“Dad, can you make me chow?” No Mango! “How about shrimp?” That was the brief discussion between Tehya and I a few weeks back when she got her routine craving for mango chow. A spicy pickle usually made with green (tart) mangoes, or any of the variety of fruits we have in the Caribbean. Had to admit, it was a brilliant idea. We both enjoy shrimp cocktail and with the sort of spicy base.. could this be the “Caribbean” version of shrimp cocktail?
After moving to Canada I was exposed to many ‘new’ ingredients, which were not found in the typical Caribbean garden or market. One such ingredient which became an immediate hit with my taste buds was asparagus. Normally I’d grill them, but early in the season when it’s still a bit too cold to go outside and spark up the grill, I like doing this sort of stew (stir-fry for many). Based on the method we use for making a saltfish (salted cod) stew in the Caribbean, this is certainly one of the best ways to enjoy asparagus.
Here’s another one of those dishes I hated as a kid growing up on the islands. Both the smoked herrings and the cabbage were etched into my don’t eat list, but as an adult they’re two ingredients I not only use on the regular, but crave. The scent of dad roasting the smoked herrings (back then the choice were whole fish) on an open flame to give it extra flavor and to help remove the skin and bones, wasn’t pleasant. That said.. even when using the fillets as I’m about to do, know that it will impart a distinct scent throughout your kitchen/home.
If you follow me on Instagram you would have seen me (just after the holidays) post the pic of me surrounded by a ton of plastic containers. When you visit mom and dad it’s always a time to eat like a KING and have enough food to return home with. Basically I went prepared for the leftover train. This recipe is a byproduct of that visit and the volume of irie food which accompanied us home. By now you should have guessed that I luv fried rice (there are several recipes posted here) and this one certainly delivers.
Any sort of game, including deer (venison) is what we call “wild meat” in the Caribbean and for the most part it’s a sort of cherished delicacy, especially around Christmas and Carnival time. I have very fond childhood memories of going hunting with my brother and dad and into my early teens we would venture out with my friends. Though I went to school in San Fernando (city), most of my spare time was spent in the country side of Guaracara, so you’d find that I’m an outdoors person at heart.
I may have mentioned before that while growing up on the islands mom never made any sort of curry dishes with pork, so I credit my aunt Victoria (I speak about her in my book) for passing the basics of this recipe on to me, when I lived with her during my early years in Canada. Her version included a bit more cooking (I like my beans with a slight crunch) and a little heavier on the curry, so this version of curry pork with green beans is personalized to my liking.
One of the things my parents instilled in us from an early age, was to NEVER waste food, so growing up you’d always find containers (usually old margarine containers) with leftover food in the fridge. I love rice (brown parboiled) in just about any way it can be cooked, so having leftover rice in the fridge is like seeing the pieces of puzzle waiting to be put together. Said puzzle does not have an after picture to follow, so it’s rare that my final fried rice is ever the same. This time I’m using some fresh Jamaican callaloo (called chorai bhagi or spinach in the rest of the Caribbean) from my garden.
If you grew up on the islands you’d have at least one experience with cheese paste sandwiches… the go-to snack at many kids birthday parties. A zesty cheese spread made with grated cheddar, spiced with mustard and usually done in different colors so you get that sort of rainbow effect when you look at a cross-section of a sandwich. This recipe is the gown-up version of said cheese paste as we’ll add some fresh vegetables to the mix and instead or grated cheese, we’ll employ the use of cream cheese.
I’m not a huge fan of turkey, especially when it’s done the traditional North American way – roasted in the oven. I much prefer getting the cheaper cuts like the necks (Curry Turkey Necks) and in this case, wings. Though a bit tougher than chicken wings, I find that they hold up well to the Caribbean way of stewing and the outcome is quite delightful. Tender pieces of meat, with a wonderful gravy which is excellent on rice, potato, dumplings, roti or ground provisions. The key is in the way we’ll season, marinate and finally braise these turkey wings in a process which is most traditional to the Southern Caribbean.
Over the years I’ve shared countless recipes for making jerk marinades, sauces, how to make finger-licking Jamaican jerk in the oven and classic jerk on your grill and bbq. As we continue our annual July Month Of Grilling I thought I’d shift focus and share a gluten friendly version of this classic Jamaican jerk marinade for our friends who deal with gluten intolerance. A jerk marinade which goes well with fish, shrimp, pork and in this case, some chicken legs which we’ll marinate before slowly cooking them over a moderate coals-fire in the back yard.
Rundown is yet another stew type dish where there are several variations as you make your way across the Caribbean. From the ingredients used to the technique, you’ll find that as you go from island to island, you’ll encounter subtle (delicious) differences. This recipe was shared with me many moons ago when I first came to Canada and I became friends with the only other Caribbean family who lived the the same apartment building we called home the early years in Hamilton. My friend’s Jamaican grandmother was a general in the kitchen and from time to time she would share some of her secrets with me… she saw the curiosity in my eyes!
It’s only natural that after posting the Sofrito recipe a while back, I’d have a way for you to put such a classic ingredient to use. Sofrito is basically a seasoning base made in the Spanish speaking Caribbean which is added to enhance the overall flavor of meats, stews, soups and other dishes. In this recipe I’ll show you how simple it is to take something as boring as chicken breast and pan roast them on your stove-top for what I believe is the most juicy (and delicious) way to enjoy a part of the chicken notorious for being overly dry and bland.
