Simple and delicious recipes inspired by my childhood in Jamaica
Sunday 28 November 2010
Creative Caribbean recipes: Smoked Salmon Kedgeree
Creative Caribbean recipes: Smoked Salmon Kedgeree: "This is a recipe I have adapted from one passed down to me by my formidable former mother-in-law. This was a favourite breakfast recipe - r..."
Smoked Salmon Kedgeree
This is a recipe I have adapted from one passed down to me by my formidable former mother-in-law. This was a favourite breakfast recipe - rice with fish and curry - dished up by Indian servants during the family's miltitary service in India in the old days of Empire!
This makes a delicious and simple lunch or supper dish and acceptable to many vegetarians!
1 1/2 lbs lightly smoked salmon fillets
3 oz butter
300g Basmati Rice
150ml milk
1 onion chopped
4 hard-boilled eggs, shelled and chopped
1 teaspoon hot curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 green chillies, finely sliced
5 tblspns chopped fresh coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Place the salmon fillets in a large sauce pan and cover them with the milk. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 10 minutes until the fish is cooked. Transfer the fish to a dish, reserving the milk. Cook the rice in lightly salted boiling water with some of the milk until tender. In a saucepan melt the butter and soften the onion, the cumin seeds, and chillies for about 5 minutes then stir in the curry power and cook for a further minute. Stir in the cooked rice and the chopped eggs. Flake the fish and add to the rice mixture with a little of the milk to moisten. Sprinkle over the chopped coriander and stir the ingredients together and heat through. When ready to serve, season to taste and transfer the kedgeree to a hot serving dish, pour over the lime juice. My mother-in-law liked to serve a dollop of thick cream to the kedgeree.
To drink: A well chilled chablis
This makes a delicious and simple lunch or supper dish and acceptable to many vegetarians!
1 1/2 lbs lightly smoked salmon fillets
3 oz butter
300g Basmati Rice
150ml milk
1 onion chopped
4 hard-boilled eggs, shelled and chopped
1 teaspoon hot curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 green chillies, finely sliced
5 tblspns chopped fresh coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Place the salmon fillets in a large sauce pan and cover them with the milk. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 10 minutes until the fish is cooked. Transfer the fish to a dish, reserving the milk. Cook the rice in lightly salted boiling water with some of the milk until tender. In a saucepan melt the butter and soften the onion, the cumin seeds, and chillies for about 5 minutes then stir in the curry power and cook for a further minute. Stir in the cooked rice and the chopped eggs. Flake the fish and add to the rice mixture with a little of the milk to moisten. Sprinkle over the chopped coriander and stir the ingredients together and heat through. When ready to serve, season to taste and transfer the kedgeree to a hot serving dish, pour over the lime juice. My mother-in-law liked to serve a dollop of thick cream to the kedgeree.
To drink: A well chilled chablis
Saturday 20 November 2010
My Mother's Chicken Curry
Chicken Curry and Goat (mutton) Curry are firm favourites in Jamaica and have become part of the national cuisine thanks to Indian indentured labourers brought to Jamaica in the 1830s to work on sugar plantations after slavery was abolished. Most Jamaican parties are incomplete without a steaming plate of chicken or goat curry!
4 tbsps oil
3 1/2 lb chicken, cut in 8 joints
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 Scotch Bonnet pepper, chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp ground tumeric
3 tbsp hot curry powder
1/2 hot chicken stock or water
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped in chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 fresh limes
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
First rub the lime juice over the chicken , pat dry and set aside.
Heat the oil in a pan and brown the chicken joints. Transfer to a flameproof pan. Fry onion, garlic and Scotch Bonnet pepper until soft but not browned. Stir in spices including the curry powder and cook for a further minute. Add the chicken and potatoes and mix together. Pour in the stock. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and the curry is thickened. This should take around 45 minutes. Add the chopped coriander leaves stir and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve on its own with a mixed green salad or with boiled white rice if you are feeling greedy!
To drink : A delicious chilled New World sauvignon blanc which would go well with the spiciness of the curry.
4 tbsps oil
3 1/2 lb chicken, cut in 8 joints
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 Scotch Bonnet pepper, chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp ground tumeric
3 tbsp hot curry powder
1/2 hot chicken stock or water
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped in chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 fresh limes
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
First rub the lime juice over the chicken , pat dry and set aside.
Heat the oil in a pan and brown the chicken joints. Transfer to a flameproof pan. Fry onion, garlic and Scotch Bonnet pepper until soft but not browned. Stir in spices including the curry powder and cook for a further minute. Add the chicken and potatoes and mix together. Pour in the stock. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and the curry is thickened. This should take around 45 minutes. Add the chopped coriander leaves stir and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve on its own with a mixed green salad or with boiled white rice if you are feeling greedy!
To drink : A delicious chilled New World sauvignon blanc which would go well with the spiciness of the curry.
Saturday 13 November 2010
Chickpea and Salt Cod Stew
This is a super delicious and rustic recipe, ideal if you are in need of some comfort eating!
750g (1 1/2 llb) dried salted codfish (you can get these in the larger supermarkets)
350g (12 oz) dried chickpeas
1 x 175g (6 oz) potato, peeled
85ml (3fl oz) olive oil
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
4 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
3-4 tbsp chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cover the chickpeas in plenty of water and leave them to soak overnight.
When you are ready to cook, drain the chickpeas and pour over enough fresh water to cover. Bring to boil, add the peeled potatoes and simmer until tender, adding hot water now and then, if necessary, to make sure they stay well covered. Drain and set aside, saving the cooking liquid.
Put the salt cod into a pan of boiling water and simmer for 6-8 minutes or until cooked. Drain and when cool flake the fish into large pieces, discard the skin and any bones.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan , add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a minute without browning. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and potatoes. Add a little of the cooking liquid from the chickpeas and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the stew has reduced and thickened. Fold in the salt cod and parsley and season with freshly ground black.
pepper.
Serve with a salad of crisp green leaves.
To drink: French whites from the Loire Valley would be best such as muscadet or sancerre.
750g (1 1/2 llb) dried salted codfish (you can get these in the larger supermarkets)
350g (12 oz) dried chickpeas
1 x 175g (6 oz) potato, peeled
85ml (3fl oz) olive oil
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
4 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
3-4 tbsp chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cover the chickpeas in plenty of water and leave them to soak overnight.
When you are ready to cook, drain the chickpeas and pour over enough fresh water to cover. Bring to boil, add the peeled potatoes and simmer until tender, adding hot water now and then, if necessary, to make sure they stay well covered. Drain and set aside, saving the cooking liquid.
Put the salt cod into a pan of boiling water and simmer for 6-8 minutes or until cooked. Drain and when cool flake the fish into large pieces, discard the skin and any bones.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan , add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a minute without browning. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and potatoes. Add a little of the cooking liquid from the chickpeas and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the stew has reduced and thickened. Fold in the salt cod and parsley and season with freshly ground black.
pepper.
Serve with a salad of crisp green leaves.
To drink: French whites from the Loire Valley would be best such as muscadet or sancerre.
Sunday 7 November 2010
Sausage and Cannellini beans in Red Wine
Fifth of November celebrations are under way this week-end with huge bonfire parties in parks and cosy back gardens and people wrapped up warm standing around in the cold and damp watching the most brilliant firework displays. Bonfire Night parties are usually very informal affairs with simple food such as spicy hot dogs and piping hot baked potatoes.
This is my warming and simple recipe for braised sausages and Cannellini beans in red wine for cold and hungry guests. I am using Black Farmer's pork sausages (www. theblackfarmer.com) which are absolutely delicious!
1 tbsp sunflower oil
8 Black Farmer's pork sausages
8 oz bacon, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 onions, chopped
2 sprigs thyme
1 heaped tbsp plain flour
150ml red wine
410g can Cannellini beans. drained and rinsed
1 teaspn Dijon Mustard
600ml chicken stock
Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the sausages and brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add to the frying pan, the chopped bacon, garlic, thyme and onion and saute for 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle over the flour and mustard and cook for a further 3 minutes stirring constantly. Gradually add the wine stirring with a wooden spoon and bring to the boil then reduce the heat. Add the sausages and hot chicken stock. Season with salt and black pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the sausages are cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Stir in the Cannellini beans and cook for a further 5 minutes. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes.
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