sprigs)
1/2 medium onion (cut in chunks)
3 cloves of garlic (slightly crushed)
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup water or chicken stock
1 lemon
Let’s start by preheating the oven to 450 F, while we prepare the chicken for roasting. Wash and pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Then slightly crush the garlic (leave skin on if you wish), wash the thyme ( I got mine fresh from the garden, so I had to wash off the dirt), peel and cut the onion into 1/4 pieces and cut the lemon into quarters.
With the chicken “neck side” down – so you’re able to access the cavity, start by squeezing the lemon. Allow the juice to go into the cavity, then stuff with the garlic, onion, thyme and the lemon pieces that you just used the juice. The final step is to sprinkle the entire chicken with the salt, pepper and paprika. Then with your fingers, rub the butter on the breast and legs (basically the top side). Place the chicken in a roasting pan, with the breast side up so it’s resting on it’s back and place in the now hot oven. Add the water or chicken stock to the bottom of the pan to prevent any burning until the chicken starts to release it’s own oils and juices. Please keep the temp at 450 for about 20 minutes, then reduce to 375 and cook for another 1 hour and 10 minutes.
After cooking for the remaining hour and 10 minutes, you may find that it’s not as golden brown as you’d like. Feel free to turn on the broil setting in your oven and cook for another 5 minutes or so or until you achieve the golden colour you desire.
Note: During the entire cooking process I had the lid placed on my roasting pan. However when it came time for the broil setting, I did remove the lid. When your chicken is done roasting, do remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for about 10-15 minutes before you carve it. This will allow the meat to rest and prevent the meat from going dry.
When you “rest” the cooked chicken do have it covered so it remains warm and does not dry off as it’s exposed.
I’d love to hear from you. Please leave me a comment in the comment box below.
An uncomplicated salad with some “bite”.
Do you ever wonder how things get their name? I remember my mom had a kitchen garden at the back of our house, where she’d grow things that usually ended up on our plate.. Things like herbs, peppers, tomato, eggplant, ground provisions etc. One of the peppers she grew was called “bird” pepper, which is known as Thai chili or Tabasco peppers here in north America. Why “bird”? not sure, but as a kid I do remember when the trees were laden with those bright red peppers, we’d see birds coming to feed on them. You’d also find these pepper trees in the most out-of-place spots. Simply because the birds would feed, digest and then wherever their dropping fell.. there was the chance that a tree would grow there.
Here’s a salad I started making a few years back to satisfy my taste for something fresh and spicy!
You’ll need…
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
2 medium ripe tomatoes (cut in wedges)
1/4 red onion (sliced thin)
1 leaf of shadow beni (optional) (sliced thin)
1/2 seedless (English)cucumber (about 6 inches) Sliced thin with skin on.
dash of black pepper (fresh cracked is best)
3-5 chili peppers (Thai, Tabasco or bird)
To control the heat of the pepper, you can cut them down the center, then using a spoon scrape off the seeds. I love the heat so all I do is slice the peppers, including the seeds. Wash and slice the tomatoes into wedges. If you have an English cucumber, wash and slice.. if you have a common cucumber all you have to do is cut it down the center and using a spoon, scrape the seeds out. Slice the red onion into very thin slices.
In a bowl, combine the pepper, vegetables, olive oil, black pepper. I don’t add salt to my version of this salad, but that’s because I don’t eat a lot of salt and your taste may be different. Add accordingly. If you do have shadow beni or cilantro you can add it at this point as well. I also have to say that I’ve seen people add red wine or balsamic vinegar, but like salt I don’t care for vinegar.
Do show some respect for the bird peppers, as they will have a bite to them!
A piquant green mango chutney.
As with any trip to Trinidad and Tobago, breakfast means sourcing out the best doubles in Port Of Spain as I usually arrive with a severe craving. I came to learn that the doubles vendors are not only judged on the size, texture and taste of the doubles itself, but what makes a doubles considered the “best” is the chutney and other accompanying hot sauces the vendor provides. Without that “good pepper”, an excellent doubles could easily go unnoticed.
Though I can’t make doubles (only a matter of time before I master that… hold tight) I do love me some mango chutney with my scrambled eggs and as a topping for a juicy t-bone steak! As a matter of fact you can use this spicy sauce as aside for just about everything (as you would normally use hotsauce). Opens up your appetite!
You’ll need…
2 green mangoes peeled. (1 diced and the other grated)
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon cilantro chopped (or shandow beni)
1 hot pepper (I used a full habanero with the seeds)
1 lime
In a bowl add the salt, hot pepper and garlic, then crush to a fine paste. For best results you can use a mortar and pestle. I usually slice the garlic and pepper to make this step easier.
Traditionally the mango chutney is usually grated, but I like a bit of texture so I grate one of the mangoes and the other I dice as if I were making a salsa. Makes a great combination. Wash and peel the mangoes and in a plate or bowl, begin to grate. Remember that the mango will have a seed, so you’ll have to work around it.
With care, dice the remaining mango. Do remember the pit or seed so your knife does not bounce off it and cause injury to you.
The final step is the combine everything. Don’t forget to add the juice of the lime (or lemon) and the chopped cilantro. Give it a good mix and check to see if more salt is required. ENJOY!
Be kind and leave me your comments and thoughts below. I’d love to hear from you.
Salted pig tails as comfort food?
I think I mentioned in a previous post that one of the most comforting things about growing up on the islands was the amazing thick and rich soups we enjoyed just about every Saturday. Pig tails, salt beef, chicken, beef, vegetarian, salted cod or the 2nd most favorite of mine… fish broth with tons of macaroni and green bananas. There were so many versions of making these soups that we never got tired of soup-Saturday!
Today I’d like to share one of the ways of making salted pig tails with split peas soup. I call this one a “loner soup”, since I can’t convince anyone else at home to eat it with me. More for me I guess! Our girls eat just about every dish I make that’s considered “Caribbean”, except they won’t touch ground provisions and/or salted meats like pig tail, beef or cod.
Note: Don’t be turned off by the ingredients, it’s an amazing soup that’s more like a North American stew. It’s heavy, full of chunks of root vegetables and very thick.
You’ll need…
1 1/2 lbs of salted pig tails (ask your butcher to cut into 2 inch pieces)
2 medium potatoes (peeled and diced)
3 eddoes (peeled and diced)
1 1/2 lbs yam (not the sweet stuff – ask for Caribbean yam)
1 cup split peas
8 cups of water
1 can coconut milk (about 1/2 cup)
1 carrot (peeled and diced)
2 sprigs of thyme
1 tablespoon of green seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 hot pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lime (juice)
EDIT (Jan 20 2010): I forgot to add 1 medium onion and 2 cloves of garlic to the ingredients list. Special thanks to Lygia for pointing this out to me. Chris…
Some optional ingredients. Feel free to add other ground provisions like cassava and green bananas as well as simple flour dumplins.
Let’s get started by washing the pieces of pig tails with the juice of the lime and water.After which place the pieces of meat into a deep sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 20 minutes. We’re trying to get rid of some of the brine/salt that the pig tails were cured in. After which you drain the water out and get ready for the next step in cooking (below).
While this is cooking, let’s dice the garlic and onion. Add the oil to a very deep saucepan (keep in mind how much ingredients we have to fit in there) and heat, then add the diced onion and garlic. When the onion is soft (translucent), add the pieces of pig tails that you boiled for 20 minutes before.
After about 3 minutes we can start adding some of the other ingredients like… black pepper, thyme, coconut milk, green seasoning and the hot pepper. Wash the split peas and also add this to the pot. The split peas and pig tails will take a long time to cook and get tender. Almost forgot… add the 8 cups of water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. This will now have to cook for about 1 hr.
Note: the picture above was taken before I added all the water. This is why my pot seems like it doesn’t have 8 cups of water.
While this is simmering away (pot covered) let’s peel and dice the vegetables we’ll be adding.
You can prepare this step before-hand, but remember to place the vegetable in a large bowl and cover with cold water to prevent them from going discolored. The next step is to now add the vegetables to the pot, bring back to a boil, then reduce back to a simmer. Allow this to continue cooking for about 20 minutes. I like my yams and potatoes well cooked, to the point where it’s melting away. I forgot to mention. Cut the ground provisions and vegetables into fairly big pieces.
Let’s recap the cooking time so you’re clear.
– boil pig tails for 20 minutes then drain
– cook onions etc for 3 minutes
– then cook (everything except the vegetables) for about 1 hr
– add vegetable and cook for a further 20 minutes.
NOTE: You’ll notice that I didn’t add any salt in the cooking process. This is because the pig tails should add enough salt to the entire dish, even though we already boiled it before. Feel free to taste at the end and add any additional salt if required. If there’s ever the chance that I need to add salt, I usually add about a teaspoon of “golden ray” margarine (salted butter).
The finished product…
Fiery creamy coconut curry shrimp.
You’re probably thinking… “but Chris, you’ve already posted a curry shrimp recipe” . But I assure you that one bite and you’ll experience how different this one is. Spicy, creamy and well balanced with coconut milk. I’m not a huge fan of coconut in my curry dishes as you find in most Asian dishes, as I like to get the real taste of the curry. It was late one night when I got a bad craving for curry shrimp when half-way through cooking I decided to add the coconut cream as I’ve seen done in similar dishes. The result was a rich creamy sauce that went well with the brown rice I had already prepared.
The only problem was a sleepless night. The dish was just too heavy for the time of the night I was done and got around to eating.
You’ll need…
– 1lb shrimp (peel and deveined)
– 1/8 teaspoon salt (add more to your liking if necessary)
– 1 habanero pepper – including seeds (or you control how hot you want this to be)
– dash black pepper
1 medium tomato
– 2 tablespoon cilantro minced
– 2 cloves of garlic (sliced thin)
– 1 teaspoon green seasoning mix (optional)
– 1 small can coconut cream (about 1/2 cup)
– 1 med onion (diced)
– 1 tablespoon oil
– 1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder (your choice)
Let’s season the shrimp with everything mentioned above, except the oil and coconut milk. Remember, to control the heat from the pepper you can remove the seeds and not use an entire pepper. I like this very spicy, so in goes an entire pepper. Mix everything together and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
In a medium saucepan (one with lid) heat the oil, then add the seasoned shrimp.
Cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Then it’s time to add the coconut cream.
With the heat on high, cook for another 5 minutes or so (till the shrimp goes pink and curls in) with the pot’s lid off. This way you’ll allow for the curry sauce to thicken up a bit.
Do share your thoughts on this recipe by leaving your comment or questions below.
It’s “thyme” you enjoyed stewed beef with a rich gravy.
What do you make that’s considered “comfort food” by your family? For me growing up it was a nice pig tail soup for Saturday lunch, thick with dumplings, ground provisions and split peas. I think our girls would say “beef with sauce (their way of saying gravy) and mashed potatoes” if I were to ask them the same question. Pretty similar to a North American style stew, but without all the vegetables, is how I could best describe this dish.
The result is a dish packed with tender pieces of beef since it’s cooked for a long time and a rich gravy that helps you appreciate boring mashed potatoes like you never thought possible.
* Disclaimer. This is NOT the traditional “stew beef” you’d find in Trinidad and Tobago or the other diverse islands that make up the Caribbean. I’ll post that recipe soon enough.
You’ll need….
1 lb beef (cubed)
1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes
3 cups beef stock
1 large carrot (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
3 sprigs thyme (include stems)
3 cloves garlic
salt to taste (normally the beef stock I use adds enough salt to the dish)
pinch of black pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 bay leaf
Let’s prepare the ingredients…
– peel and slice the carrot and onion
– peel and crush the garlic
– if you can’t find already packaged stewing beef in your grocery store, get any cheap piece of beef and cube into 1 inch pieces.
– 1/4 cup of cream (I usually use half and half)
In a deep saucepan add the oil and place over high heat. As soon a the oil heats up add the pieces of beef to brown. Keep moving around so every side gets in contact with the bottom of the pan and browns evenly.
This step can take about 10 minutes, depending on the type of pan you use and how high your heat is set. The next step is to add the sliced onions, garlic, carrots, pepper flakes and black pepper.
Turn the heat down a little and let cook for a couple minutes. Then add the thyme, bay leaf and beef stock. Try to ensure that you have enough liquid to cover everything in the pot. Now bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let cook for about 1.5 hours or until the beef is tender.
After everything’s been simmering for about 1.5 hours you should have a thickened gravy, now add the cream and cook for another 5 minutes. Then get ready to serve.
Remove the bayleaf and thyme sprigs and serve with mashed potatoes. Enjoy! remember to taste for salt.
Be sure to leave me your comments or questions.
The lazy man’s jerk pork recipe.
This recipe can be adopted for just about any of your favorite meats. Including, fish, beef, chicken and shrimp. I’ve never tested it on lamb, since I just can’t stand the flavor of lamb on the grill, as well as the tough texture. I was never a big lover of jerk in the past, but it’s not only becoming a fav for me, Tehya and Indy just loves the mouth watering “kick” you get from a good piece of jerk just off the grill. The key to me falling in love with jerk pork, must be credited to two things. 1 – how fast and simple this is to prepare. and 2 – how moist the finished product is the way I marinate the meat. I’m sure you know how dry pork can get when you don’t grill it properly… good pork on the grill usually requires a lot of patience, basting and time to slow cook. Beside the time to marinate, this one is super fast!
A three ingredient recipe? Let’s get cooking!
You’ll need…
– 3 pork chops
– 3-4 tablespoon “Grace” jerk marinade.
– 1/2 lime or lemon for washing the pork.
Remove the pork and wash with water and the lime or lemon juice. You can also use about 2 tablespoons of vinegar if you wish. It’s important that you take a paper towel and dry off the water from washing. Then take a fork and pierce the pork through on both sides.. about 6 times each.
With the pork pierced, we can add the jerk marinade. Be sure to mix everything well, so it’s all coated. The piercing will allow the marinade to work it’s way through the meat while it marinates. This is the key to not ending up with a dry cardboard-like finished product. Now cover and let marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hr. If you’re in a rush – let marinate for about 10 minutes or so.
Get the grill ready by reaching a temp of about 400 F or so. If your grill is famous for sticking, you can spray some cooking spray (pam) or brush the grill with some oil.
Cover the grill and let cook about 8-10 minutes on each side. Don’t worry, with the technique we used for marinating, the meat will NOT dry out. Be sure to flip over to cook both sides and keep an eye out for flare-ups!
That’s it, you’re done! Enjoy with a nice side of salad and rice.. or whatever you feel like eating. Works great with potato or pasta salad as well.
BONUS!
How to get perfect grill marks
Place your pork directly onto a hot grill for a few minutes. Then using tongs or a spatula give your steak a quarter turn to create the second set of marks, resulting in a crisscross pattern. When it’s time to flip the steak, repeat the process of grilling for a few minutes and then give it a quarter turn.
Some grill masters claim that lightly brushing the grill with olive oil results in nice dark marks. You may need to practice a few times before mastering the art of presentation, but the good news—even the pork with not-so-perfect grill marks will still taste great.
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