Jamaican Jerk Chicken

(Bon Appetit, May 2006)

Jerk Mixture

Boil
3 T dark rum
2 T water
in saucepan for 3 minutes; transfer to blender.

Add:
½ C malt vinegar
10 scallions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled ; chopped
2 T dried thyme
2 Scotch bonnets, seeded; chopped
2 T oil
4 tsp allspice
4 tsp. cinnamon
4 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp salt ; 2 tsp pepper
2 tsp dark brown sugar

Blend until smooth.

Take 2T of this jerk mixture, mix with 1 C catsup and 3 T soy sauce. Set aside.

Chicken Preparation

Take 2 or 3 chickens, halve lengthwise, rinse and pat dry.
Arrange in baking dish.
Pour 1/2 C lime juice over chickens.
Spoon jerk mixture over chickens and rub in.
Cover and refrigerate for up to one day.

Preheat oven to 350.
Remove chicken from marinade, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast skin side up for about 50 minutes or until juices run clear.
Cut each piece in half and serve with reserved wet jerk sauce.

Mango-filled cream puffs with mango-mojito sauce (Jamaican)

(Bon Appetit, May 2006)

Puffs

1 C whole milk
½ C unsalted butter, diced
¼ tsp. salt
¾ C flour
4 eggs
2 egg yolks

Preheat oven to 375 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Bring milk, butter and salt to boil then add flour all at once. Reduce heat to medium and stir with wooden spoon until dough forms ball, about 4 minutes. Transfer dough to medium bowl & add eggs and yolks one at a time using mixer. Drop by tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart on sheets and bake 15 minutes. Reverse pans and cook 10 more minutes. Make small slit in side of each puff, return to oven turn off heat and let dry 15 minutes.

Filling

2 C cubed mango
1 C sour cream
1 C whipping cream
1 C icing sugar, divided

Stir mango & sour cream to blend. Beat whipping cream and ½ cup icing sugar until peaks form and fold into mango mixture. Chill at least 30 minutes & up to 3 hours.

Fill the puffs and sprinkle with remaining icing sugar

Mango-Mojito Sauce

2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and diced
6 T plain whole milk yogurt
4 T sugar
3 T spiced rum
1 T lime juice
1 ½ tsp. fresh chopped mint

Puree mangoes and transfer 1 ½ cups to bowl. Mix yogurt, and Tbsp sugar, spiced rum, lime juice and mint into puree. Taste and sweeten if necessary. Serve with puffs.

Paul’s Great Green Soup

This was based on a calaloo soup recipe from Bamboo Cooks but with quite a few changes. A little warning: this should really be made a day ahead to get the full flavour.

Put into a large soup pot:

6 cups of chicken stock
4 medium onions cut into quarters
1 bunch scallions cut into 3 inch pieces
1 T fresh thyme
3 T lemon juice
1/4 C unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic crushed or cut
2 habaneros deseeded and finely chopped
1 T fish sauce
2 T teriyaki sauce

Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile slowly heat a can of coconut milk to boiling and as soon as it gets there, remove from the heat.

Add 3 skinned and cut parsnips to broth. Cook until soft.
Add a large package of spinach.
Let boil for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Puree soup in any way you like. Then slowly whisk in the coconut milk.
Add one can of decent crabmeat.

Let cool completely before putting into fridge or the coconut milk will separate.

Reheat the next day and enjoy.

Paul’s Caribbean Curry Chicken

Combine for marinade:

½ tsp each salt, allspice, cinnamon, cloves
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp each turmeric, cumin, pepper, garlic powder
1 T each coriander, dry mustard, cayenne
2 T curry powder
4 cloves garlic chopped
¼ C soy sauce (I used kecap manis (Indonesian soy sauce; thicker and sweeter)
4 T oyster sauce
3 T vegetable oil

Mix a few breasts of chicken into this marinade and refrigerate at least 4 hours and as much as overnight.
(Original recipe called for large chicken legs, I used breast cuts and cut them into a little larger than bite size).

Combine for curry paste:

¼ tsp each turmeric, cumin, coriander, dry mustard, cayenne, ginger
1 tsp curry powder

Heat 4 T vegetable oil in wok on low heat.
Add curry paste and cook for a minute.
Add 4 tomatoes cut in quarters and 2 onions cut in quarters (I substituted shallots one time for a freind who was avoiding onions).
Cook for about 5 minutes til onions translucent.
Add 1 can tomato puree, 2 cans coconut milk, 2 T each fish sauce, kecap manis
(orig recipe called for 2 T soy sauce and 3 T sugar).
Cook til combined.
Reduce heat and add marinated chicken, cooking for around 45 minutes, stirring often.

This ends up as quite a thick, sweet and spicy curry; I usually add potatoes to extend it a little for leftovers.

Despite the aromas wafting from pot, it is suggested to leave some for your guests.
One of our members said that this was the best curry she had ever tasted.

(from Bamboo Cooks unfortunately the book and the restaurant no longer exist, well the book exists, it just isn’t for sale anymore; see the entry for cookbooks)