caribbean cooking Archives - Page 8 of 19

How do you improve a classic? I shared my version of Pig Poot Souse, just over 12 years ago, and while that version remains a classic (according to fans), I thought it was time to give it a refresh. In that recipe I spoke about how Souse is more of a cure for hangovers and something you also enjoyed at local watering holes (rum shops). However, I learned (social media again) that it’s just as popular, removed from the adult beverages scene.

You’ll Need…

2- 4 pig feet (cut into pieces)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
6-8 cloves garlic (smashed)
3 scallions (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
water

2 medium cucumber (sliced thin)
1/2 large onion (sliced thin)
2 stalks celery (diced fine)
2 scotch bonnet peppers (diced fine)
4 cloves garlic (sliced or crushed)
2-4 limes (juice)
3 tablespoon chopped shado beni (culantro) (chopped fine)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
water

Notes! I like my Souse spicy so I used 2 whole scotch bonnet pepper (including seeds), but you can tailor it to your heat tolerance level. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such spicy peppers.

Important. As mentioned in the previous 2 recipe posts, my camera for stills is not functioning properly so I could not take step by step pics as I normally do. Should you run into any questions the post doesn’t explain, please refer to the video below.

Get your butcher to cut the pig feet. Wash with the juice of a lime or lemon (not mentioned in the ingredient list above) and cool water. Watch my tip on getting rid of any remaining hairs on the feet, in the video below.

Place the cleaned pig feet pieces (I got 10 pieces from 2 feet) in a deep pot covered with water and cook for 2 hours or until tender. As it comes to a boil (high heat) add the items mentioned in the first part of the ingredient list.

After 2 hours on a simmer (lower your heat) they should be tender, drain and rinse with cool water and place in a deep bowl to assemble. The water in the pot will reduce over the cooking time, so add more when necessary.

While they boil, it’s a great time to prep the other ingredients.

Try to get the onion sliced as thin as you can and while a lot of people like to crush the garlic, I’m a HUGE fan of garlic, so I sliced mine to get pieces as I enjoyed a bowl of this Souse.

Place all the ingredients (mentioned in the 2nd part of the ingredient list) along with the cooked/cooled pig feet pieces and cover with cool water. This is served by the cup-full, so add a lot of water (I had about a liter and 1/2 of water in this batch).

Taste and adjust the salt to your liking. I’d recommend allowing this to marinate in the fridge for a couple hours before serving and when you do serve a bowl or cup.. make sure you have a wedge of lime to juice on fresh.

It’s probably the only soup-like dish we have in the Caribbean that we serve cold. TIP! Should you have a pressure cooker, you can cook the pig feet for about 25-30 minutes, instead of the 2 hours I did. Personally I like low and slow.

Pork not your thing? I got you – Chicken Foot Souse!

If you cannot source the Shado Beni, cilantro is an excellent substitute. Not traditional, but I also like adding trimmed branches of watercress to the mix, so it’s a bit more filling and for the added crunch and flavor.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Topi Tambo (petite tambo).

May 28, 2025January 24, 20232 Comments

Now here’s an old-school ingredient I had not seen in over 25 years, nor had the pleasure to eat in just as long a time. Growing up in the countryside (Guaracara) in Trinidad and Tobago we called this petite tambo, but I do know others who called it tipi tambo and/or topi tambo as well.

You’ll Need...

2-3 lbs Topi Tambo
1 teaspoon sea salt (any salt)
water

Note! As I mentioned in the previous recipe post, the camera I use for taking stills to use on website posts isn’t functioning properly, so I’m unable to make the post images focused… so it’s easier to follow along. That said, this is as simple a recipe can come, but you can still follow along using the video below.

Place the topi tambo in a large bowl filled with water and give them a good wash/scrub. In the process, remove any stems and tiny little roots.

Topi Tambo are grown in the dirt, like yams, potato, peanuts etc, so a good washing is necessary. If memory serves me correct, the plants look similar to ginger as well as turmeric (same type of foliage).

After they’ve been washed thoroughly, place them in deep pot covered with water and bring to a boil. Toss in the sea salt (use any salt you have on hand) and stir well.

Then reduce to a rolling boil and cook for 30-45 minutes or until tender. It’s as if you’re cooking potatoes basically.

Once cooked, drain and cool. Then peel back the skin and enjoy. They will have the same sort of texture of water chestnuts, but with a more pronounced (clean) flavor. While I’ve never tried it, I think tossing in some salted pigtail or smoke meats (turkey etc), could enhance the flavor.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Gluten Free Seafood

Grilled Butter Garlic Shrimp.

January 28, 2023November 3, 20221 Comment

Here’s one of those recipes I’ve adopted as my own over the years. My first encounter with this (similar) was on a vacation in the Caribbean, where it was grilled over charcoal and it wasn’t shrimp which were used, but massive spiny lobsters.

You’ll Need…

4-6 large shrimp
6 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
2 1/2 tablespoon butter (melted)
1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 birds eye pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 sprigs thyme (leaves)
2 lemons (divided)
1 scallion (chopped finely)

Note… add as much garlic as you like and if doing this dish gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Butterfly the shrimp (prawns) with kitchen scissors. Refer to the video below on how I did them. Wash with the juice of one lemon and cool water and pat dry.

Place the shrimp in your roasting (oven proof) pan.

Top with the salt and black pepper, then spoon on the combination of the melted butter mixed with the garlic, parsley, thyme, the juice of a lemon and the finely chopped Bird’s Eye pepper (optional).

Allow this to marinate for about 5 minutes – the time it takes for your oven to heat up. The oven will be very hot as we’re broiling these at 525F

On the middle rack in the oven it may take between 7-11 minutes (depending on the size of the shrimp or lobster tails you use). Yes you may use small lobster tails if you so prefer.

Top with some more freshly chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. The liquid at the bottom of the roasting pan will be packed with that lovely shrimp flavored garlic butter sauce – get some bread to dip!

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/ BTW, I believe our friends in Europe (especially the UK refer to these big shrimp as prawns.

Vegetarian

Delicious Curry Potato With Spinach.

November 20, 2024October 25, 20222 Comments

Unlike 95% of the curry dishes you’ll find in the Caribbean, where there’s usually a gravy or sauce, this one is dry. Don’t let the word ‘dry’ confuse you into thinking it will be bland and reminiscent of cardboard. Quite the opposite.. it’s banging with flavor and I can guarantee you that you and your family will quickly fall in love with this dish.

You’ll Need…

4 large potatoes
2-3 tablespoon coconut oil
13/4 lb spinach
3/4 tablespoon salt (divided) | 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 medium onions (sliced)
6-8 cloves garlic (smashed)
3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (geera)
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 medium tomato (diced)
2-3 tablespoon water
6 bird’s eye pepper

Peel, cube (large pieces) and wash the potatoes. Then put them into a pot with water with 3/4 of the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a rolling boil for 15-20 minutes (until tender). Drain and set aside.

In a deep pot heat the coconut oil (or any oil you prefer using) on a medium flame, then add the onion, garlic, Geera (cumin seeds) and the Bird’s Eye pepper (leave whole – don’t break or cut – UNLESS you want the raw heat). Go in with the fresh ground black pepper and turn the heat to low and let it gently cook for 3-4 minutes.

It’s time to add your curry powder (heat still on low) and stir well. The goal is to bloom or release the spices which makes up a good curry powder. For a bit of balance, add the diced tomato, remaining salt and the water. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes.

Add the pre-boiled potato to the pot and stir well. Heat up to medium now so we can get a slight crust to the potato.

After about 5 minutes add the washed and drained spinach. It will pile up, but rest assured it will wilt. 5 minutes later and you’re done!

Remember to taste for salt and adjust to your liking and cook the spinach to the way you enjoy it. For me, it’s just past when it wilts down. BTW, you can always add a bit of coconut milk or cream at the start when cooking out the curry base for even more flavor. You may use any spicy pepper you like or feel free to leave them out if heat is not your thing.

My fav way to enjoy this dish? Top with a couple over-easy eggs and boom! #Breakfast Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Meat & Poultry

Channa (chickpeas) & Aloo (potato) With Chicken.

May 27, 2025October 23, 2022Leave a Comment

Here’s one of my favorite dishes to make when I have leftover Stewed Chicken and plan to make hot Sada Roti. While it does take a little work to remove the sort of skin off the Channa (Chickpeas), I highly suggest you do as the end result is simply delicious.

You’ll Need…

2 cans chickpeas (540 ml each)
1 medium onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (smashed)
left over stewed chicken

1 tablespoon Caribbean Green seasoning
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon roasted cumin (ground geera)
1/2 cup water (for curry slurry)
3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 medium potatoes (cut into 1/4)
4-6 cups water
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
3 chili peppers (optional)
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Note! Be mindful to read the label of the curry powder and chick peas you use, to make sure they are gluten free. If rocking this dish for a gluten free diet. Also note that you should wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water when working with spicy peppers, like the Scotch Bonnet.

Drain and rinse the chick peas from the can (watch the video below for my tip). Then place them into a bowl covered with water and using your hands/finger, give them a rub to remove the outer skin (see the video below). Yes, you don’t have to do this step. However in my humble opinion.. it’s well worth the effort.

Place the curry powder in a small bowl, add Geera (cumin), the Caribbean Green Seasoning, garlic, onion, black pepper and 1/2 cup water. Stir to create a thick slurry.

With your large pot on a med/high flame, add the oil of your choice (I use olive oil when cooking) and then pour the curry slurry into the pot. Stir well. Add a tablespoon of water in the same bowl where you had the slurry.. to rinse off any remaining curry and pour it into the pot as well.

Turn the heat down to low and let it cook for 4-5 minutes. This will help bloom the spices which makes up a good curry powder. After-which, turn up the heat to burn off all that liquid in the pot. The goal is to see the oil we started with at the bottom of the pot. This step will help to develop that rich curry flavor. It may take 3-5 minutes.

Add the Scotch Bonnet pepper, stir.. then add the chick peas (channa) to the pot and stir well to coat the peas with the curry base and use the remaining liquid from the rinsed chickpeas to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Add the potatoes as well.

With the heat still on high, add 5 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Turn the heat down to a rolling boil and cook for about 20 minutes or until the potato pieces are tender and start falling apart. Toss in the Chili peppers (whole) should you decide you want to use them. And here’s where you can add the salt to the pot.

Here’s where you can adjust the salt to your liking and keep this dish fully vegan. However we’re not! We’re adding the leftover stewed chicken to the pot at this point.

Heat through for about 4-5 minutes and you’re basically done. Couple things to keep in mind. Add more water when cooking if you find that it’s too thick. Should it be too runny at the end (knowing it will thicken as it cools), use your spoon to press down and crush some pieces of the potato and the chicken peas. Adjust the salt to your liking.

Top with Chadon Beni or cliantro and BOOM.. You’re Done!

The combination of the spicy curry with the deep flavors of the stewed chicken, added to the pillowy / silky texture of the chickpeas and potato – this dish just scream #comfortfood Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Seafood

Caribbean Pepper Calamari.

May 28, 2025September 28, 2022Leave a Comment

Pepper Calamari (or Squid, depending on where on the island you order from) is a MUST-HAVE dish whenever I visit my homeland of Trinidad and Tobago. I find that the more expensive the restaurant, it’s called Calamari and the cheaper the cost on a menu, they would call it Pepper Squid. So where’s my fave spot to order from.. read on!

You’ll Need…

1/3 lb calamari rings
1 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup corn starch
1 cup butter milk
3 scallions (chopped)
2 scotch bonnet peppers (sliced, include seeds)
6 cloves garlic (chopped fine)
2 cups veg oil (for frying)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 red bell pepper (diced fine)
1/4 orange bell pepper (diced fine)
1/4 lemon (juice)

Note! This is a SPICY dish, but if you wanted to cut back on the heat, use less of the Scotch Bonnet pepper and do not include the seeds or the white membrane surrounding the seeds.

I got the calamari rings in the frozen section of my grocers. They were thawed and washed with lemon juice and cool water. Then drained and placed in a deep bowl. I then covered them with the butter milk. Watch the video below for my tip if you don’t have buttermilk. Let that sit in the fridge for 2 hours.

We’ll toss the calamari rings in a sort of dusting or dredge. For that, combine the flour, corn starch and 1/2 the black pepper .

Prep the other ingredients.

Couple hours later, take the rings and toss them in the dredge and set aside. I placed them (once I shook off the extra dredge) on a sheet pan. Now heat the oil on a med/high flame and get ready to quickly fry them.

Fry them in batches and try to NOT over-cook them or they will go chewy. Once you see golden edges, remove and continue frying the rest (3-4 minutes tops). I placed them on a wire rack over a sheet pan. I find that if you place them on paper towels, they can go soggy.

While they’re still hot, sprinkle the salt over them.

Heat 2 tablespoon of the same oil we fried the Calamari with. When the wok (use a frying pan if you don’t have a wok) is still cool (with the oil), add the garlic, peppers and scotch bonnet pepper. This will gently flavor the oil. VENT your kitchen! Toss in the scallions and the remaining black pepper.

Three minutes (med/low heat), add the fried Calamari and toss to coat. Add a couple drops of sesame oil if you want a lovely additional flavor. I’m NOT a fan of sesame oil.

2 minutes later.. You’re DUN! Drizzle on the lemon juice as you serve and do include some lemon wedges on the side in the event your guests want a bit more of that citrus. Feel free to sprinkle on more salt if you wish.

Grab a cold beer and enjoy! Oh Yea.. my fave spot to have these pepper Calamari in Trinidad and Tobago is Town Restaurant in POS. However the last time I was there on the outdoor patio area, I kinda made my way onto the menu. Local mosquitoes were fascinated with my freshly shaved head. I fed a few!

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Seafood

The Ultimate Seafood Pelau.

November 3, 2022September 25, 20221 Comment

A traditional Caribbean Pelau is a one-pot rice dish, loaded with rice, pigeon peas, carrots and meat or protein of some sort (chicken, beef, salted pigtails or salted salted beef), simmered in a rich broth of flavored with coconut milk and herbs. While this version is basically the same, since we’re using seafood as the ‘protein’, being mindful of the cooking time is the key to an iconic meal.

You’ll Need…

1 lb shrimp (large)
1 lb Cod (fish)
1 lb mussels
1 lb clams
1 lb lobster tail
1 tablespoon butter
2 scallions (chopped)
2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning (divided)
1 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
4 sprigs thyme
1 1/2 cups diced pumpkin
4-6 cloves garlic
1 large carrot (diced)
1 can pigeon peas (rinsed)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon golden brown sugar
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 tablespoon salt (adjust)
2 cups long grain par-boil brown rice
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
3-5 bird’s eye pepper
4-7 cups of water (adjust)
3-4 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
1/2 lemon (juice)

you’ll need lemon or lime juice and cool water to wash the seafood

Clean and prep the seafood (watch the video below). With the shrimp and lobster, remove and save the shell as we’ll use those for making a rich stock. Tip! Use scissors to cut and peel back the lobster tails.

In a saucepan on medium flame, add the butter, scallions, 1/2 the black pepper and thyme. Give it about 30 seconds, then add the washed lobster and shrimp shell. Turn the heat down to low and let it go for about 4-5 minutes. Now add 3 cups cold water and bring to a boil (turn the heat to high). When it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let it reduce by 2/3 (so we’re left with just over 1 cup of stock).

As the stock comes together, heat a heavy (large) pot on a high flame. This is the ‘stewing’ part of things. Add the olive oil followed by the brown sugar (watch the video below for mastering this step). The goal here is to melt the sugar, it will then go frothy and finally.. a deep amber in color (DO NOT ALLOW IT TO GO BLACK). When you get that amber color (it will go smokey) add the pigeon peas, pumpkin and carrots. Stir well.

Turn the heat to medium, add the garlic, onion, bird’s eye pepper (optional – or use your fav spicy pepper) and grated ginger. A minute later add the coconut milk and bring to a boil., then reduce to a simmer

As this comes up to the boil, chop the lobster into bite-sized pieces and the Cod into 1 inch pieces. Place all the seafood into a large blow, add the remaining black pepper, 1/3 of the salt and 1/2 Caribbean Green Seasoning. Stir well to coat everything.

Back to the main pot. 10 minutes on that simmer, add the washed rice, the remaining salt and the remaining Green Seasoning. Add 2 1/2 cups hot water and bring to a boil. Simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes.

Drain/Strain the stock and add it to the pot. That will add a lovely flavor to the dish, so do try to keep this step.

After about 7 minutes, tuck the clams and mussels into the pot making sure they’re in the sort of broth. After 3 minutes add the lobster and shrimp and mix (be gentle). Put the lid on and let it cook a further 4 minutes. Add the Cod to the pot and again being gentle, stir.

3 minutes later, taste and adjust the salt, top with the parsley and hit it a fresh squeeze of lemon juice.

Some key parts of the recipe to keep in mind. Depending on the rice you use, you will need to adjust the cook time and the amount of liquid you add in total. This version of Pelau is meant to be a bit “wet”, but do keep the lid on the pot after you switch off the stove and don’t open/serve for about 5 minutes. Try to NOT overcook the seafood. Typically I don’t like straying from traditional techniques, but adding a bit of white wine (before adding the water) when making the stock, will add a another subtle layer of overall flavor.

Serve warm and with a side salad, thick slices of Zabouca (avocado, pear) and make sure you have some peppersauce to kick things up further.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Meat & Poultry

Curry Duck With Pigeon Peas.

May 27, 2025August 20, 2022Leave a Comment

While I’ve shared several Curry Duck Recipes with you over the years, only after receiving a request via Instagram for Curry Duck With Pigeon Peas, did I realize that had not already shared this classic Caribbean curry recipe. And while using freshly harvested Pigeon Peas would make for an even better tasting dish, the frozen version still gives you an EXCELLENT result.

You’ll Need…

6-7 lbs duck (prepared)
3/4 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning (divided)
1 tablespoon ground masala
2-3 tablespoon Olive oil
1 tomato (diced)
2 scotch bonnet peppers (sliced)
1 medium Onion (sliced)
8 cloves Garlic (smashed)
Cumin (geera) seeds
2 1/2 – 3 tablespoon Curry Powder
5-8 dried curry leaves
1 tablespoon dehydrated Chadon beni (optional)
1 tablespoon Anchar Masala
3 tablespoon chopped cilantro
5-8 Wiri Wiri peppers (optional)
2 3/4 cups water (divided- adjust)
2-3 cups frozen pigeon peas + water to boil

Important! This version is very spicy, but you can adjust the amount of Scotch Bonnet and Wiri Wiri you use, to your own preference.

Pre boil the pigeon peas in water for 30 mins, drain and repeat for another 30 minutes. This step will help to tenderize the peas, but more importantly, it will remove that sort of bitter taste you can get if you don’t do this step. Drain and set aside after.

Season the clean duck (remove skin and fat, wash with lemon juice and cool water – drain). Yea, I removed most of the skin as the additional fat in really not good for us. Tip… get your butcher to cut the duck for you, using his band-saw. Duck bones are very brittle and will shatter with a conventional chefs knife or cleaver. Watch the video below for more tips, including why you flame the duck’s skin during the butchering process.

In a large bowl with the clean (cut) duck, add the salt, black pepper, 2 tablespoon of the Caribbean Green seasoning, ground Masala, Scotch Bonnet (use as much as you can handle, I like my curry duck SPICY) and tomato. Mix well and try your BEST to allow it to marinate in the fridge overnight.. or at least 2 hours. The tomato’s acidity will help to balance off overall flavor of the curry, plus help us with a thicker gravy at the end.

In a large pot (iron works best) heat the oil (of your choice) on a medium flame, add the onion and garlic, turn the heat down to low and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Now add the cumin seeds and stir well. We’re trying our best to not burn anything. A minute later add the remaining tablespoon of Caribbean Green Seasoning. Stir.

One minute later add the curry powder of your choice (I used my blend) and cook gently for 3-5 minutes. Watch the video below for more tips.

Now turn the heat up to high, stir and add 3/4 cup of water. This step cooks off the rawness of the curry, giving you a much more rounded finished curry at the end. As it comes to a boil, reduce to medium (heat) and add the curry leaves and chadon beni.

The goal is to cook this until the water burns off and you start seeing the oil we stared with, add the Anchar Masala and stir well.

You’re looking for a thick slurry (see my tip in the video)! With the heat still on high, add the seasoned duck to the pot and stir well to coat the duck with this lovely curry base.

Put the lid on and bring to a boil. It will take a couple minutes.. reduce to a medium/low heat and cook. After ten minutes (stir a few times) crank up the heat to high and burn off all that liquid.

Once you can see the oil on the bottom of the pot we started with (and all the liquid is gone), add the pre-cooked pigeon peas and stir well. Now add 2 cups of water and bring back to a boil, then reduce to a simmer to cook the duck until it’s tender. Lid on , slightly ajar.

Do stir ever so often and pay attention to the liquid (add more water if you find it’s too dry).

1 hour later and the duck (depending on the age of it when it was butchered) should be tender. Now it’s time to personalize things, taste and adjust the salt, cook the gravy to the consistency you like (keep in mind it will thicken as it cools) and make sure the tenderness is to your liking. I like fall-off-the bone, some people do like a little chew.

Turn off the stove, top with the cilantro and wiri wiri peppers and ENJOY!

Served with hot steamed rice or with off the tawa Buss-Up-Shut Roti! Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Seafood

Ground Provision Frittata.

May 28, 2025July 2, 20221 Comment

Frittata! Definitely not a dish you’d commonly associate with the Caribbean, but wait! I’ll show you how to use the technique to rock something deliciously Caribbean for your next brunch. A dish I try to make a few times during the summer, when we’re those lazy Sundays entices us to the backyard. Yea, this works great on the outdoor grill as well.

You’ll Need…

boiled ground provisions (see note below)
3/4 cups shredded prepared salted Cod (fish)
1 cup sharp cheddar (use your fav cheese)
5 large eggs
3 tablespoon chopped parsley
5-7 sprigs thyme
2-3 scallions (chopped)
3/4 cup sweet bell pepper (diced)
2 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup cream
3/4 teaspoon black pepper (divided)

Notes. I used leftover (boiled in salted water) green cooking banana, eddoes and sweet potato (about 1 lb in total), from the Stewed Salmon With Ground Provisions recipe I did previous to this one. You may watch that video to see how I prepared the ground provisions.

Preheat your oven to 425 F. On the stovetop, heat a non stick pan (makes for easier removal later when the frittata is out of the oven) on a medium flame and add the butter. As it starts to melt, move the pan around – I explain why in the video below.

Add the bell peppers, scallions and prepared salted Cod. Stir well, turn the heat down to low, add 1/2 of the black pepper and cook gently.

In a bowl or measuring cup as I did, whisk the eggs with the cream and remaining black pepper. Now add 1/2 of the cheese into this egg mixture. Tip! grated nutmeg in the eggs will give another lovely layer of flavor to the completed frittata.

Prep (remember they we’re previously boiled in water) the ground provisions by simply cutting them up into bitesize pieces.. make sure they’re room temperature.

4-5 minutes later (make sure you stir the pan a couple times), add the cubed ground provisions to the pan and stir well so they get coated with the base we made. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium/high and pour in the egg mixture to the pan. Be sure to scrape down the sides, top with the parsley and thyme leaves (no stems) and allow it to set for about 4 minutes.

Top with the remaining cheese and into the oven (make sure your pan is oven proof) on the middle rack for 15 minutes. IMPORTANT! Remember to wear gloves when removing from the oven as the handle will be HOT!

To add a lovely golden color on the top, I turned on the broil setting on my oven (525 F) and gave it a 3 minutes. Here’s where you MUST be diligent as it can burn very easily at this high temperature. So be close to the oven and keep checking the color after 1 minute and remove when it’s to your liking.

Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes before cutting wedges to serve. By using that non-stick pan it will come out easily. Be sure to scrape the sides if you find that it’s sticking to the pan (explained in the video).

How to prepare salted cod << Click to watch the video. You would have noticed that I didn’t add any salt to the dish. The ground provisions were boiled in salted water and the remaining salt from the Salted Cod was enough (to my liking). But you may top with sea salt when it comes out of the oven if you prefer.

If you’d like the outdoor grill version of this recipe, please leave a request in the comments section. Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Chicken Tenders.

May 27, 2025June 23, 2022Leave a Comment

This recipe is based loosely on the way mom would make fried chicken for us as children. It’s a recipe I did quite often when my daughters were growing up (to prevent them asking for McDonalds) and something I still do when I get Chicken Tenders on sale at the market.

You’ll Need…

salted crackers (about 1/2 a pack)
2 lbs chicken tenders
vegetable oil (3 cups)
1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
3 eggs (whisked)
1 cup all-purpose flour

Feel free to season the whisked eggs with a bit of salt and black pepper if you wish. I use vegetable oil for frying, but you can use whichever oil you like frying with. If you wanted to give these a go in your air fryer, spray them with a bit of cooking spray (oil) first.

Season the chicken tenders with the Caribbean Green Seasoning, salt and black pepper. Mix well to coat all the pieces of chicken. No need to marinate for long… maybe just the time you need to prep everything else.

You may use bread crumbs you can purchase at your bakery or grocery store, but I’m doing as our mom would do when we were growing up on the islands.

Place the salted crackers in a large zipper bag (or tea towel) and smash to crumbs with a rolling pin. The beauty of doing it this way is that you won’t have uniform crumbs, but some pieces will be bigger than others, thus giving the finished chicken tenders a uniqueness.

Now prep your breading station. The seasoned chicken, eggs (whisked) in a bowl, flour and the crumbs we made from the crackers.

Grab the tenders, dust it in the flour, then into the whisked eggs (shake off the excess egg), then roll/pat it in the crumbs. Repeat until you’re all done. I set each coated piece of chicken tender on a cookie sheet as I worked my way through them all.

Heat your veg oil on a med high heat in a wide pan, then add the breaded pieces of chicken.. don’t crowd the pan.

Fry, flip and fry again, for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Drain on a wire rack (on a cookie sheet to catch the excess oil). I explain why I don’t use paper towels in the video below.

As you take them out of the hot oil, you may sprinkle on some sea salt if you wish. I didn’t as I’m trying to cut back on the salt in my diet.

Serve warm! I did a Scotch Bonnet Honey Mustard Sauce to dunk these into. WARNING this sauce is SPICY and not rated for children use… unless they’re my daughters! Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Meat & Poultry

Loaded Caribbean Corned Beef.

May 28, 2025June 12, 20221 Comment

This version of “fry” Corned-beef aka Bully Beef is inspired by after-school visits to my Jamaican friend’s home and the way his grandma (RIP granny) would make it. Her version was a bit more runny/saucy as I believe she would add a 1/4 cup or so of water.. I talk about this in the video below.

You’ll Need…

1 can corned beef
1 medium onion (sliced)
1 medium tomato (sliced)
1 small habanero pepper (sliced)
1 small carrot (thin strips)
1/2 green bell pepper (diced)
1/2 orange bell pepper (diced)
2 scallions (chopped)
1 cup frozen corn
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic (smashed)

I used a whole Habanero pepper, including the seeds. Use as much as you can handle, or any spicy pepper you like. Remove the seeds and white membrane of the pepper to control the heat level slightly. Finally, as we’ve discussed in the past, wear gloves and wash you hands with soap and water immediately after handling such spicy peppers.

Prep the vegetables in advance as this is supposed to be a quick side dish to top steaming hot rice, on sandwiches or even toss your fav cooked pasta into the mix. Growing up, we would enjoy the version mom would make, with hot Sada Roti or as mentioned previously, on top of hot long grain rice.

Place the opened tin of corned beef in a dry non-stick pan… I explain why I don’t start with oil in the pan, as well as why I don’t add any salt, in the video below.

On a low heat, break up the corned beef into pieces.. it will be easier as it heats up.

Add the black pepper, carrot, bell peppers, habanero pepper, onion, frozen corn and tomato.

Stir well to make sure everything is mixed together nicely. Cook on a medium heat and at this point add the ketchup and garlic.

After about 6 minutes with the lid on.. BOOM! You’re Done. Toss in the scallions to finish!

Bully beef (also known as corned beef in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore and other Commonwealth countries as well as the United States) is a variety of meat made from finely minced corned beef in a small amount of gelatin. The name “bully beef” likely comes from the French bouilli (meaning “boiled”) in Napoleonic times, or possibly from the head of a bull depicted on the popular Hereford brand of canned corned beef. The cans have a distinctive oblong shape. Bully beef and hardtack biscuits were the main field rations of the British Army from the Boer War to World War II.

Please serve hot! Add chopped cabbage to leftover and refry for yet another excellent side dish. Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Meat & Poultry

Black-eyed Peas Cook-up Rice.

May 27, 2025June 7, 20224 Comments

Like Pelau, cook-up rice is another iconic comforting one-pot dish to come out of the Caribbean. And YES, as you move up and down the chain of islands, you’ll find variations of this dish. Our mom would do this dish with salted beef or pig’s tail, but you can do I as did and add a combination of your fav meats. I used canned coconut milk (convenience), however if you have access to freshly made coconut milk.. you’ll want to use that!

You’ll Need…

4-5 lbs chicken (cut into serving size pieces)
2 lbs salted pigtail (2 inch pieces)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 medium onion (diced)
5 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 carrot (cut into rings)
2 cups diced pumpkin
3 scallions (chopped)
5 sprigs thyme | 1 Can Black Eyed Peas
1/2 teaspoon smoked pimenton (smoked paprika)
1-2 tablespoon tomato paste concentrate
2 cups coconut milk
2+1 cups water + 1 chicken stock cube (adjust if necessary)
2 1/2 cups long grain brown par-boiled rice
3-5 pimento peppers (sliced)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
8-12 taro (dasheen) leaves

Pre-boil the salted pig tails to make them a bit more tender and to remove most of the salt. (cover with water, bring to a boil. cook for 35 minutes, drain, rinse and cool)

Place the chicken (I used dark meat – leg and thigh) and the pig’s tail in a large bowl, then add the Caribbean Green Seasoning, salt and black pepper. Mix well and set it aside.

Get your big soup pot out as this will yield a lot of food (the remains can be frozen and reheated easily).. I went with a heavy iron pot. On a medium flame, add the olive oil (feel free to use coconut oil if you prefer), then onion, scallion, fresh thyme, garlic and scotch bonnet pepper. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers. Use as much of that scotch bonnet as you can handle.

Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 3 minutes. Now add the tomato paste (non traditional) and smoked paprika and stir well (I explain why in the video below).

Heat up to medium now, then go in with the seasoned meats… the marinade too! Mix well to coat the pieces of meat with everything.

Five minutes later add the black eye peas (from a can, so I rinsed it first), pumpkin and carrot. Stir well. Then add the coconut milk and 2 cups water + chicken stock cube. Bring to a boil.

Allow it to cook on a rolling boil (reduce the heat) for about 15 minutes.

As this happens, prepare the taro leaves (use spinach if you cannot source dasheen (taro) leaves). Watch the video below to see how this is done.

Add the chopped dasheen leaves to the pot and give it a good mix. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the pimento peppers now, if you can source it and grate in the ginger. Cook for 5 minutes, then it’s time to add the rice.

Wash the rice, then into the pot. Turn the heat up, add the additional cup of water and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Adjust the water later if needed (add more).

Watch the video for my tip on getting this dish more creamy and additional ingredients you can add for a more spectacular cook-up rice.

25 minutes after adding the rice and you can now personalize things. Taste and adjust the salt to your liking, continue cooking if you want it more soft or turn off the stove as I did as I knew that the residual heat of this iron pot would finish off things for me.

I closed the pot, and allowed it to sit for 15 minutes before I went in for a feast!

Serve warm with sliced tomato, cucumber and a THICK slice of zabouca (avocado) and one must NOT forget the peppersauce. Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/