july month of grilling Archives

As we kick off another edition of the annual July Month Of Grilling, let’s jump into a recipe which is heavily requested and it’s something that goes hand in hand with BBQ and Grilling on the islands. If you’re from the Caribbean or have traveled to the islands (maybe you have friends from the region), you’ll know that Garlic Sauce (a thin aioli) is one of the preferred condiments served with BBQ. While there are many variations of this iconic sauce, I grantee you that this is as spectacular as it gets.

You’ll Need…

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2-4 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 lemon (juice)
3 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 small scallions
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds)
6 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey

Important! The Scotch Bonnet pepper is optional (but it does add to the overall flavor), however if you do use it be sure to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after.

This garlic sauce is very simple to assemble. I say assemble as there’s hardly any work and there’s no cooking involved.

Basically you’ll want to give the cilantro, scallion and scotch bonnet pepper a rough chop, then juice the lemon and the real work is done. Don’t use any of the seeds nor white membrane surrounding the seeds of the scotch bonnet pepper. Unless you want the raw heat.

Place everything in a blender (or food processor) and puree until smooth. Add a bit more lemon juice or vinegar if you find it’s a bit too thick.

Personally I like serving this garlic sauce chilled. Goes great on grilled meats, fish, hotdogs and hamburgers. Perfect on fries and as a dip for chips or pizza. Must be stored in a sterilized container in the fridge and will last between 2-3 weeks easily.

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Ultimate Caribbean Grilled (roast) Corn Recipe.

August 19, 2017July 18, 20174 Comments

This is NOT my dad’s roast (grilled) corn! If you grew up on the islands, you’ll know that fire roasted corn is a big deal every corn season. However I was never a fan of the ‘roast’ corn our dad was obsessed with, as I found the younger (not as mature as the ones used for fire roasting) corn, boiled in salted water was my fave. Since moving to North America where we have access to ‘sweet’ corn early in the summer, that all changed. As I was now able to get the same sort of tender and sweet kernels I enjoyed as a kid (though the corn is fully mature) even after I roast them off. But you know I would never have my girls settle for basic grilled corn… pay attention as I’m about to make you a superstar when it comes to grilling corn.

You’ll Need…

5 sweet corn
1/3 teaspoon salt
2 scallions (chopped fine)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (hot)
1/2 lime (juice)
1/4 cup feta cheese

* optional 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin | Bamboo Skewers

IMPORTANT! If doing this recipe vegan/vegetarian you can skip the cheese addition at the end or use a cheese substitute you normally use.

Remove the husk and hair (silk) off the corn, trim off the edges and cut in half. Then get ready to make the marinade. Yes, while the kernels probably won’t absorb the marinade, once it gets in contact the husk (core) it will add some magic to the corn when grilled off.

Add all the ingredients except the lime juice and cheese in a bowl and whisk to combine. Then pour over the corn pieces and mix well. The goal is to get the corn husk (core) to absorb the marinade for a couple hours or longer , so when they grill on the open fire the kernels will take on the lovely flavors we started with.

For presentation purposes I then went in the core of each corn with a bamboo skewer just before grilling (totally optional).

Do remember to stir them around during the marination process. Basically all you have to do now is grill them off untill they’re cooked, a bit charred and definitely sweet. I went for an indirect way of roasting the corn, so I circled the main heat source (coals fire).

Keep rotating them so they grill evenly. After about 8 minutes of indirect heat (lid closed), I then moved the corn directly over the coals, so they would develop some color and really heighten the sweetness. Please keep in mind that you’ll have to pay close attention to them at this point as the natural sugars from the corn and coconut milk will want to caramelize and burn quickly, over direct heat.

In total I grilled these corn for about 10-12 minutes. Just before I moved them off the flame I squeezed the lime juice directly over then and while on the serving platter I crumbled on the Feta cheese (while the corn is still hot/warm). Please keep in mind (if you’re based in the Caribbean where we have a much tougher corn) that I used ‘sweet’ corn for this recipe, so they cooked relatively fast.

I do hope you all are enjoying the recipes so far, as we work our way though our annual #JulyMonthOfGrilling

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Seafood

Island Style Grilled Shrimp.

July 18, 2017July 11, 2017Leave a Comment

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).

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july month of grilling

The Ultimate Garlic Sauce (aioli) Recipe.

Ultimate Caribbean Grilled (roast) Corn Recipe.

Island Style Grilled Shrimp.

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