Here’s one of those recipes I’ve adopted as my own over the years. My first encounter with this (similar) was on a vacation in the Caribbean, where it was grilled over charcoal and it wasn’t shrimp which were used, but massive spiny lobsters.
Note… add as much garlic as you like and 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.
Butterfly the shrimp (prawns) with kitchen scissors. Refer to the video below on how I did them. Wash with the juice of one lemon and cool water and pat dry.
Place the shrimp in your roasting (oven proof) pan.
Top with the salt and black pepper, then spoon on the combination of the melted butter mixed with the garlic, parsley, thyme, the juice of a lemon and the finely chopped Bird’s Eye pepper (optional).
Allow this to marinate for about 5 minutes – the time it takes for your oven to heat up. The oven will be very hot as we’re broiling these at 525F
On the middle rack in the oven it may take between 7-11 minutes (depending on the size of the shrimp or lobster tails you use). Yes you may use small lobster tails if you so prefer.
Top with some more freshly chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. The liquid at the bottom of the roasting pan will be packed with that lovely shrimp flavored garlic butter sauce – get some bread to dip!
Unlike 95% of the curry dishes you’ll find in the Caribbean, where there’s usually a gravy or sauce, this one is dry. Don’t let the word ‘dry’ confuse you into thinking it will be bland and reminiscent of cardboard. Quite the opposite.. it’s banging with flavor and I can guarantee you that you and your family will quickly fall in love with this dish.
You’ll Need…
4 large potatoes 2-3 tablespoon coconut oil 13/4 lb spinach 3/4 tablespoon salt (divided) | 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 2 medium onions (sliced) 6-8 cloves garlic (smashed) 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (geera) 1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder 1 medium tomato (diced) 2-3 tablespoon water 6 bird’s eye pepper
Peel, cube (large pieces) and wash the potatoes. Then put them into a pot with water with 3/4 of the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a rolling boil for 15-20 minutes (until tender). Drain and set aside.
In a deep pot heat the coconut oil (or any oil you prefer using) on a medium flame, then add the onion, garlic, Geera (cumin seeds) and the Bird’s Eye pepper (leave whole – don’t break or cut – UNLESS you want the raw heat). Go in with the fresh ground black pepper and turn the heat to low and let it gently cook for 3-4 minutes.
It’s time to add your curry powder (heat still on low) and stir well. The goal is to bloom or release the spices which makes up a good curry powder. For a bit of balance, add the diced tomato, remaining salt and the water. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
Add the pre-boiled potato to the pot and stir well. Heat up to medium now so we can get a slight crust to the potato.
After about 5 minutes add the washed and drained spinach. It will pile up, but rest assured it will wilt. 5 minutes later and you’re done!
Remember to taste for salt and adjust to your liking and cook the spinach to the way you enjoy it. For me, it’s just past when it wilts down. BTW, you can always add a bit of coconut milk or cream at the start when cooking out the curry base for even more flavor. You may use any spicy pepper you like or feel free to leave them out if heat is not your thing.
Here’s one of my favorite dishes to make when I have leftover Stewed Chickenand plan to make hot Sada Roti. While it does take a little work to remove the sort of skin off the Channa (Chickpeas), I highly suggest you do as the end result is simply delicious.
You’ll Need…
2 cans chickpeas (540 ml each) 1 medium onion (diced) 4 cloves garlic (smashed) left over stewed chicken
1 tablespoon Caribbean Green seasoning 2 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoon curry powder 1 teaspoon roasted cumin (ground geera) 1/2 cup water (for curry slurry) 3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust) 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 medium potatoes (cut into 1/4) 4-6 cups water 1/2 scotch bonnet pepper 3 chili peppers (optional) 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Note! Be mindful to read the label of the curry powder and chick peas you use, to make sure they are gluten free. If rocking this dish for a gluten free diet. Also note that you should wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water when working with spicy peppers, like the Scotch Bonnet.
Drain and rinse the chick peas from the can (watch the video below for my tip). Then place them into a bowl covered with water and using your hands/finger, give them a rub to remove the outer skin (see the video below). Yes, you don’t have to do this step. However in my humble opinion.. it’s well worth the effort.
Place the curry powder in a small bowl, add Geera (cumin), the Caribbean Green Seasoning, garlic, onion, black pepper and 1/2 cup water. Stir to create a thick slurry.
With your large pot on a med/high flame, add the oil of your choice (I use olive oil when cooking) and then pour the curry slurry into the pot. Stir well. Add a tablespoon of water in the same bowl where you had the slurry.. to rinse off any remaining curry and pour it into the pot as well.
Turn the heat down to low and let it cook for 4-5 minutes. This will help bloom the spices which makes up a good curry powder. After-which, turn up the heat to burn off all that liquid in the pot. The goal is to see the oil we started with at the bottom of the pot. This step will help to develop that rich curry flavor. It may take 3-5 minutes.
Add the Scotch Bonnet pepper, stir.. then add the chick peas (channa) to the pot and stir well to coat the peas with the curry base and use the remaining liquid from the rinsed chickpeas to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Add the potatoes as well.
With the heat still on high, add 5 cups of water and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down to a rolling boil and cook for about 20 minutes or until the potato pieces are tender and start falling apart. Toss in the Chili peppers (whole) should you decide you want to use them. And here’s where you can add the salt to the pot.
Here’s where you can adjust the salt to your liking and keep this dish fully vegan. However we’re not! We’re adding the leftover stewed chicken to the pot at this point.
Heat through for about 4-5 minutes and you’re basically done. Couple things to keep in mind. Add more water when cooking if you find that it’s too thick. Should it be too runny at the end (knowing it will thicken as it cools), use your spoon to press down and crush some pieces of the potato and the chicken peas. Adjust the salt to your liking.
Top with Chadon Beni or cliantro and BOOM.. You’re Done!
Pepper Calamari (or Squid, depending on where on the island you order from) is a MUST-HAVE dish whenever I visit my homeland of Trinidad and Tobago. I find that the more expensive the restaurant, it’s called Calamari and the cheaper the cost on a menu, they would call it Pepper Squid. So where’s my fave spot to order from.. read on!
You’ll Need…
1/3 lb calamari rings 1 teaspoon black pepper (divided) 1 cup all purpose flour 1/2 cup corn starch 1 cup butter milk 3 scallions (chopped) 2 scotch bonnet peppers (sliced, include seeds) 6 cloves garlic (chopped fine) 2 cups veg oil (for frying) 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 red bell pepper (diced fine) 1/4 orange bell pepper (diced fine) 1/4 lemon (juice)
Note! This is a SPICY dish, but if you wanted to cut back on the heat, use less of the Scotch Bonnet pepper and do not include the seeds or the white membrane surrounding the seeds.
I got the calamari rings in the frozen section of my grocers. They were thawed and washed with lemon juice and cool water. Then drained and placed in a deep bowl. I then covered them with the butter milk. Watch the video below for my tip if you don’t have buttermilk. Let that sit in the fridge for 2 hours.
We’ll toss the calamari rings in a sort of dusting or dredge. For that, combine the flour, corn starch and 1/2 the black pepper .
Prep the other ingredients.
Couple hours later, take the rings and toss them in the dredge and set aside. I placed them (once I shook off the extra dredge) on a sheet pan. Now heat the oil on a med/high flame and get ready to quickly fry them.
Fry them in batches and try to NOT over-cook them or they will go chewy. Once you see golden edges, remove and continue frying the rest (3-4 minutes tops). I placed them on a wire rack over a sheet pan. I find that if you place them on paper towels, they can go soggy.
While they’re still hot, sprinkle the salt over them.
Heat 2 tablespoon of the same oil we fried the Calamari with. When the wok (use a frying pan if you don’t have a wok) is still cool (with the oil), add the garlic, peppers and scotch bonnet pepper. This will gently flavor the oil. VENT your kitchen! Toss in the scallions and the remaining black pepper.
Three minutes (med/low heat), add the fried Calamari and toss to coat. Add a couple drops of sesame oil if you want a lovely additional flavor. I’m NOT a fan of sesame oil.
2 minutes later.. You’re DUN! Drizzle on the lemon juice as you serve and do include some lemon wedges on the side in the event your guests want a bit more of that citrus. Feel free to sprinkle on more salt if you wish.
Grab a cold beer and enjoy! Oh Yea.. my fave spot to have these pepper Calamari in Trinidad and Tobago is Town Restaurant in POS. However the last time I was there on the outdoor patio area, I kinda made my way onto the menu. Local mosquitoes were fascinated with my freshly shaved head. I fed a few!
A traditional Caribbean Pelau is a one-pot rice dish, loaded with rice, pigeon peas, carrots and meat or protein of some sort (chicken, beef, salted pigtails or salted salted beef), simmered in a rich broth of flavored with coconut milk and herbs. While this version is basically the same, since we’re using seafood as the ‘protein’, being mindful of the cooking time is the key to an iconic meal.
You’ll Need…
1 lb shrimp (large) 1 lb Cod (fish) 1 lb mussels 1 lb clams 1 lb lobster tail 1 tablespoon butter 2 scallions (chopped) 2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning(divided) 1 teaspoon black pepper (divided) 4 sprigs thyme 1 1/2 cups diced pumpkin 4-6 cloves garlic 1 large carrot (diced) 1 can pigeon peas (rinsed) 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoon golden brown sugar 1 1/2 cups coconut milk 1 tablespoon salt (adjust) 2 cups long grain par-boil brown rice 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger 3-5 bird’s eye pepper 4-7 cups of water (adjust) 3-4 tablespoon parsley (chopped) 1/2 lemon (juice)
you’ll need lemon or lime juice and cool water to wash the seafood
Clean and prep the seafood (watch the video below). With the shrimp and lobster, remove and save the shell as we’ll use those for making a rich stock. Tip! Use scissors to cut and peel back the lobster tails.
In a saucepan on medium flame, add the butter, scallions, 1/2 the black pepper and thyme. Give it about 30 seconds, then add the washed lobster and shrimp shell. Turn the heat down to low and let it go for about 4-5 minutes. Now add 3 cups cold water and bring to a boil (turn the heat to high). When it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let it reduce by 2/3 (so we’re left with just over 1 cup of stock).
As the stock comes together, heat a heavy (large) pot on a high flame. This is the ‘stewing’ part of things. Add the olive oil followed by the brown sugar (watch the video below for mastering this step). The goal here is to melt the sugar, it will then go frothy and finally.. a deep amber in color (DO NOT ALLOW IT TO GO BLACK). When you get that amber color (it will go smokey) add the pigeon peas, pumpkin and carrots. Stir well.
Turn the heat to medium, add the garlic, onion, bird’s eye pepper (optional – or use your fav spicy pepper) and grated ginger. A minute later add the coconut milk and bring to a boil., then reduce to a simmer
As this comes up to the boil, chop the lobster into bite-sized pieces and the Cod into 1 inch pieces. Place all the seafood into a large blow, add the remaining black pepper, 1/3 of the salt and 1/2 Caribbean Green Seasoning. Stir well to coat everything.
Back to the main pot. 10 minutes on that simmer, add the washed rice, the remaining salt and the remaining Green Seasoning. Add 2 1/2 cups hot water and bring to a boil. Simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes.
Drain/Strain the stock and add it to the pot. That will add a lovely flavor to the dish, so do try to keep this step.
After about 7 minutes, tuck the clams and mussels into the pot making sure they’re in the sort of broth. After 3 minutes add the lobster and shrimp and mix (be gentle). Put the lid on and let it cook a further 4 minutes. Add the Cod to the pot and again being gentle, stir.
3 minutes later, taste and adjust the salt, top with the parsley and hit it a fresh squeeze of lemon juice.
Some key parts of the recipe to keep in mind. Depending on the rice you use, you will need to adjust the cook time and the amount of liquid you add in total. This version of Pelau is meant to be a bit “wet”, but do keep the lid on the pot after you switch off the stove and don’t open/serve for about 5 minutes. Try to NOT overcook the seafood. Typically I don’t like straying from traditional techniques, but adding a bit of white wine (before adding the water) when making the stock, will add a another subtle layer of overall flavor.
Serve warm and with a side salad, thick slices of Zabouca (avocado, pear) and make sure you have some peppersauce to kick things up further.
I know the title of the recipe will rub some people wrong in some way or the other, as every time I place a country’s name in one of my recipes, it’s just the norm. Hateful and sometimes ridiculous comments. Yes, throughout the Caribbean we have fish soup in one form or the other and they are usually very similar. For example, in Trinidad and Tobago (and many of the islands in the southern Caribbean) we have Fish Broff (broth).
You’ll Need…
1 fish head (about 2-3 lbs) 12 cups water 6-8 cups fish stock 3/4 tablespoon salt 1 onion (diced) 2 stalks celery (chopped) 6 cloves garlic (smashed) 6-8 sprigs thyme 3 med potatoes (cubed) 1 large sweet potato (cubed) 1-2 lbs pumpkin (cubed) 8-10 okra (chopped) 1 scotch bonnet pepper 2 small corn (cut into small pieces) 2 small carrots (diced) 1-2 lbs Jamaican yellow yam (diced) 6-8 pimento (allspice) berries 1/2 lime
May I recommend cubing the sweet potato, pumpkin, potato and yellow yam the same size for uniform cooking (time). In a traditional Jamaican Fish tea you’ll find that they use those packaged fish soup mixes (like Grace) and sometimes they may use all-purpose seasoning powder as well. I’m not the biggest fan of using such.
Prep the ingredients and set aside. I usually put the pumpkin, carrots, potatoes and yam in a bowl and cover it will cool water to prevent them from going discolored.
I’m using the head of a King Fish, but you can use your fav fish and if you’re concerned about the bones etc.. use boneless. Keep in mind that the true flavor will come from those bony parts. I washed the fish with the juice of a lemon (not mentioned in the ingredient list above) and cool water.
Put you big soup pot onto a high flame and go in with 12 cups of water. Place the fish into the pot as the water comes up to a boil, along with the thyme (see the video below for a lovely time), celery (leaves too), garlic, onion, salt, scallion and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
It’s now time to add the body of the soup.. carrots, pumpkin, potato, sweet potato, Jamaican yellow yam and give it good stir. Top with the fish stock!
Float the Scotch Bonnet pepper, and try your best NOT TO BREAK IT or you’ll release the raw heat. Once you see it boiling, skim off any scum at the top (discard) and reduce to a simmer. Do add the pimento berries at this point.
After 14-20 minutes you can remove the thyme and you may also remove the scotch bonnet pepper now (we got the flavor from it) so you don’t risk breaking it. At this point I like removing the fish pieces out of the pot, remove the bones and add back the pieces of fish to the pot. It will take a few minutes and be sure it’s cool enough to handle.
Now add the okra and corn (I used Canadian sweet corn) and cook for (see my tip on fish stock addition in the video below) for 10 minutes and then get ready to personalize.. check and adjust the salt and if you like heat you can always break that Scotch Bonet pepper!
As you turn off the stove, add the lime juice and top with chopped parsley if you want. Serve hot and with a wedge of lime.
Be sure to tell everyone that they may encounter fish bones and should you have excess, be sure to freeze for a later date. See my tip on thawing/reheating in the video below.
