This is an easy but impressive chocolate pudding laced with Jamaican Rum
40g/1 1/2 oz breadcrumbs
25g/1 oz ground almonds
175 ml/6fl oz double cream
50ml/2 fl oz dark Jamaican Rum
150g/51/2 oz dark chocolate, broken up in pieces
50g/1 3/4 oz unsalted butter
3 eggs, separated
125g/4 1/2 oz golden caster sugar
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Combine the breadcrumbs, the ground almonds, cream and rum in a large bowl and leave for 30 mins. Meanwhile, place the chocolate pieces in a pan and set over simmering hot water and gently melt it. Butter six individual souffle dishes and dust them with ground almonds. Cream together the butter, egg yolks and 50g 1 3/4 oz of the sugar in a mixer or food processor. Combine this with the breadcrumb mixture, then stir in the melted chocolate.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff then whisk in the remaining sugar in about three goes, whisking well with each addition until you have a glossy meringue. Fold a quarter of this into the chocolate mixture, then add the remainder. Spoon into the prepared souffle dishes and bake for 30-40 minutes. Don't worry if they sink slightly in the middle. The puddings can be reheated for 10 mins in the oven at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 when required.
TO SERVE: run a knife around the edge of the puddings and turn them on to 6 dessert plates. Spoon over some more rum and serve immediately with vanilla ice cream.
Simple and delicious recipes inspired by my childhood in Jamaica
Saturday 30 October 2010
Saturday 23 October 2010
Braised Oxtail with Butter Beans
This is a delicious cold weather supper richly flavoured with thyme and bay leaves and firey Scotch Bonnet Pepper!
4 lbs oxtail, trimmed
2 tablespoons Sunflower oil
2 bay leaves1 1/2 pints beef stock
2 tablespoons flour for coating the oxtail
2-3 Spring onions, chopped
1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1lb onions, peeled and roughly chopped
1lb carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sprigs thyme
Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
2 tins butter beans
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Season the oxtail with salt and pepper, thyme, bay leaves, spring onions and leave overnight or a couple of hours to absorb the flavours. When ready to cook, thinly dust the oxtail with the flour. Put two tablespoons of sugar in a sauce pan with the Sunflower oil. Heat gently and then add the oxtail. When browned add the 1 1/2 pints of beef stock, the carrots, onion, Scotch Bonnet pepper (left whole) and the rest of the seasonings. Allow to simmer for about 90 minutes on a low heat or until the meat falls off the bone. Add more water if necessary. Finally, add the butter beans and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes or boiled white rice.
To drink - a rich red Burgundy
4 lbs oxtail, trimmed
2 tablespoons Sunflower oil
2 bay leaves1 1/2 pints beef stock
2 tablespoons flour for coating the oxtail
2-3 Spring onions, chopped
1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1lb onions, peeled and roughly chopped
1lb carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sprigs thyme
Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
2 tins butter beans
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Season the oxtail with salt and pepper, thyme, bay leaves, spring onions and leave overnight or a couple of hours to absorb the flavours. When ready to cook, thinly dust the oxtail with the flour. Put two tablespoons of sugar in a sauce pan with the Sunflower oil. Heat gently and then add the oxtail. When browned add the 1 1/2 pints of beef stock, the carrots, onion, Scotch Bonnet pepper (left whole) and the rest of the seasonings. Allow to simmer for about 90 minutes on a low heat or until the meat falls off the bone. Add more water if necessary. Finally, add the butter beans and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes or boiled white rice.
To drink - a rich red Burgundy
Saturday 16 October 2010
Two delicious soups for Autumn
When I was a child growing up in Jamaica, it was traditional to have a hearty bowl of soup for lunch on a Saturday whether it was pouring with rain outside or gloriously sunny. Soups were usually Pumpkin, Beef or Pea and often enriched with root vegetables such as yams or potatoes. In these two recipes I have omitted the chunky vegetables and have simply liquidised the ingredients to give a rich thick smooth soup. Delicious with warm crusty bread.
Pumpkin Soup
2 oz split peas
2 pts chicken stock
1/4 lb peeled and chopped pumpkin
1 onion coarsely chopped
2 rashers grilled crispy bacon, crumble for garnishing
Salt and freshly ground blackpepper
Sprig of thyme
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 whole Scotchbonnet pepper or two green chillies chopped
A tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley for garnishing
Soak the split peas in a bowl of water overnight. When ready to use, rinse thoroughly and place in a saucepan with the stock and other ingredients except the bacon and parsley. Simmer until the pumpkin and split peas are tender. Cool and then put through a liquidiser until thick and smooth. Serve hot and garnish with the chopped parsley and bacon.
Serves 6
Sweet Potato Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large onions - peeled and roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 lb sweet potatoes - peeled and diced
1 1/2 pints chicken stock
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup double cream
For the Garnish
2 tablespoons sour cream or creme fraiche
1 tablespoon chopped chives
2 rashers bacon grilled and crumbled
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until softened. Add the sweet potatoes, the stock, herbs and seasonings. Bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. This should take about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool and puree in food processor/liquidiser adding the stock gradually. Process until smooth but if not smooth enough, pass through a fine sieve. When ready to serve, reheat the soup and add the double cream. Spoon the soup in bowls and garnish with the sour cream or creme fraiche, sprinkling over the chives and bacon.
Serves 6
Pumpkin Soup
2 oz split peas
2 pts chicken stock
1/4 lb peeled and chopped pumpkin
1 onion coarsely chopped
2 rashers grilled crispy bacon, crumble for garnishing
Salt and freshly ground blackpepper
Sprig of thyme
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 whole Scotchbonnet pepper or two green chillies chopped
A tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley for garnishing
Soak the split peas in a bowl of water overnight. When ready to use, rinse thoroughly and place in a saucepan with the stock and other ingredients except the bacon and parsley. Simmer until the pumpkin and split peas are tender. Cool and then put through a liquidiser until thick and smooth. Serve hot and garnish with the chopped parsley and bacon.
Serves 6
Sweet Potato Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large onions - peeled and roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 lb sweet potatoes - peeled and diced
1 1/2 pints chicken stock
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup double cream
For the Garnish
2 tablespoons sour cream or creme fraiche
1 tablespoon chopped chives
2 rashers bacon grilled and crumbled
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until softened. Add the sweet potatoes, the stock, herbs and seasonings. Bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. This should take about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool and puree in food processor/liquidiser adding the stock gradually. Process until smooth but if not smooth enough, pass through a fine sieve. When ready to serve, reheat the soup and add the double cream. Spoon the soup in bowls and garnish with the sour cream or creme fraiche, sprinkling over the chives and bacon.
Serves 6
Sunday 10 October 2010
Creative Caribbean recipes: Oven Baked Red Snapper with a Tomato & Chilli Pepp...
Creative Caribbean recipes: Oven Baked Red Snapper with a Tomato & Chilli Pepp...: "Oven Baked Red Snapper with a Tomato & Chilli Pepper Sauce Red Snapper is a popular fish in the Caribbean. This is a typical recipe but it ..."
Oven Baked Red Snapper with a Tomato & Chilli Pepper Sauce
Red Snapper is a popular fish in the Caribbean. This is a typical recipe but it is also delicious stuffed with callaloo/spinach or steamed in the tomato sauce accompanying this recipe or curried.
2-3lbs Snapper, gutted and scaled
with head and tail left on
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon crushed thyme
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 bay leaf, crushes
ground blackpepper
Rub the cleaned fish inside and out with salt and ground black pepper. Cut gashes on one side of the fish. Put into a greased baking pan with the cut side facing up. Pour the olive oil over the fish and sprinkle the crushed herbs into the cuts and in the belly of the fish. Pour over the lemon juice. Bake in a hot oven at 350F, 180 C for about 20-25 minutes basting occasionally or until the skin is crisp and the flesh just flaky.
When the fish is done, transfer to a warm plate. Now make the sauce with the juices from the pan. I may be necessary to add a little water to the pan.
Tomato and Chilli Pepper Sauce
There are many versions of this sauce varying in name and the amount of peppers used.
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes diced or a small tin of chopped tomatoes
1 garlic clove, crushed
olive oil for frying
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh green chilli pepper
pinch of salt
6 pimento berried, optional
Saute the onion and garlic together gently in the olive oil and then add the chopped tomatoes, peppers and pimento berries. Mix all the ingredients together with the liquid from the fish pan and bring to a boil. Add more water if necessary. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Pour over the fish and serve.
Red Snapper is a popular fish in the Caribbean. This is a typical recipe but it is also delicious stuffed with callaloo/spinach or steamed in the tomato sauce accompanying this recipe or curried.
2-3lbs Snapper, gutted and scaled
with head and tail left on
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon crushed thyme
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 bay leaf, crushes
ground blackpepper
Rub the cleaned fish inside and out with salt and ground black pepper. Cut gashes on one side of the fish. Put into a greased baking pan with the cut side facing up. Pour the olive oil over the fish and sprinkle the crushed herbs into the cuts and in the belly of the fish. Pour over the lemon juice. Bake in a hot oven at 350F, 180 C for about 20-25 minutes basting occasionally or until the skin is crisp and the flesh just flaky.
When the fish is done, transfer to a warm plate. Now make the sauce with the juices from the pan. I may be necessary to add a little water to the pan.
Tomato and Chilli Pepper Sauce
There are many versions of this sauce varying in name and the amount of peppers used.
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes diced or a small tin of chopped tomatoes
1 garlic clove, crushed
olive oil for frying
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh green chilli pepper
pinch of salt
6 pimento berried, optional
Saute the onion and garlic together gently in the olive oil and then add the chopped tomatoes, peppers and pimento berries. Mix all the ingredients together with the liquid from the fish pan and bring to a boil. Add more water if necessary. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Pour over the fish and serve.
Sunday 3 October 2010
Pan-Fried Duck Breasts with Passion Fruit Sauce Plantation- Style
This is a delicious recipe inspired by the beautiful old Great House & Plantation, Rawlins Plantation in St. Kitts.
Ingredients:
2 duck breast fillets (about 8 oz each)
Olive oil for frying
Passion fruit sauce
1 cup passion fruit pulp (about 10 ripe passion fruits)
1/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cups water
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 tablespoons Grand Mariner or Red Rum (optional)
Combine sugar, water and cornflour in a small saucepan over a low heat. Cook gently stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Add the passion fruit pulp and bring back to boil. Remove from heat. When cool add the Rum or Grand Marnier and chill. Set aside.
To cook the duck breasts:
Heat the oil in a frying-pan. Prick the skin of the duck breasts and place in the frying pan skin side down. Fry over a high heat for about 4-8 minutes on each side until browned or cook until just a thin line of pink is visible in the centre.
Transfer the duck breasts to a warm plate and slice thinly. Arrange a fan of the thinly sliced duck on a plate and pour the passion fruit sauce over the duck and serve.
Ingredients:
2 duck breast fillets (about 8 oz each)
Olive oil for frying
Passion fruit sauce
1 cup passion fruit pulp (about 10 ripe passion fruits)
1/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cups water
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 tablespoons Grand Mariner or Red Rum (optional)
Combine sugar, water and cornflour in a small saucepan over a low heat. Cook gently stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Add the passion fruit pulp and bring back to boil. Remove from heat. When cool add the Rum or Grand Marnier and chill. Set aside.
To cook the duck breasts:
Heat the oil in a frying-pan. Prick the skin of the duck breasts and place in the frying pan skin side down. Fry over a high heat for about 4-8 minutes on each side until browned or cook until just a thin line of pink is visible in the centre.
Transfer the duck breasts to a warm plate and slice thinly. Arrange a fan of the thinly sliced duck on a plate and pour the passion fruit sauce over the duck and serve.
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