As we continue with the refreshing summer drinks series, I thought I’d share a drink my mom would make for us on those hot weekend days when we were home from school. She would boil the skin of the pineapple (after it was washed) in water, then strain and use that liquid as the base of the drink. In those days the oranges and pineapple came from our backyard and the honey was from wild honey my dad would harvest in old Immortelle tress scattered though the cocoa and coffee estates in my village.
You’ll Need…
1 large pineapple (ripe)
5-7 oranges
1 lime
2 tablespoons honey (to your liking)
4-6 drops Angostura Bitters
1 cup water
2-4 cups carbonated water
IMPORTANT! In my version I won’t be using the skin of this pineapple as our mom would normally do, as I’m not sure if where it was grown if it was sprayed with insecticide while still on the plant. With the texture of the pineapple skin, it would be impossible to wash it all out if it was.
Remove the skin off the pineapple and cut into cubes to help it break down easier in your blender. It’s ok to include the core. Put the cubes in the blender with the water and puree until smooth.
Now juice the orange and lime into the jug you’ll be serving the juice in.
Using a fine strainer, strain the pineapple juice into the jug. You may need to help it through with a spoon. Discard the pulp.. or use it in making muffins.
Skim off any foam (or wait for it to settle), then go in with the honey and bitters and stir well. Finally go in with the carbonated water and stir gently so we don’t loose too much of the bubbles.
Keeping in mind that your pineapple and/or oranges may not be as sweet as the ones I used, so do taste and add a bit more honey if needed. If it’s a bit tart add a pinch of salt. Serve with ice cubes (crushed is best) or chill in the fridge before serving (stir before serving as it may settle). I used a raw organic honey, but you’re free to use whatever sweetener you have/like. Toss in 1/2 cup (or more) of coconut rum (Malibu comes to mind) if making this for grown folks.
If you’re hosting friends this summer for a backyard BBQ, you’ll definitely want to ensure these grilled shrimp takes priority on your menu. A quick bath in a wicked fruity marinade, then we’ll grill them quickly over a propane flame (wood or charcoal works great too) so they fully cooked but still plump and juicy. The natural sugars from the orange and mango juice combined with the slight kick from the hot smoked paprika, will have your family and guests begging for more.
You’ll Need…
1 lb medium shrimp
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
1 lemon (zest only)
1/2 teaspoon seas salt
1/4 cup orange juice
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 scallion (chopped fine)
4-6 sprigs thyme
1/3 cup mango juice
* Soak about 6-8 bamboo skewers in water for about 2 hrs.
* Learn how to peel and devein shrimp << Video Tutorial.
Peel and devein the shrimp, but try to leave on the tail part, rinse with cool water and get ready to marinate.
Then in a large bowl mix together all the other ingredients with a whisk, then go in with the cleaned shrimp. Allow the shrimp to marinate for about 10 minutes.. any longer and we risk the acid from the orange juice to start cooking them prematurely.
I usually use about 4 shrimp per skewer.. holding the thick side of the shrimp and treading it to just below the part of the shrimp where we didn’t peel off the shell (watch the video below). Depending on how large your shrimp are, you can use 3 or 4. Do remember to soak your bamboo skewers in water so they don’t burn easily on the grill. Yes you can always use metal skewers.
I started with one burner on my propane grill on high to bring it up to temperate, then a minute or two before I placed the shrimp on, I turned it down to low. I like grilling shrimp over a direct flame, but since they cook very quickly… it’s usually a low flame I employ. You can oil the grill before you start grilling so the shrimp won’t stick to the grate. Yes, I reserved the marinade for brushing onto the shrimp as they cook.
Over the direct flame (low) it will take between 5-6 minutes to cook and not be chewy. Baste with the marinade for the first couple minutes, then stop as we don’t want to put raw marinade over the shrimp when it’s close to being fully cooked. Remember to flip them a couple times.
The length of time you grill the shrimp will depend on how large your shrimp are, the intensity of the flame/heat and how you prefer your grilled shrimp to be. But using my method above is an excellent guide. Yes, you can grill these off on the stove-top in a greased grill pan with great success (just don’t crowd the pan).
One of my favorite drinks as a young fella growing up on the islands, which I also passed on to my daughters (they prefer the sorrel version) is Shandy. Cold, refreshing and simply delicious… on those hot summer days when the mercury starts climbing up the 30’s (Celsius). While this version is alcoholic and best kept away from the kids, there’s no reason why you can’t make the kids version with non-alcoholic beer as the version I grew up enjoying.
You’ll Need…
3-4 beers (your fav – bottle or can)
5 slices of ginger
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate (about 1 1/3 cups)
1 lemon (sliced)
Place the slices of ginger and lemon in a large jug or container you’ll be serving the Shandy from, then tip the container to the side and gently pour the beer in (watch the video below).
Feel free to use a cheap beer or one you enjoy and I must mention that a Lager works best. After you’ve gone in with the ginger, lemon and beer, it’s time to add the lemonade concentrate (thawed) and stir well to combine all the flavors. While stirring I try to bruise the ginger the lemon slices to allow the flavors to really come out.
Try to use the lemonade while it’s still a bit slushy so it chills the overall Shandy and you won’t require ice when serving. Additionally I chilled the beer, lemon and ginger too. I find by adding ice cubes to it really takes away from the bold flavors I enjoy. I guarantee you this will be your new drink for the summer. Don’t be surprised if you’re asked by friends for the recipe and the lazy ones will simply ask you to bring a pitcher along. You can easily double or triple this recipe for a more “tusty” crowd.
As we kick off another edition of our annual “July Month of Grilling”, I thought I’d hit you with a recipe we first did in the oven during the early days of this website. However this time we’ll try to replicate that authentic pimento wood flavor as you’d normally get at jerk joints in Jamaica. Yes, it’s time for the Ultimate Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings. The marinade and technique can also be used on larger pieces of chicken with great success. But for now let’s rock some of the best chicken wings you’ll ever make/serve.
You’ll Need…
5 lbs chicken wings
2 limes
3-5 scallions
1/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1-2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 scotch bonnet peppers
1 med onion
3 cloves garlic
2 thick slices ginger
1 teaspoon allspice (+ add 8 berries)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
10 sprigs thyme
3/4 lb wood chips + tin foil + allspice berries (for the smoke pouch)
Important! If making this jerk marinade gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure it meets with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the soy sauce.. use a gluten free version please.
Give the garlic, onion, scallions and scotch bonnet peppers a rough chop, then place in your blender or food processor. Remember to wear gloves when handling the scotch bonnet peppers and wash your hands immediately after with soap and water. Additionally, you can leave out the seeds if you want to control the heat a bit. Add the juice of the limes along with everything else (except the chicken wings and stuff for the smoke pouch) into the food processor.
Instead of the sugar you can use honey, maple syrup or any of your fav sweetener. I like to pulse the food processor so I get a sort of chunky marinade at the end. However you can go as smooth as you like. This marinade will keep in the fridge for at least a week (in the event you want to make it in advance). I used a combination of allspice berries and powder (aka pimento).
Pour the marinade over the chicken wings (you can use a large zipper bag). Give it a good mix and place the fridge overnight. Feel free to mix it around if you remember during the night.
I like using my hands to work the marinade on the wings, but I’d recommend using gloves if you do. To help us achieve that lovely pimento smoke you expect to taste in good Jamaican Jerk, we’ll need to create a smoke pouch. I don’t have access to pimento wood, so I usually use a combination of (hard) fruit wood and pimento berries (see the video below). Soak the wood chips of your choice with the berries for a few hours in a bowl with water.
Remove the wings from the fridge about 30 minutes before you’re ready to grill. Using tin foil create a pouch with the wood and pimento berries. Seal and poke with a fork so you’ll have some holes for the smoke to escape and perfume the grill. I used a propane grill, but you can use a charcoal grill with better results.
I placed the smoke pouch directly over my flame, covered my grill and ensured I saw smoke before I got the wings on. After I saw smoke I turned my heat down to low. I have two levels on my grill so the wings went on the top rack and the smoke pouch directly below them. While they were directly above the heat source, they did’t get raw heat as the heat was low and the smoke pouch shielded them a bit. You’re free to grill these with indirect heat.
With the lid closed I kept the wings on the top level for about 35 minutes. Remember to move them around so they cook evenly. I then moved the pouch to the side and moved the wings to the lower level of my grill. To help them develop some color and fully cook over the direct heat. My heat was at about 325 F.
Here is where you MUST keep a close eye on the wings or they will burn. Slightly charred edges is perfect.. but NOT burnt. The sugars in the marinade will encourage it to burn fast. I kept them on the lower level for 10-15 minutes. It will depend on the size of the wings you use.
While I didn’t mention it in the video below, I’d recommend drizzling on some fresh lime or lemon juice just before you remove these jerk wings from the grill. It will help to brighten them up a bit with that kick of citrus. Feel free to add some water, beer or apple juice to the bag you marinated the wings in and use that to baste the wings as they grill. IMPORTANT! Remember the raw chicken was in that marinade, so stop using it to baste-on after about 25 minutes. You really need to cook out any rawness.
That smoke punch will make a huge difference and YES I really want you to marinate the wings overnight for maximum flavor.
We have an abundance of outstanding fruits in the Caribbean so it’s only natural that we make some of the best punch/drinks in the world. Debatable? Absolutely not! That brilliant Caribbean sunshine allows us to enjoy juicy, sweet and refreshing fruits, fresh off the tree. Unfortunately.. for some reason we’re still addicted to ‘sugar’ as a people and it’s truly a shame as there are ways we can avoid the use of additional sugars in our drinks.
* It’s very important that the watermelon, mango and oranges are sweet, so you don’t have to add any added sweetener.
You’ll Need…
1 med/large watermelon
1-2 cups mango (ripe)
3-5 oranges
2 grapefruit
2 limes
1 lime
3-5 drops of mixed essence (almond extract will work great)
* Add a few drops of bitters if you’d like a slightly different taste (wonderful). If you feel the need to add a sweetener, I’d recommend agave or honey.. pure cane sugar will also work well.
As we did when making the watermelon juice, you’ll need to cut the watermelon into chunks and puree into a liquid. I added the cubed mango into the blender at the same time as the watermelon (my mango was frozen)
Strain the watermelon/mango juice into a large bowl (to remove any thick pulp) and get ready to juice the other ingredients into the same bowl. Now add the juice from the oranges, grapefruit, lime and lemons. Stir well and skim off any frothy bit at the top of the bowl.
Go in with the mixed essence, place in a jug and chill in the fridge for a few hours so you don’t have to water-down by adding ice when it’s served to your guests this summer. In case you’re wondering, mixed essence is basically distilled water, oil of almond, pineapple, pear, vanilla, strawberry, citric acid, caramel and sodium benzoate.
With only the natural sugars from the fruits, it’s a more healthy choice for you and your children, so there’s no real guilt if they have a glass or two on those hot summer days. Before you do anything else, you can go and toss out those packages of Kool Aid you have. Go in with a bit or orange liquor and rum (tequila will work too) and you have the makings for a super adult beverage.
Here’s a quick and simple chicken dish I usually make during the cooler months when I can use the oven without overheating the entire house. During the summer months these marinated chicken pieces also make its way onto my outdoor grill. The key with this recipe is the spiced rub we marinate the chicken with for maximum Caribbean appeal. If you decide to rock these on your outdoor grill, I’d recommend cooking them on an indirect heat or you’ll risk burning the spices and you won’t like the outcome.
Important! If doing this recipe gluten free please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.
Grate the orange zest into a small bowl. Tip: If the oranges you have access to is coated with wax (looks bright and shiny) , avoid using them for zesting – try to get an organic orange without any wax coating. Mix in all the other ingredients (except the chicken pieces) to form a moist rub.
Now go ahead and rub the chicken pieces with the rub (wear a gloves if you have sensitive skin.. the pepper flakes can cause issues), cover and place in the fridge to marinate for about 4 hours.
As your oven pre-heat to 400 F remove the seasoned chicken from the fridge and allow it to come back to room temperature. I used a wire rack on a baking sheet to roast these off. This will allow for the hot air to circulate around the chicken pieces and cook evenly. Try to place then on a single layer and with a bit of space between each. You may want to line your baking sheet with tin foil for easier clean up after (the sheet is to catch any drippings) and you can use some cooking spray or brush on some vegetable oil on your wire rack. If you don’t have a wire rack, use a tinfoil-lined baking tray brushed with some vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
At 400 F and on the middle rack of the oven, the chicken will take between 1 hour and 1 hr and 15 minutes. Depending on the size of your drumsticks.
While these are excellent done in the oven and outdoor grill, if you have a smoker.. that’s where you’ll really have some fun with this recipe. BTW this rub works great on ribs and other cuts of pork as well… and you’re not confined to only using the drumsticks of the chicken. If using thighs or breasts, do adjust the cooking time accordingly.
After making a fresh batch of Epis (zepis)I decided to put it to use on some boneless chicken breast I had thawing in the sink for dinner. If you’ve ever struggled with dry and bland chicken breast (say chicken chest in the Caribbean) you’ll definitely want to give this recipe a try. Moist, tender and packed with flavors of that Haitian Epis. I’m not sure if there’s an actual Epis Chicken recipe in Haiti, but I was thoroughly impressed with this one.
You’ll Need…
3 skinless/boneless chicken breast
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt (add more to your liking)
1 tablespoon Haitian Epis
2 tablespoon coconut oil
Important! If making this dish gluten free, be sure to go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.
Season the cleaned chicken breasts with the salt, black pepper and Epis. Mix well and allow to marinate for 2 hours.
In a wide pan (one with a lid) heat the coconut oil (or use your fav oil) on a medium flame, then add the seasoned chicken breasts to the pot. Yes, it’s ok if the marinade goes in too. Immediately turn the heat down to low and cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip.
Now place the lid on the pot and cook on LOW for about 10-12 minutes. Depending on the thickness of your chicken breast, they should be near cooked. Remove the lid and cook on medium/high for another 5-8 minutes to burn off any excess liquid which would form naturally and to give the chicken a golden color.
Do remember to flip to brown and cook evenly. I then removed them from the pan and allowed it to rest for about 4 minutes before I sliced though. In the meantime I made a quick pan gravy in the same pan I pan roasted the chicken.
By seasoning and slow cooking you’re guaranteed to get tasty and moist chicken, without any fuss.
I had a recent request via Instagram asking for tips on cooking curry shrimp. According to the person who contacted me, they encounter over-cooked and bland shrimp every time they give it a go in the kitchen. It got to the point where they’ve now given up on ever cooking curry shrimp again. I can assure you that if you also encounter this problem, you’re not alone. Experience also tells me that even many of the West Indian restaurants also get it wrong the majority of time.
My 5 tips for perfecting curry shrimp.
You’ll Need…
1 lb shrimp (clean + deveined)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (diced)
2 scallions
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small onion (diced)
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon veg oil (see tip below)
1/2 medium tomato (diced)
5 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
1/4 teaspoon salt (adjust)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cloves garlic (diced)
Place the cleaned shrimp in a bowl and get ready to season/marinate. TIP 1. Do NOT marinate more than 10 minutes. Season with the 1/4 the curry powder, tomato, scotch bonnet pepper, scallions, salt, black pepper and thyme. Mix well and marinate for no more than 10 minutes or you’ll risk it starting to cook prematurely.
Heat a non stick pan on a med/high flame and go in with the veg oil. TIP 2 .. by using a non stick pan we’ll considerably reduce the amount of veg oil we use in cooking this curry. Turn the heat down to low and go in with the diced onion, 2 minutes later go in with the diced garlic (cook for 30 seconds). With your heat still on low it’s now time to add the cumin seeds, cook for 2 minutes then add the curry powder to the pan. TIP 3. Cook the curry powder on low for about 3-5 minutes. This will cook out any raw curry taste and allow the spices which makes up the curry blend to bloom (most flavor).
Turn the heat back up to med/high and add the seasoned shrimp to the pan and mix well. Basically you want to coat each shrimp with that lovely curry base we created. TIP 4.. cook on a relatively high heat.
Do NOT cover the pan/pot! TIP 5.. if you were to cover the pan the shrimp will spring a lot of liquid which will take long to burn off. The goal is to cook the shrimp (remember we already have that flavor-packed base) very quickly so they are plump and juicy when we’re done. I usually cook the shrimp at this point for 3-5 minutes, depending on the size.
Turn off the heat, move the pan off the burner and top with the chopped cilantro. Should you want a bit of gravy with this curry shrimp you can remove the shrimp after 3 minutes, add 1/2 cup of water or coconut milk.. bring to a boil and cook for a couple minutes. When you have a desired thickness to your sauce, you can add back the shrimp and warm through. Don’t over-cook please. Adjust the salt accordingly.
As a kid growing up on the islands coconut oil was a norm. Not just for cooking, but it was our choice of skin lotion / moisturizer and it was also part of our daily hair treatment. If memory servers me correct I think my my sisters also used it in making their version of cocoa butter and different types of fragrant soaps. During my most recent trip to the islands dad shared his technique for making coconut oil as it was passed on to him from my great grand parents.
* In a future post I’ll show you a more modern way to make this, but for now let’s look at the traditional way. Please follow along by watching the video below.
We had about 12-15 dried coconuts with the husk. Using a machete dad removed the outer husk, then cracked the dried coconut in half. He didn’t remove the hard outer shell as the device he would be using to remove the ‘meat (white coconut kernel) didn’t require the removal of the hard shell.
Basically all he did was grate the dried coconut meat into shreds.
This is how it would be traditionally grated. Remove the hard outer shell so all you have are pieces of dried coconut ‘meat’ and grate on a box or homemade grate (as in the pic below).
With all the coconuts grated it’s now time to separate the milk from the grated coconut.
Place the grated coconut in a large bucket and pour in about 8-10 cups of water. Massage with your hands. Then grab a handful and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Place the grated coconut that you’ve already squeezed out in another bucket.. we’ll do the same process again.
After you’ve squeezed out all the liquid, strain and set aside. Add back about 5 cups of water to the grated coconut for a second round of separation. Then strain again and mix with the first batch of coconut milk. BTW, you just made coconut milk.
Typically you’d now leave the coconut milk in the bowls overnight to develop the cream. Instead we placed the bowls with the coconut milk in the fridge as it speeds up the process. Basically the ‘fat’ will rise to the top and be easy to separate from the water.
IMPORTANT.. you can add this liquid immediately to a pot over a high flame and cook down. However it will take too much time and energy.
After a couple hrs in the fridge, it’s now time to skim off the coconut fat or cream. The time in the fridge means the liquid would have settled and the fat would have come to the surface. Using a large spoon, remove the tick top layer (try to not get too much water) and place in a heavy pot. You can then discard that water/liquid that’s left back.
Put the pot with the coconut fat/cream on a med/him flame and all we have to do now is burn off all the liquid/water until we start seeing the oil.
It will take between 1.5 and 2 hours.. depending on the yield of fat you got and amount of water you used. Keep the heat at about med/high and stir often. The goal it to remove all the water or the finished coconut oil will go rancid fast (have a short shelf life). You will end up with a bit of residue (I don’t recall the name my dad called it, but he gave me some on crackers to eat.. quite sweet and tasty). To ensure he got all the water out, he removed the oil from the residue and placed it in another pot on a medium flame for about 10 minutes. The longer you cook it the darker the oil can potentially go.
Basically all you have to do now is allow the oil to cool for a couple hours, then strain into sterilized bottles.
Should my instructions be confusing, please refer to the video below. Special thanks to my dad for the knowledge. The homemade coconut oil can last for months as long as you burned off all the water and used a sterilized bottle/container to store it. No need to place this in the fridge.
Here’s a dish I usually reach for when I’m homesick for the Caribbean and I need something comforting. Served with rice, pasta, ground provisions, roasted breadfruit or even garlic mashed potatoes, this coconut stewed beef is simply heavenly. While we didn’t eat a lot of beef when I was growing up on the islands (we didn’t like the taste of fresh butchered beef), the occasional time mom would fix this for dinner. it was always a hit. Since we’ll slowly braise this for some time, you can use a very cheap cut of beef if you wanted.
You’ll Need…
4 lbs beef (1 inch cube)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 teaspoon grated ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Habanero pepper (any spicy pepper you like)
1.5 cups coconut milk
1.5 cups water
2 scallions (chopped)
4-6 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 medium onion (diced)
1 tablespoon veg oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar (golden)
Season your washed/cubed pieces of beef with the salt, habanero pepper, ketchup, onion, Caribbean Green Seasoning, Worcestershire and grated ginger. Mix well and allow to marinate for a couple hours. You can add a diced tomato if you wish.. the acidity is excellent in the mix. Don’t use any of the seeds of the habanero pepper if you’re concerned about the raw heat and remember to wash your hands immediately after with soap and water.
Heat the vegetable oil on a high flame in a heavy pot (one with a lid). Then add the brown sugar and stir. The sugar will melt, go frothy, then amber in color. Do NOT proceed if it goes darker or the finished dish will have a terrible burnt taste. This step is what we know as ‘stewing’ in the Caribbean (watch the video below). As it goes amber in color, start adding the seasoned beef to the pot and stir well to coat.
As it comes up to a boil, reduce the heat to med/low, cover the pot and let it go for about 10 minutes. After which it’s time to burn off all the natural liquid it will sprout. Remove the lid and crank up the heat. This will give us that rich color and flavor we’re looking for.
The goal is the make sure there’s no more liquid at the bottom of the pot (you should see the veg oil we started off with). Toss in the scallions and thyme and give it a good stir. Now add the water (swish the water in the same bowl you marinated the beef in to pick up any remaining marinade), then add the coconut milk.
With your heat still on high, bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer, cover the pot and allow it to cook until the pieces of beef are tender. This should take between 1 hour and fifteen to thirty minutes. Depends of the size of your beef pieces, the cut of beef and how old the animal was before they butchered it. Remember to stir every 15-20 minutes.
In my case it took about 1 hr and 10 mins for the pieces of beef to be tender and the gravy to be the consistency I like. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly.. you can also top with some additional chopped scallions to brighten it up a bit. Enjoy!
Fork tender and packed with flavors of the Caribbean, this coconut stewed beef is guaranteed to be a hit with your family… as it is with mine. You can certainly stretch this dish with some carrots and/or potatoes, but you’ll have to adjust the seasoning a bit.
While this is my take on the iconic Haitian Griot, it’s heavily influenced by the way my friend’s mom would make it when I’d find excuses to stay to play Super Mario at their apartment. Pieces of pork (usually a cheap cut with marbling of fat) seasoned with herbs, braised until tender and finally fried until golden and crisp. Back in those days playing Nintendo and patiently waiting for his mom to ask if I’d stay for dinner, my mind was never far from the Pikliz (Picklese) which automatically made it’s way on the table.
You’ll Need…
3-4 lbs pork (cheap cut)
1 lime or lemon (to wash the pork)
3/4 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
5 sprigs thyme
5 cloves
1 tablespoon Epis
1 cup sour orange juice
2 cloves garlic (diced)
2 medium onions (diced)
1 scallion (chopped)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (chopped)
* If you cannot source the sour-orange juice, you can use the juice of 1 lime and an orange combined.
Cut the pieces of pork into 1 inch pieces and wash with the lime or lemon juice along with some cool water. Drain well and season with all the ingredients mentioned above. Stir well, then place in a pot with a lid and on a medium flame.
You’ll notice that I included Epis zepizs into my recipe, which for some is not traditional (varies), but since I had some in the fridge I opted for that extra layer of flavor. Place the lid on the pot and bring to a boil. As soon as it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer (lid on) and cook for about 40 minutes or until the pieces of pork are tender. I used a boneless piece of pork, but can opt for pork with bones.
After about 40 minutes remove off the flame, drain and allow to air dry for a bit.
Heat about 2 cups of vegetable oil in a pan (I may have not mentioned that in the ingredient list) on a med/high heat, then add the pieces of pork. It’s important that the pork is dry or the hot oil could potentially jump back at you and you’ll get burned. Fry for about 3-5 minutes – basically until golden with crisp edges.
Drain on paper towels and serve warm. If you wanted you can sprinkle on some salt while it’s still hot.. personally the salt we seasoned it with from the start was enough for me. I cut the scotch bonnet pepper to get the full blast of the Caribbean Sunshine, but you can float it whole (don’t break) for a gentle kick. Remember to remove the pepper before draining/frying and to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such lethal peppers.
My favorite way to enjoy Griot is on sandwiches, topped with Picklese!
Another Pepper Shrimp recipe Chris? Yea, it’s definitely one of my weaknesses when it comes to snacking. We’ve gone though about 4 different styles of pepper shrimp to date, but I must admit that this one is my absolute favorite. And to be quite honest, it’s not only super easy to make, it’s also super-quick to put together. On it’s own as a snack, as a side to fried rice or stir fried noodles or on sandwiches, you’ll love this shrimp recipe. You can be the BOSS when it comes to how HOT you make it.
Peel, devein and wash the shrimp.Drain dry and coat with the black pepper, salt and corn starch.
This will cook very fast, so I’d recommend preparing the other ingredients in advance. Finely chop the garlic, scallions and scotch bonnet peppers. Be mindful that if you include the seeds from the peppers it will increase the heat level and kindly do yourself a favor and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such hot peppers.
Heat the oil for ‘frying’ on medium/high. Since the shrimp is coated with the cornstarch they may tend to stick together. Fry for a minute or so and set aside. DON’T over cook!
In a new pan heat the 2 tablespoons of veg oil on a very LOW heat and then go in with the other ingredients. We want to gently allow the flavors of the garlic, scallions and scotch bonnet to come together. Cook on low for 3-5 mins, then add the cooked shrimp and toss well to coat. Since it’s important that we don’t over-cook the shrimp, as they heat through you can take the pot off the stove.
Serve warm for the best flavors.. if reheating, I’d recommend doing so in the oven and not a microwave. As mentioned above, this is my favorite pepper shrimp recipe to date and I’m very positive you’ll be a superstar when you serve this up with some cold beers.
