Turn up the flavor with Caribbean sauces, condiments, and marinades that bring every dish to life. From fiery pepper sauces to bold green seasoning, these essentials are the foundation of authentic island cooking.
If you’re from the Caribbean and you’ve never had a cheese paste sandwich for lunch, your mommy didn’t love you. I’m just joking, but just about everyone I speak with about having cheese paste sandwiches, they can all relate.. no matter which island they’re from. Back in the day I recall people also adding a drop or two of food coloring to this wonderful cheesy spread to enhance the look of the finished sandwich. Green, pink, yellow and in some cases, blue.. do you remember?
Cheese paste is just a spiced up cheese spread that’s ideal on sliced bread and crackers.
Notes: If it’s not getting smooth, add a tablespoon or 2 of milk as you whisk. To make the cheese easier to grate, place it in the freezer for about 10 minutes before grating to firm up a bit. You can certainly use a mixture of different cheeses if you like. I used what we had in the fridge. You can also add additional flavor by adding in some finely diced pimento peppers (aka seasoning pepper) to the mix.
Grate the cheese as fine as you can so the overall texture will be very creamy. Then place all the ingredients in a large bowl and give it a good mix as to incorporate all the flavors and give the cheese paste a lovely creamy finish.
This has got to be one of the simplest recipes I’ve shared to date and quite honestly.. one of my faves! There will be enough here for about 6-8 sandwiches (depending on how thick you spread it on) and if you don’t use it all the first time, it can store in the fridge for a couple days. Be sure it’s covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
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I remember a few years back my cousin (jokingly) saying to us “my wife made me guacamole and roti for breakfast”. After the laughter subsided we soon realized that he may have a point. What we lovingly call zabouca choka in Trinidad and Tobago, is pretty much the same thing known as guacamole in other parts of the world. So if you feel that your boi Chris misled you with the title of this recipe… I’m using the choka recipe as a base to create a Caribbean version of guacamole.
You’ll Need…
4 ripe avocados *
3/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (any hot pepper will work)
2 limes (juice)
3/4 cup diced mango (ripe but firm)
2 tablespoon chopped shado beni *
1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Notes: I used Mexican avocados as the texture is a bit different than the avocados (zabouca or pear) we have in the Caribbean, plus I was not about to pay $4 cdn for one of those avocados. If you can’t source shado beni (also called culantro in Latin grocery stores) use 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro. If you don’t have a red onion, use any sweet onion.. everyday cooking onions may be a bit to strong for this.
Using a mortar and pestle, crush the scotch bonnet pepper, garlic and salt into a somewhat smooth paste. Then place this wicked spicy paste into a deep bowl and add the peeled and diced avocado to it. Using the back of a fork, crush the avocado until you have a chunky texture (you can make it as smooth as you like). To prevent the avocado from going discolored, squeeze in the lime juice at this point and give it a good stir.
It’s now time to peel and cube the mango. Be sure to get a mango that’s not fully ripe, so it’s firm enough to dice and will not fall apart.You’ll need about 1/2 of a large mango. Add the cubed mango to the bowl.
Add the chopped shado beni (or cilantro) and top with finely diced onion. Don’t stir yet.
Heat the oil on a medium flame and just before you start seeing smoke… pour it directly on the diced onions. This will help take some of the rawness out, so you won’t have karate breath after. Give it a good stir and serve or chill in the fridge. Get some corn chips or toast some flat bread and your guests will be praising you for sure!
There’s enough dip with this recipe for a small group of people (8-10) and it can last up to a day or so in the refrigerator. Remember to use the lime juice to prevent it going nasty looking (lemon works just as well). If you love heat, do add a bit more of the scotch bonnet pepper.
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One of the things I like best about having been exposed to traditional Caribbean cooking from day 1, is that it allows me to use basic principles of cooking and apply it to the variety of flavors I grew up enjoying. When you think about grilling on hot coals in the Caribbean, the first thing which comes to mind is “jerk”, but there so much more to grilling in the Caribbean. In this BBQ sauce you’ll obviously see elements of a ‘jerk’ marinade, but I’ve used the basic steps of a tomato based BBQ sauce to merge the two into one of the most delightful bbq sauces I’ve ever tasted.
I no longer have the pleasure of having a cut oil drum filled with coals and meat sizzling away on a metal grate, but I get similar results on the gas grill I use during the summer months.. and during those cold snowy days when I MUST have a good piece of grilled chicken (neighbors must think I’m nuts).
You’ll Need…
5 scallions (green onions)
7 sprigs of fresh thyme (about 1 tablespoon chopped)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 scotch bonnet peppers (no seeds)
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 large onion diced
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
It does seem like a lot of ingredients, but I assure you you’ll be very pleased once you get a taste of this Caribbean BBQ sauce. Start off by chopping the onion, scallions, scotch bonnet pepper and thyme. Be sure to wear gloves when handling scotch bonnet peppers and wash your hands immediately after with soap and water.
Heat the oil in a deep pot and add in the chopped ingredients, grate in the ginger and add the spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice). Turn your heat down to low and allow this to cook for about 4 minutes. We’re building a wicked flavor base at this point.
Basically all you have to do now is add all the other ingredients, turn up the heat to medium and bring it up to a boil.
When it comes up to a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cover the pot. Allow this to cook for 25-35 minutes, but remember to stir very often. You should have a sort of chunky sauce at this point. You can allow it to cook for a further 10 minutes and end up with a rustic/chunky sauce. I used my stick blender to pulse it into a more smooth consistency. You can also pour it into a conventional blender and give it a few pulses until you achieve the consistency you like.
In the pics above you’ll notice I used this wonderful Caribbean style BBQ sauce on some ribs and they were absolutely fabulous. The scotch bonnet peppers gives it a wicked kick and the balance of spices and fresh herbs takes this to a level on it’s own. It’s rich color alone is enough to get your taste buds going! Not only is this a wonderful BBQ sauce, but it acts as a great dining sauce as well. Store in the fridge in a air tight container for up to 3 months.
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After posting the Homemade Tamarind BBQ Sauce recipe a while back, I got a message from the Crucian Contessa (a talented Caribbean food blogger) that she had an out-of-this-world mango BBQ sauce and it turns out she was willing to share it with me/us. In the past we’ve been guilty in the Caribbean of not being as creative with the abundance of fresh local ingredients we’re blessed with, but I’m seeing a huge shift in the culinary culture of the islands, which is very positive. The trouble with that is, we’re now seeing a lot of traditional recipes being lost to more modern fusion type cooking. It’s always an interesting balancing act when I try to keep traditional recipes alive and at the same time let my creative side go wild.. but with a Caribbean twist.
I urge you to check out the tasty offerings the Crucian Contessa stirs up on a regular basis on her website at: http://www.cruciancontessa.com/ But please don’t visit when you’re hungry as her creativity in the kitchen, along with her beautiful pictures will surely get the drool on.
This mango bbq sauce is excellent on grilled meats and fish and we quickly found out that it was just amazing as a dipping sauce for chicken strips. I tried to stay as close to the original recipe to show respect for the work CC put into developing such an exciting sauce… but in true Wicked Chef fashion, I tweaked a couple things to give it a sort of personal touch.
You’ll Need…
3 Sweet Seasoning Peppers
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped mango (ripe)
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
3 green onions
A pinch of allspice
1 Teaspoon of Black Pepper
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
½ cup Lime Juice
¼ cup Dijon Mustard
¼ cup Honey
2 Tablespoons Ground Mustard
¼ cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Worcester Sauce
1 Tablespoon Molasses
2 Stalks Shado beni (aka culantro)
½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar (organic)
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1 cup mango juice
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds)
Notes: If you’d like to add a bit of a smoky undertone, you can add some chilli powder or chipotle peppers to the sauce. I used the paprika for the rich colour and I like the smokey element it brings. To add a kick to this mango bbq sauce, use an entire scotch bonnet pepper and include the seeds. If you can’t get shado beni, use about 5 tablespoons of chopped cilantro.
Wash, peel and dice your mango (you can probably use frozen mango chunks as well) and set aside. Then give your green onions (aka scallions or spring onions) and peppers a fine chop. Now heat the butter in a heavy pot (distribute heat better) and start building a flavor base. Add the green onion, peppers, spices, black pepper and grated ginger to the pot and turn your heat down to low so it cooks very slowly. Stir and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Turn up your heat and start adding the mango chunks, give that a stir and add everything else to the pot. It’s important that you stir well and bring up to a boil.
After it comes to a boil, reduce the heat so you have a gentle simmer going and place the lid on the pot and allow to cook for about 25 minutes. You will have to stir every 4-5 minutes as it may start to stick to the bottom of the pot. Your kitchen will have a very intoxicating aroma and your sense of smell will get confused. The same will happen when you taste this mango bbq sauce… you won’t know if it’s the mango, the mustard or the mellowness of the honey that’s attracting all that attention from your taste buds.
After 25 minutes, you should taste for salt and adjust accordingly. Since no 2 mango are the same (can be tart at times), you may have to add a little more honey or mustard.. the goal is to have a wonderful blend of flavors, but keep the present of mango as the key subject of the sauce. By now your sauce should have started to thicken up and the mango should be dissolving. You can certainly play around with the consistency (if you want it chunky, runny or thick). I then turned off the stove and used a submersion blender to make my mango bbq sauce a bit smooth. You can use a wire whisk or potato masher as well with pretty much the same results. If using a blender as I did, try not to over work it or risk it going frothy.
Crucian Contessa was quite correct when she said that this mango honey mustard bbq sauce is out of this world..as we had it the same night with some Caribbean Style Chicken Fingers and Caron was raving how delicious it was. So delicious, she packed my share for lunch at work the next day.
Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.
One of the first personalized bbq sauces I’ve ever made was this tamarind bbq sauce and in the process I learned the foundation of making good tomato based bbq sauces. I have a number of sauces I’m still to share with you as we dig deeper into this culinary tour of the Caribbean, so do stay tuned in. Using a less glamorous fruit from the Caribbean called Tamarind (In trinidad and Tobago we refer to it as tambran) to add a wonderful jolt of true Caribbean vibe to this versatile bbq sauce (can be used as a dipping sauce as well), the final taste will surely excite your taste buds.
One of my first memories of tamarind is sucking back on a piece fresh off the tree and that wicked punch of sour where your taste buds go into immediate shock… thinking about it brings my mouth gushing with water from that memory. Those of you in North America.. it’s similar to the sour candy you enjoyed as a kid… the ones your friends would dare you to place in your mouth and not open it.
You’ll Need…
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cider vinegar
1 large onion diced (I used a sweet onion)
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoon yellow mustard (commercial stuff is fine)
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated ginger
3/4 cup tamarind pulp (see note below)
Notes: You’ll need between a cup and a cup and half of hot water to prepare the tamarind pulp into a liquid form. You can certainly add some cinnamon and fresh herbs to personalize this Tamarind BBQ Sauce if you like. When using the scotch bonnet pepper try to wear gloves as the oils can be painful on your bare skin and try not to use the seeds, since that’s where a lot of the heat is.
The first thing we need to do is dice the onion and pepper very small.. remember to not use the seeds of the pepper if you’re concerned about explosive heat. Put the tamarind paste into a bowl and top it with hot water (I used just over a cup of boiling water). The hot water will allow us to break the tamarind down into a concentrated liquid form.
In a deep sauce pan on medium heat, pour in the olive oil (to help cook the onions and it will also give the finished tamarind bbq sauce a brilliant sheen), then empty in the diced onion. Turn your heat down to low and let this slowly cook for 5 minutes (remember to stir). It will soften up, go translucent and release it’s natural sugars.
After 5 minuets it’s time to add the black pepper and allspice.. this step will help toast the spices a bit and release it’s flavors. Cook that for a minute or two, then start adding everything else into the pot (see video below).. except the tamarind. Raise your heat to medium to bring to a gentle boil (remember to keep stirring). As this comes to a boil, the water with the tamarind pulp should be cool enough for you to handle.
Using a fork (at first), break up the tamarind pulp, then get in with your fingers and massage it. This action will release the pulp and the water will become a sort of tamarind concentrate. Discard as much solid (seeds and fibers) as you can. Now strain the liquid into the pot and give it a good stir.
Turn the heat back up so you get this back to boiling, then turn the heat down to a very gentle simmer. The idea is to cook this very slowly so all the flavors marry and form a tasty tamarind bbq sauce. Typically after 30 minutes it will be finished, but I allowed my batch to go for 45 minutes to really thicken up. You can leave it for additional time if you want a more thick bbq sauce. Do remember that when the sauce cools it will also thicken up quite a bit.
Not only will you have the satisfaction of knowing you made your own BBQ sauce, you’ll now have the most tasty tamarind bbq sauce you’ll ever enjoy. This sauce is not only meant for grilling, it makes a wicked dipping sauce for your chicken fingers and is a great topping for burgers. Store in glass containers in the fridge and it will remain good for at least a couple months (it won’t last.. you’ll find uses for it before then)
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This tangy and spicy tamarind BBQ sauce is a Caribbean favorite, perfect for adding a burst of flavor to grilled dishes or as a dipping sauce.
Ingredients
Instructions
Video
Place tamarind pulp in a bowl and pour over 1 to 1½ cups of hot water. Let it soak while you prepare the other ingredients.
In a deep saucepan on medium heat, pour in Olive Oil (1 tablespoon), then add the large onion. Turn the heat down to low and let this slowly cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add black pepper and ground allspice to the onions. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, to toast the spices and release their flavors.
Increase heat to medium and add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, yellow mustard, Scotch bonnet pepper, salt, and grated ginger. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle boil.
While the sauce is heating, use a fork to break up the soaked tamarind pulp, then use your fingers to massage it, releasing the pulp into the water.
While the sauce is heating, use a fork to break up the soaked tamarind pulp, then use your fingers to massage it, releasing the pulp into the water.
Strain the tamarind liquid into the saucepan, discarding any solids.
Remove the sauce from heat and allow it to cool completely. Transfer to sterilized glass containers and store in the refrigerator.
Use this sauce for grilling, a dipping sauce for your chicken fingers or for burgers. Store in glass containers in the fridge and it will remain good for at least a couple months. Enjoy!
Note
You’ll need between a cup and a cup and half of hot water to prepare the tamarind pulp into a liquid form. You can certainly add some cinnamon and fresh herbs to personalize this Tamarind BBQ Sauce if you like. When using the scotch bonnet pepper try to wear gloves as the oils can be painful on your bare skin and try not to use the seeds, since that’s where a lot of the heat is.
My first memory of mango kuchela goes way back to my childhood, when I first had kuchela flavored with mustard oil, along with dhal, rice and fry dry (small herrings or sardines fried very dry until crispy). The memory of that mustard oil clearing my sinus still haunts me and to this day.. I’m still to try anything with mustard oil after that experience. This is the reason why in this mango kuchela there’s no use of mustard oil as in some traditional recipes.
This mango kuchela is one of those spicy condiments you’d get served on popular street food, such as doubles and aloo pies (deep fried dough stuffed with seasoned mashed potato) and versatile enough to accompany many curry dishes at dinner.
You’ll Need…
3 green mangoes
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoon amchar massala
3/4 cup veg oil
2 scotch bonnet peppers
Notes: Try to get really green mango (skin and flesh), which will be very sour or tart. I stared with 3/4 cup of oil, but you may need about 1/2 cup more as it’s important that the entire jar (when storing) of the kuchela is covered with the oil. The oil can be used to drizzle onto food as well, as it will be well flavored. The 2 scotch bonnet peppers are used as a starting point, so feel free to add more as you’d like. The same can be said about the amchar massala…so add more if you want your finished mango kuchela to be darker and packed with more flavor.
The first thing we need to do is peel and wash the mangoes. Use a potato peeler or sharp paring knife and remove the outer skin off the mangoes. Don’t go too deep or you’ll be wasting the mango! When shopping for the green mangoes, be sure to get ones that’s firm (hard), no blemishes and if you were to knock them against something, they should give a solid sound (like a rock).
Next up, get your box grater and with some care, grate the mangoes. Remember there’s a seed in the middle of the mango, so be prepared when you get close to it. Discard this seed.
The grated mango will have a lot of moisture in it, so we’ll have to get rid of as much as we can. That moisture (what I was told) is what causes the mango kuchela to go bad fast, so we have to remove as much as we can. Using one of Caron’s new kitchen towels, I placed a heap of the grated mango in the center.. then used some elbow grease to squeeze out as much liquid as I could (see video below).
I recall as a kid my mom and grandma always having a galvanize (metal sheet) when mango was in season, covered with grated mango in the sun drying. It had that sort of musty scent, you’d also get when they were making mango amchar. Now it’s time to spread the grated mango onto a cookie sheet and allow to air dry for a few hours. If you’re blessed with Caribbean sunshine, make use of it and place it out in the sun. WARNING! Don’t place in the oven on low heat as I thought would be clever. The end result is parched mango, which will not work for this.
The next step (as the mango air-dries) is to puree the pepper and garlic. I used the entire pepper.. including the dreaded seeds, as I wanted the raw heat in this mango kuchela. I used my magic bullet, but you’re cool using a blender or a mortar and pestle. I know it may be hard, but try not to use any liquid in the blending process (puree). I ended up shaking my magic bullet a few times during the process to move the contents around. BTW, I gave the garlic and scotch bonnet peppers (feel free to use any hot pepper you have or like) a rough chop to make it easier to puree.
After about 3 hrs (overnight may be best) of air drying the grated mango should be ready now. So the next step is to place a sauce pan on medium/low heat, add the vegetable oil (don’t allow it to heat yet) and add the pureed pepper and garlic mix to it. If you add the puree to hot oil, it will splatter and give of a very strong (peppery) scent. Now allow the oil/pepper mixture to heat up and on medium/low heat, allow to cook for about 5 minutes.
Empty the dried grated mango into a bowl, then add the salt and amchar massala and give it a good stir. With the peppered oil mixture cooled, add that as well. Make sure to mix the entire batch of mango kuchela well.
Place in a dry bottle or container and it will keep for a few weeks. Additionally you can store this in the fridge for a couple months at least. When stored in the fridge be prepared for it to loose some of it’s heat. If storing on your kitchen cupboard, ensure that the mango is covered with oil. To add more oil.. heat (on high) vegetable oil, then allow to cool completely.. then add to the jar to cover the mango kuchela.
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Ever ask yourself what’s our love affair with pepper sauce? What is about Caribbean people and the heat we’re always seeking? I’m sure not everyone from the Caribbean is into the hot stuff, but a good majority of us are and we’re influencing so many thousands of people across the globe with the recipes we share. To date there’s about eight pepper sauce recipes I’ve posted and that’s just a teaser into how creative I can get when it comes to making that liquid dynamite we call pepper sauce.
Here’s one I made recently which is packed with heat, but the rich undertones of oranges and pineapple gives it that unique Caribbean vibe. This orange pineapple pepper sauce is a personal fave of mine, especially when BBQ season comes around, so I do hope you give it a try.
You’ll Need…
1 1/2 cup orange juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar (golden)
1 cup pineapple chunks
1/4 teaspoon allspice
15 scotch bonnet peppers
Notes: I used store bought orange juice (get the good stuff – no pulp, but nice and thick) and the pineapple came from a can. I got the chunks, with syrup (use the syrup as well). Remember when handling scotch bonnet peppers to use caution as they are VERY hot. Use gloves and don’t include the seeds if you’re overly concerned about the extreme heat. Remember to wash your hands a couple times with soap when you’re done and don’t touch anyone or yourself before you to. If you can’t source scotch bonnet peppers (complain to your grocer) use Habanero peppers.. they are just as deadly.
Wash and give the scotch bonnet peppers a rough chop to make it easier work for your blender or food processor. (again – do wear gloves)
All we need to do now is add all the ingredients into the food processor and give it a few pulses to start. Then work it until you have a smooth consistency. Do remember to add the juice/syrup the pineapple is packed in (if you’re using canned pineapple chunks as I did).
Tip: remember to have your kitchen windows open as the peppers are very hot and with the blending, it may cause you to choke. (also, be careful when washing your food processor.. don’t stand above it as the water falls on it) Follow the same procedure when the pepper puree is cooking (see below)
When you’ve achieved a smooth consistency, add the mixture (be careful when pouring it out) to a deep saucepan and on medium heat bring it up to a boil. Then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. You can now allow it to cool before you pour it into the bottle you’re serving it from or if you’re doing the canning method.. pour it while it’s hot into the mason jar.If you want the sauce to be even smoother, you can return it back to your food processor or blender and work it for another minute. Try not to go past 30 seconds to 1 minute or risk it going frothy.
This pepper sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for about 6-8 weeks, but you may find that you’ll need to give it a shake before using and it will loose some of it’s kick while in the fridge. If you’re looking for more exciting hot sauce / pepper sauce recipes, click on “Bits and Bites” above and go through the listings. Additionally, there should be some shared below where it says “similar recipes”.
I encourage you to give this recipe a try, but be aware that it’s lethal and do be careful as you work with the scotch bonnet peppers. The last thing I need is you emailing me saying that your hands are on fire because you didn’t take me seriously and wear gloves. Or worst case.. you touched your eyes or somewhere even more sensitive!
Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.
Cucumber chutney is one of those spicy condiments which may well be native to Trinidad and Tobago, especially when it comes to the street food called ‘doubles’. A truly good doubles will always be topped with cumber chutney or depending on the season.. green mango chutney. The sour or tart base, spiced with the shando beni and the vibrant heat of the scotch bonnet pepper can cause serious drooling to take place (wipe your beak). As with many of the delicacies we enjoy in the Caribbean, we never give it much thought as to how simple it is to make. We all assume that there’s some level of difficulty when it comes to making traditional dishes, especially since our cuisine is not as readily documented in cook books etc.
Let’s take a look at how simple this cucumber chutney is to make.
You’ll Need…
1 large cucumber
2 cloves garlic
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon
2 tablespoon Shado Beni
Notes: To kick this up a bit, you can add a dash of cumin (geera). I used a scotch bonnet pepper, but you’re free to use a habanero and any hot pepper you may have or like using. If you don’t have shado beni, feel free to use 3 tablespoons of freshly chopped cilantro (coriander). I used the entire pepper (seeds and all), but if you’re overly concerned about excessive heat, don’t include the seeds.
I used a seedless English cucumber for making this cucumber chutney so I didn’t have to remove ay seeds. Additionally I didn’t remove the skin as I like the texture and contrast the skin gives to the finished chutney. If using cucumbers with seeds, do use a spoon to remove them and any soft mushy areas. Must be firm for easy grating.
I simply washed, then cut my cucumber into 2 pieces (easier to handle), then I grated with my box grater. Use the side which gives you that sort of shredded finish. (see pic)
After grating I placed the now shredded cucumber into a strainer and squeezed out as much of the liquid as I could.
I then placed it back into a bowl and prepared the other ingredients. I gave the garlic, shado beni and scotch bonnet pepper a rough chop so it would be easier to puree.
You can use a Magi Bullet as I did, a food processor, a blender or just use your knife to give this a really fine chop. Additionally you can also use a mortar and pestle. In my magic bullet I squeezed the juice of the lemon, added the salt, black pepper and rough chopped – shado beni, garlic and scotch bonnet pepper. I started with a few quick pulses, then I let it run until I had a fine puree.
The scent of the lemon juice, with the garlic, shado beni and scotch bonnet pepper will be divine and cause your mouth to start springing juices (you know what I mean). The final step is to assemble everything. Pour the pepper puree into the same bowl where you have the shredded cucumber and give it a good mix.
The idea is to marry all the flavours so you have a nice spicy cucumber chutney. Allow this to marinate in the fridge for a couple hours and you’re good to go. This spicy cucumber chutney will last in the fridge for at least a week and goes well with anything you normally eat spicy condiments with..even your scrambled eggs at breakfast. Do remember to taste for salt.. the idea is to have a mellow/well-rounded undertone and have the shredded cucumber absorb the goodness of the garlic, shado beni and heat from the pepper.
Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.
A significant part of Caribbean cuisine must be the many hot sauces or pepper sauce as it’s commonly known throughout the islands and our appreciation for such sauces. Not only will you find different variations of these explosive sauces from island to island… in just about every home you’ll find a unique recipe as well. Over the years I’ve been experimenting with different ingredients to create some tantalizing hot sauces, so this mango peach hot sauce is just me being creative and using what’s around me. I like to refer to this hot sauce as being where the Caribbean and Canada collide!
You’ll Need…
10 Scotch Bonnet peppers (or habanero)
1 cup mango nectar or juice
1 cup peach (with syrup)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic
teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup vinegar
Notes: You’ll notice that I used the entire pepper. I wanted the raw explosive heat.. if you want to tame it down a bit, you can discard the seeds and white sort of membrane surrounding the seeds. That’s where the majority heat is when it comes to hot peppers, like the scotch bonnet and habanero. Remember to wear gloves when handling these peppers as they can cause some problems for sensitive hands. If you don’t have gloves coat your hands with some vegetable oil at least.
Remove the stems off the peppers and wash. Drain and give a rough chop..same for the cilantro. Then place all ingredients in a deep saucepan and bring to a boil.
The idea is to gently cook the peppers and infuse the sauce with the goodness of the peaches, garlic,, cilantro and mango juice. I used canned peaches, so i included the syrup it came with a swell. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.
Your kitchen will have a strong scent of cooking peppers (spicy) so you may need to open your kitchen window or turn on the vent fan above your stove. You’ll notice that everything will go a bit pale as it cooks, but that’s normal.
After 20 minutes of cooking (remember to stir a few times) allow to cool before putting into your food processor or blender, or risk getting burned when it splatters.
Now place everything from the pot into the food processor and give it a few pulses.. then blend for a minute or two. Try not to over-blend or it will go frothy and ruin the texture (not my liking). You’ll now have a wicked hot sauce flavored with the mango and peach. It will be thick, but runny enough (smooth) to place in a squeeze bottle.
Don’t be fooled with this hot sauce wonderful fruity fragrance… it will be like rocket fuel. Store in the fridge up to 6 weeks. Directly below you’ll see some links to other hot sauce recipes I’ve shared in previous posts.
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After posting the tambran (tamarind) ball recipe a couple days ago (sweet spicy sour tambran balls) , I realize that I still had some tamarind left back so I decided to share this recipe with you guys. Originally when I told my mom I purchased some tamarind in a box at the Asian store, she jokingly said “buh son, dais not the real thing” (gosh trinbago accent sweet eh!). So she got my dad to go out and get some of the ‘real thing” for me and sent it down with my sister (they live in Toronto and I’m in Hamilton). Sure enough it was the “tart” or sour type of tamarind we’re accustomed too in the Caribbean, but already out of the hard shell-like exterior.
This tamarind sauce is used primarily as a condiment or topping for such things as saheena, aloo pie, pholourie and doubles. But I also recall (back to my school days again) a thicker version, with a sort of amchar massala undertone that was a hit with the kids at my primary school. Maybe I’ll post that recipe the next time I get some of the ‘real’ tamarind.
You’ll Need…
200 grams tamarind pulp (about 7 oz)
3 cloves garlic
1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoon brown sugar
2-3 leaves shado beni
1 1/2 cup water
* add some salt and extra sugar if you find that the finished sauce is overly tart.
Before I go further I must let you know that there are 2 variations of this recipe. The first being the way I’ll show you below, where I’ll simmer the sauce on the stove for 10-15 minutes. The 2nd method you’ll use the same ingredients, except no cooking is involved. You simply add everything to a blender and give it a good pulse. I like to cooked version better as I find that the pungent ingredients like the shado bein and garlic is infused within the sauce and has a much milder after-taste.
The first step is to crush the pepper, garlic and shando beni into a sort of chunky paste. I give those things a rough chop and work it well in my mortar and pestle.
BTW, you’ll notice that my shado beni looks a bit starving… I’m just thankful I could get fresh shado beni here, so I’m not complaining. The next step is place the tamarind paste into a sauce pan with 1 1/2 cups water. Now using your fingers, (if you didn’t get seedless), work the pulp away from the seeds and try to crush the flesh between your fingers. It will get a bit messy so you can wear disposable gloves if you wish.
Now remove the seeds and discard. Place the saucepan on medium heat, add the sugar (pinch of salt) and the crushed pepper/garlic/shado beni to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Now turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and with the pot closed, allow to cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir every 2-3 minutes and if you find that it’s getting really thick, add a bit more water. You’re looking for a sort of thick tomato soup consistency (a little thinner than ketchup). Allow to cool before serving as the taste when it’s hot is totally different than when it’s cool. If when you taste it you find that it’s more tart (sour) than anything else, add a bit more sugar. It should be the perfect balance of tart, savory and spicy.
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I almost forgot. I’m not sure how many of you saw the message I posted on Facebook, but I mentioned that if you’d like to post any cooking/food related questions to a certified chef, who’s traveled all over the world doing his culinary thing.. now is the time to do so. A couple weeks back we met with the Rhyming Chef (Philman George) for coffee and during that meeting he agreed to take time from his hectic schedule to answer any questions you guys may have. All you have to do is leave the questions in the comment section below and I’ll send them off to him. I’ll then post the answers on the website for everyone to participate in the discussion.
You can learn more about The Rhyming Chef at his site http://www.therhymingchef.com/ A super cool ‘soldier’ with a massive passion for the culinary culture and history of the Caribbean, especially his home island of Barbuda.
I urge you to post your questions below and do check out Philman’s website for some amazing tips and cooking videos.
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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With the abundance of hot peppers I had in my garden this summer, you may have noticed that there are several recipes recently dedicated to the most classic of Caribbean condiments… pepper sauce (hot sauce). If you look at the very bottom of this post, there should be some links to some of the spicy sauces I’ve shared recently that I encourage you to try. As I’ve pointed out in the past, just about everyone on the islands swears that their pepper sauce is the best! Be it the heat, uniqueness of the ingredients used or overall flavor. Here’s one that follows most of the common principles of making a good pepper sauce, with a few personal ingredients I like to add. Be warned that this is very HOT!
You’ll Need…
15-20 hot peppers (scotch bonnet or habanero)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups vinegar
10 leaves of Shado Beni or 1 cup cilantro
6 cloves of garlic
1/4 small green papaya
1 small bitter melon (caraili)
1 lemon or 2 ripe limes
Juice of 4 limes
8 pimento peppers – optional
1 carrot – optional (helps to balance heat from peppers)
Some notes:
a. u include the seeds of the pepper for added heat
b. add more vinegar if you like it less thick.
c. remember to remove the seeds from the lemon after cubing.
Are You A WINNER? Before we get to the recipe, I’d like to invite you to participate in this month’s contest immediately after the recipe.
I start off by rough chopping the shado beni, papaya and bitter melon to make it easier to puree in the food processor (remember to peel and remove the seeds from the papaya as well as the bitter melon – you don’t have to peel the bitter melon). I remove the skin off the garlic as well to have it prepped.
I then slice and cube the lemon and remove any seeds that I see.
I highly suggest you wear gloves for the next few steps, as the peppers can cause some pain if you handle them with your bare hands. I then remove the stems off the peppers and give them a rough chop. I retain all the seeds, but if want a milder sauce, do remove the seeds.
Now that I have everything prepped, it’s time to bring out the vintage (old) blender and put it to use. Basically all you’re doing is adding everything listed in the ingredients list to the blender or food processor and puree it until it’s a smooth consistency.You may need to add more vinegar as I pointed out above.
IMPORTANT : the amount of ingredients you’re seeing in the pictures above is not what I mentioned in the ingredient list. I’m making a bigger batch, but follow along with the ingredients I listed and you’ll be set. You’ll also notice that due to the big batch I’m making that I have a lot of bottles of finished sauce. You’ll have enough for one bottle when done.
Pour into a clean, dry bottle and store. It should be fine outside the fridge since we used vinegar, but you can certainly keep it in the fridge so it will last longer. Bear in mind that by placing it in the fridge, it will loose some of it’s heat. This is the batch I got when I was done. I have some lucky friends who’ll have their hands on the Ultimate Pepper Sauce when I see them next.
The CONTEST!
Win a copy of Hot and Spicy Kitchen Handbook: 200 Sizzling Step-by-Step Recipes for Cuisine and Fiery Local Dishes from India, Mexico, Thailand and Every Spicy Corner of the World
As with other contests I’ve posted on the site before, it’s free to participate. Here’s how…
1. Post a response in the comment section below and your name will be automatically entered into the draw.
2. For an added chance to win (get your name in the pool two times). Head over to the Cooking channel and leave a comment on the “The Ultimate Fried Chicken Recipe” and I will then add your name a 2nd time and give you an extra chance at winning. Say whatever you like (even hello) and that will qualify you for a 2nd time (providing you’ve already left a comment here). Here again is the direct link to the >>>> cooking channel.
The contest is open from today (Oct 5) to October 31, 2010. Then all the names will be entered into a pot and 1 winner chosen. I will then contact that winner so I can send them the prize ( I will also cover all shipping expenses). So good luck and do give the pepper sauce recipe posted above, a try.
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I almost forgot. I’m not sure how many of you saw the message I posted on 
