Seafood

This dish is as CLASSIC as it gets when it comes to the culinary culture of the Caribbean. Our ancestors would rejoice with pride at seeing that so many centuries later, it still holds a special place in our hearts when it comes to comfort food. FYI Breadfruit (Pacific Islands) as with salted cod (Eastern Canada) , was brought to the Caribbean as a means to feed our forefathers who were slaves. And as you go from island to island you’ll see how we have all mastered making excellent dishes with both since then.

You’ll Need…

1 breadfruit (mature)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion (sliced)
3/4 cup prepared salted cod
1 clove garlic (sliced)
5 sprigs thyme
1 medium tomato (sliced)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 scallions (chopped)
1 habanero pepper (diced)

Important! Remember to wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling spicy peppers (like habanero). If doing this dish gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

This is called a Coal Pot and it’s the traditional stove used in the Caribbean by our ancestors.

Fire roast the breadfruit (watch the video below to follow along) until it’s black and charred on the outside. Please note you can roast the breadfruit on your propane bbq or indoor grill. 350-400 F for about 1 – 1 1/2 hours. On the open fire (as I did), roast for about 40-45 minutes and remember to rotate so all sides gets into contact with the flames/coals.

Allow it to cool, then using a knife, remove the charred (YES it will be BLACK and Burned – unless you used your indoor oven or grill) skin. Then remove the inner core and discard. Now slice into segments/wedges. I used a sheet of paper towel to hold onto it for easier peeling.

In a wide pan on a medium flame, add the olive oil and butter, then add the prepared salted cod and stir well. This will infuse the oil/butter with the salted cod flavor.

Add the black pepper and two minutes later add the onion, Habanero Pepper (I was out of scotch bonnet peppers), thyme and garlic. Stir well to make sure all those lovely flavors come together.

Next up, add the tomato and cook for another 3 minutes.

Lower the flame and add the roasted breadfruit pieces and mix well to soak up all the niceness in the pot. Remember to flip the pieces of the breadfruit as the side touching the bottom of the pan will start developing a crust.

4 minutes later add the scallions, give it another mix and cook for a last 3-4 minutes. I cooked it for 8 minutes (low heat) after adding the breadfruit to the pan. Now get ready to enjoy one of the most delicious and comforting meals you’ll ever have. Be kind to yourself and have some ripe avocado and Caribbean peppersauce on hand, to complete the meal.

Note that I didn’t add any salt to the dish as the remaining salt from the salted cod was enough for the entire dish for my liking. Taste and adjust accordingly.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Steamed Jerk Fish With Plantain.

September 12, 2021July 11, 20211 Comment

Why didn’t I appreciate fish and seafood as a lil fella as I do as an adult?! Back then I lived on an island where such food was ah plenty and fresh (I mean FRESH) out of the ocean. Drats! Today when I can get somewhat fresh fish, the price tag creates an inner debate with my wallet about affordability and accountability. BTW watch the video below if you’d like some tips on purchasing fish at your local market.

You’ll Need…

1 fish (about 1 lb)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon jerk marinade
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
1 scallion
1 ripe plantain
1 lemon (to wash the fish and to top the steamed fish)

Notes.. I used a Porgy fish, but any of your fav fish will work.. I do recommend something with a mild flavor so the Jerk marinade shines though. If doing this recipe gluten free, please ensure that the jerk marinade you use is gluten free to meet with your gluten free dietary requirements. I used a scotch bonnet pepper for additional heat, it’s optional or you can use a spicy pepper you like or can source. A habanero pepper is a great option, with it’s fruity type of heat!

Trim the ends off the plantain and discard. Then cut into 3 pieces (about 2 1/2 – 3 inches long). Using a pairing knife, run a cut (thickness of the skin) across the length of each piece. This will make it much easier to peel when your done steaming and it’s cool to touch.

Trim, scale (if your fish monger didn’t already) and wash the fish with cool water and 1/2 of the lemon (or lime) juice. Now give it 2-3 shallow cuts across the belly of the fish (watch the video below). This will allow for faster/even cooking, but more importantly… to get the marinade to go deeper into the flesh of the fish.

In a bowl, place the olive oil and the store bought (or homemade jerk marinade) jerk marinade.. that’s it! Mix.

Salt and pepper the fish, then coat the fish with the marinade, including the belly cavity and into those cuts we made earlier.

I used a bamboo steamer I purchased a while back at the local Asian market. Place a piece of parchment paper (or banana leaf) down, then the fish went on top of that. This is then followed by the pieces of plantain on the side, along with the sliced scotch bonnet pepper (optional – I LOVE Spicy!) into the cuts in the fish we made. Finally I placed a scallion on the fish and closed the steamer basket.

Basically all you do is place some water into your wok, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and place the steamer basket on top of it.

If you wanted you can place sweet potatoes, broccoli or basically any vegetable in another basket above (or below) this one.

Depending on the size of your fish, it can take between 20 and 30 minutes to cook. Be careful when opening the steamer basket or risk getting burn with that steam.

As you remove it off the heat, hit the fish with some lemon juice (remaining 1/2 lemon) to brighten it up further.

Watch the video below for a tip if you don’t own a bamboo steamer basket as I used.

Simple, quick and TASTY! The flavors of the jerk and the fish itself will shine though. Toss in some sweet potato and along with that plantain, you’ll have a boss meal yea. Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Gluten Free Seafood

Cassava With Stewed Smoked Herring.

June 19, 2021June 19, 20211 Comment

This is yet another one of those “boil and fry” dishes (I’ve shared a few to date) we enjoy throughout the Caribbean. Food we inherited from our ancestors who made use of the land and with limited resources, made incredible meals. Cassava (aka yuca or manioc) was something we always had growing in our kitchen garden growing up, so it’s presence in soups, baked treats, breads and in dishes like this, was the norm. FYI on some islands smoked herring is known as red herrings.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs cassava
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 lb smoked herring fillets
1/2 large onion (sliced)
10-12 grape tomatoes (any tomato will work)
2 scallions (chopped)
4-6 cloves garlic (smashed)
4-6 sprigs thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
3 tablespoon olive oil
2 -3 tablespoon butter

Important! I used frozen cassava, which I cooked according to the package directions. I also used smoked herring fillets which were cleaned (skin, head etc removed) and main center bone removed, however it did have some tiny bones. If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary requirements.

Place the frozen cassava in a deep pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the salt and reduce to a rolling boil and cook until tender. For this brand of frozen cassava it takes about 20 minutes to cook. If using fresh cassava, peel, cut into pieces and bring to a boil in the salted water – adjust cooking time accordingly. To test for doneness, simply stick a sharp knife though a thick piece and if there’s no resistance, they are ready.

As the cassava boils, I boiled water in my kettle and poured over the herring fillets in a deep bowl. This will help to do a few things, hydrate them, remove some of the salt, along with excess smoke. Let it sit in the water until it’s cool enough to handle.

Drain the cassava and set it aside to cool as we have to prepare it a bit further.

The herrings should be cool enough to touch. Here is where you need gloves or the scent of that smoky fish will remains on your hands for a while. Drain the water, rinse with cool water and squeeze dry. Now shred and in doing so if you see any tough bones, remove and discard. There will be some tiny (flexible) ones, those can remain as they should not pose a choking hazard.

In a large pan/pot, heat the olive oil (any oil you like cooking with will work) on a medium flame, then add the onion, garlic, scotch bonnet, black pepper, scallions and thyme. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 3-4 minutes. (Please watch the video below as I speak about Scotch Bonnet Peppers)

4 minutes later, it’s time to add the prepared smoked herrings to the pot and stir well. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the tomato and 1/2 of the parsley. Mix well.

The cassava will be cool, (watch the video below) so it’s time to chop it up into 1 inch pieces and remove the woody center and discard.

Now toss the cut cassava into the pot and stir well, so the cassava picks up all that lovely smoked herring flavor and cook for 3 minutes. Add the butter to give the finished dish a bit of rich creamy flavor and toss in the remaining parsley and you’re done!

I consider this one of the classics when it comes to Caribbean culinary culture and it brings me much joy to not only share this one with you, but to enjoy it when I get a little homesick for the islands.

This is a complete dish, but you can always start with a side salad if you wish. Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Seafood

Stewed Cabbage With Shrimp.

July 20, 2021June 14, 20213 Comments

“Hey I know you, you’re the guy from YouTube! My boyfriend sent me the video you did with Shrimp and Cabbage a few days ago.. excellent recipe” Met a young lady the other day at the Caribbean Grocers in Mississauga and she was excited to tell me that she enjoys my recipe videos. Always nice to meet people who test-drive my recipes with success. Gone are the days when cabbage is supposed to be bland and give you gas… this is guaranteed to be a HIT in your home.

You’ll Need…

1 lb medium shrimp (cleaned + deveined)
3/4 tablespoon salt (divided)
1 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
1 medium onion (sliced)
1/2 lime or lemon for washing the shrimp
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
2-3 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2 tablespoon water
1/2 medium Cabbage (shredded)
8 grape tomatoes (optional)
1 Wiri Wiri pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon tomato concentrate puree
1/2 cup scallion tops (green part)

if doing this recipe gluten free please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific #glutenfree dietary requirements.

Peel, devein and wash the shrimp with cool water and the lemon juice. Drain and marinate with 1/3 of the salt, 1/2 the black pepper, curry powder, Caribbean Green Seasoning and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and give it a good mix. Set aside.

Heat a pot on a medium heat, then add the seasoned shrimp to the (dry) pot and stir. Quickly cook the shrimp for 2 minutes, then remove and set aside. Do NOT overcook the shrimp. Doing it this way will prevent that, plus give us that shrimp flavor to start with.

Add the remaining olive oil to the pot (still on medium heat) and add the onion, remaining black pepper, garlic and wiri wiri pepper (cut to release the heat) . Turn the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes.

Then move things from the center of the pot and add the tomato paste and stir well. We want that paste to get in contact with the hot pot to help it caramelize and go sweet. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the grated ginger and stir well.

Now turn the heat back up to medium and add the shredded cabbage. Should you prefer the cabbage more chunky – rock chunky. Stir as you add. Then add the remaining salt.

In the same bowl you marinated the shrimp, swish around the water and add it to the pot to help create a bit of steam. Here is where I added the tomatoes (optional as I was clearing out the fridge).

Seven minutes later the cabbage was the texture I like cabbage (slight crunch, cook more if you want), now is where we add back the shrimp we cooked earlier (including any juices) and stir. Cook for 2 minutes and you’re done. I’d recommend tasting for salt and adjust accordingly as I’m trying to cut back on my sodium intake and the recipe may reflect this.

Top with the scallions and get ready to enjoy a stunning cabbage dish with rice, roti or on sandwiches.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Gluten Free Seafood

Outstanding Oven Roasted Fish.

June 13, 2021May 24, 2021Leave a Comment

Here’s one of those meals which takes me back to the Caribbean, but not as a child… as we never had this version of fish growing up in our house. I think the only fish dish we had which came out of the oven, was when mom made baked salmon. However, it does give a level of comfort as it reminds me of my travels throughout the Caribbean as an adult (tourist).

You’ll Need…

1 2-3 lb fish (I prefer ocean fish)
2 scallions (chopped)
1/2 medium onion (diced)
2 pimento peppers (sliced)
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoon olive oil
1 stalk celery (diced)
4 cloves garlic (divided)
10 okra (divided)
1.5 lbs pumpkin (divided – dice and sliced)
1 lemon
8 small bell peppers
1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
1 teaspoon sea salt (divided)
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
6-8 sprigs thyme (divided)
1 tablespoon golden brown sugar

NOTE! If doing this dish gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your gluten free dietary requirements.

Prep the vegetables.

Lets prepare the stuffing for the fish as I want it cool before use. In a saucepan add a tablespoon and a half of olive oil, followed by the diced onion, celery (including any leaves), scallions, 1/2 the thyme (leaves only) and stir.

After 3 minutes on low heat, add 1/4 the black pepper, 1/2 the salt, 3/4 cup diced pumpkin, 1/2 the garlic, 4 okra cut into 1 cm wheels and continue cooking on low.

Add the pimento peppers (1/2 cup diced bell peppers will work too), grated ginger (the ginger will give it a peppery note) and stir well.

5 minutes and you can turn off the stove and allow it to cool.

It’s time to make the sort of dressing. Add 1/3 cup olive oil to a bowl and mix in the remaining salt, black pepper and the remaining thyme leaves, garlic and lemon juice. Whisk!

I washed and prepped my fish (pat the fish dry), then I sprayed my baking tray with cooking spray (oil). I then made made 3 cuts down the belly of the fish holding my knife on a 45 degree angle (watch the video below). Now it’s time to pour or brush on the dressing we made. Get the belly cavity and make sure some gets into the cuts we made too. For easier clean-up after may I recommend lining your baking tray with foil or parchment paper.

Now it’s time to add the ‘cooled’ stuffing we made earlier into the belly cavity of the fish. Yes, it will spill out.. we want this actually.

To make it to a full meal, it’s time add the remaining pumpkin (skin on is fine), remaining okra and tiny sweet bell peppers. Spoon on the remaining dressing to cover everything.

add a bit more salt and black pepper on top of everything if you want.

Sprinkle on the brown sugar on the pieces of pumpkin to add a bit more sweetness as it roast. I sliced the pumpkin about 1 1/2 cm thick.,

Into a 425 F (preheated) oven on the middle rack uncovered as we want to get that oven-grilled effect (char) on everything.

Feel free to sprinkle on some fresh lemon or lime juice as you take it out of the oven. This is guaranteed to become a HIT in your house. Feel free to use your fav fish in making this dish. Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Seafood

The Ultimate Shrimp Lo Mein.

June 14, 2021May 5, 20212 Comments

In places where the Chinese Indentured Laborers settled in the Caribbean after the end of slavery (to help facilitate the shortage of labor in the sugar cane fields), you’ll find that the Culinary Culture is heavily influenced by their culinary heritage. Countries like Guyana, Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago to be more precise. Here’s one such dish! The perfect one pot meal in my humble opinion.

You’ll Need…

1 lb large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1/2 lime or lemon (juice)
400 g Lo Mein Noodles (I used fresh)
1 1/2 tablespoon stir fry (spicy) oil
1 1/2 tablespoon veg oil
3 cloves garlic (diced fine or crushed)
2 onions (sliced)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 large red, green and orange bell pepper (cut into wedges)
10-15 mushroom (white button)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1 1/4 tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
2 scallions (chopped)

Tip! Prep the ingredients as this is a really quick dish to put together as with most stir-fry type recipes.

Peel and devein the shrimp and wash with the juice of 1/2 a lime or lemon and cool water.

Place your wok (or frying pan) on a medium flame and add the spicy chili oil.

Then add the garlic, grate in the ginger and toss in the shrimp. I left the tails on the shrimp (for presentation) but you can remove them. Stir and add the black pepper (use white pepper for a different flavor profile).

As this quickly cooks, cook your noodles according to the package directions and set aside.

2 1/2 – 3 minutes later, remove the shrimp from the wok (set aside) and add the vegetable oil back to the same wok.

Now add the bell peppers, onion, mushroom (cut in 1/2) and stir well.

2 minutes later it’s time to add your precooked noodles and mix well.

Now it’s time to add more flavors by adding the Chinese cooking wine, Hoisin sauce, Sesame oil, Oyster sauce and Soy sauce. Mix everything well to coat the noodles and vegetables. Cook for a couple minutes so the noodles absorb the sauces.

Toss in the shrimp, warm through and finish with the scallions before turning off the stove.

You’ll notice that I didn’t add any salt to this dish as I find that the sauces I added already got a sodium element to them, especially the dark soy sauce. But taste at the end and adjust to your liking.