While I’ve had souse (protein and vegetable pickle with a cold spicy broth) made from the less glamorous parts of the pig (ears, snout and trotters) and the odd time I’ve done it using chicken feet, this is my new favorite way to make this Classic Caribbean Pickle. Our culinary culture in the Caribbean is one where the entire animal is used.. and with very TASTY results. Supposedly this is a great ‘cure’ for hangovers!
Important! Wear gloves when handling such hot peppers and do wash your hands with soap and water immediately after. By keeping the seeds of the pepper it will enhance the overall heat of the dish. Discard the seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds if you wish to cut back on the heat.
Note: The Octopus I used was a gift from a friend and it was already fully cooked (boiled it would seem).
Thinly slice the Octopus, pepper, cucumber (leave the skin on if you wish) and the scallions. Place in a bowl big enough so you can easily toss everything.
Basically all you have to do now is add the salt, black pepper, garlic, lime juice (a combination of 1 lime and 1 lemon works great as well), water and Shado Beni(or cilantro) and give it a good mix.
I’d recommend chilling this Octopus Souse before serving and after it’s been marinating for an hour or so, you may need to adjust the salt to your liking. It keeps in the fridge (in a sealed plastic container for at least 2-3 days). Conch, Oysters and Spiny Lobster can be used in the same manner with excellent results.
Puritans will tell you that you need smoke and fire from pimento wood to get that real authentic Jamaican flavor when doing “jerk” and I’d be crazy to disagree. However, with this recipe in particular… I humbly think you achieve “jerk” greatness on the stove-top. Plus I live in Canada where there’s no pimento wood and our winters are very HARSH to be grilling outside all year!
The BASE of the Jerk flavors!
You’ll Need…
3 lbs Crab (cleaned) 4 cloves garlic (smashed or grated) 1 tablespoon ginger (diced fine or grated) 5 birds eye pepper 1 medium onion (diced) 3-4 scallions (chopped – divided) 2 sticks cinnamon 3/4 tablespoon ground allspice 2 scotch bonnet peppers (chopped) 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 1/4 tablespoon brown sugar 10 sprigs thyme 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoon water 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup orange juice 1/2 lemon (juice)
Get your fish monger to clean the crab for you or clean then by removing the backs off the crab (discard) and clean the sort of gills.. then rinse with the juice or a lime or lemon (not mentioned in the ingredient list) and water. I’d also recommend cracking the bigger claws, to get extra flavor when cooked.
Cleaned and washed crabs.
I’d recommend prepping the other ingredients at this time so when you get started, it would make for easy work. The goal is to keep is simple and tasty.
Prepped ingredients for the jerk crab.
Heat the oil in a wide pan on medium heat, then add the onion, garlic and Bird’s Eye peppers (called bird pepper in the Southern Caribbean). Turn the heat down to as low as it will go as we don’t want to burn the garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Now add the black pepper, diced ginger, scallions (1/2) and thyme and cook on low for a further 2-3 minutes. After which you’ll add the scotch Bonnet peppers. Remove the seeds if you’d like to tame down the heat level a bit. It’s also important that you wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such hot peppers. May I also recommend turning the fan on over your stove or open your kitchen window to vent your kitchen.
Heat!
Give it all a good stir, then add the allspice, brown sugar, cinnamon, soy sauce and salt. Stir well, then add the orange juice and water .. heat still on low.
The brown sugar will give the jerk sauce a lovely rounded flavor and balance off some of the heat from the spicy peppers we used. BTW jerk is supposed to be spicy!
It’s now time to add the cleaned crabs to the pot and give it a really good stir. Turn the heat up to medium to bring it to a sort of boil/simmer. To assist, place a lip on the pot you’re using. As you see a simmer, turn the heat down to maintain that simmer and keep the lid on. We’ll try to steam-cook the crabs with all this lovely flavors.
Cook on that simmer for about 8 minutes (with the lid on) and be sure to stir it about 3-4 times during the cooking. Top with the other 1/2 of the scallions, cook for 2 more minutes.. then it’s time to ENJOY!
Probably not your typical way of making/enjoying crab, but I assure you, you’ll be blown away by the flavors of this classic pescatarian dish. Be warned that it may be a bit spicy, but you can definitely tailor the heat level to your liking.
After one taste of this mango chow I knew it would be something I’d be addicted to and making very often. On our last trip to the islands, my friend David introduced me to this version of the spicy mango pickle I grew up eating as a young fella on the islands. However, the Chinese preserved prunes (sweet and salted) gave it a unique color and to be completely honest.. a flavor unlike any “chow” I’ve had before. Luckily, my ‘foodie’ senses kicked in and I went though the recipe in my head… well my version.
Here’s my take on a recipe where the original I cannot own, but I did ask David and the Salisha (the person who made it for David) if they would mind if I gave it a crack… and share it with you all.
You”ll Need…
3 large green mangoes 3/4 teaspoon salt 3 jalapeno peppers 2 scotch bonnet peppers 8-10 bird pepper (bird’s eye) 4-6 cloves garlic 6 shado beni leaves (or 1/2 cup cilantro) 2 large limes (juice) 1 cup water 1 pack of Salted Prunes (check Chinese supermarkets)
Mango Chow being assembled
Wash and peel the mangoes with a sharp pairing knife or potato peeler, then slice into stick-like pieces as in the pictures you see here on in the video below. Place the mangoes in a large bowl for mixing
Add the crushed garlic, salt, sliced Jalapenos and bird’s eye peppers, but first give then tiny cuts to release some of the flavor and heat of them.
Mango Chow with added chopped Shado Beni
Add the thinly sliced Shado Beni (Culantro) and remember you can also use chopped cilantro if you wish. I’d recommend wearing gloves and do wash your hands immediately after handling Scotch Bonnet peppers or any hot peppers as a matter o fact.
Preserved Sweet / Salted Prunes added!
Top with the salted prunes and add any missing ingredients to the mix. Give it a good stir to really combine all the flavors.
A Close look at the Chinese Sweet Salted Prunes.The Mango Chow all assembled.A closer look at the spicy goodness of Mango Chow.
I’d make two important recommendations at this point. 1. Store in a glass container in the fridge (up to 2 weeks). 2. Try to have it marinate for a couple hours before you dig in.
Do keep in mind that as it marinates it will change in color and will adopt some of the salty elements of the Salted Prunes. Be sure to shake it often and feel free to add more sliced green mangoes as you work your way though them. It will be fiery!
As we kick off another edition of the annual July Month Of Grilling, let’s jump into a recipe which is heavily requested and it’s something that goes hand in hand with BBQ and Grilling on the islands. If you’re from the Caribbean or have traveled to the islands (maybe you have friends from the region), you’ll know that Garlic Sauce (a thin aioli) is one of the preferred condiments served with BBQ. While there are many variations of this iconic sauce, I grantee you that this is as spectacular as it gets.
You’ll Need…
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2-4 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 lemon (juice)
3 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 small scallions
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds)
6 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
Important! The Scotch Bonnet pepper is optional (but it does add to the overall flavor), however if you do use it be sure to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after.
This garlic sauce is very simple to assemble. I say assemble as there’s hardly any work and there’s no cooking involved.
Basically you’ll want to give the cilantro, scallion and scotch bonnet pepper a rough chop, then juice the lemon and the real work is done. Don’t use any of the seeds nor white membrane surrounding the seeds of the scotch bonnet pepper. Unless you want the raw heat.
Place everything in a blender (or food processor) and puree until smooth. Add a bit more lemon juice or vinegar if you find it’s a bit too thick.
Personally I like serving this garlic sauce chilled. Goes great on grilled meats, fish, hotdogs and hamburgers. Perfect on fries and as a dip for chips or pizza. Must be stored in a sterilized container in the fridge and will last between 2-3 weeks easily.
This island boy luv me some dhal.. that rich thick soup packed with tropical flavors, but made with very simple and cheap ingredients. Great on it’s own (cup of dhal) or as a side to rice and curry dishes. Dhal is very comforting and so simple to make. Here’s my take on this iconic dish with added spinach and kale, instead of the traditional use of “poi bhagi’ aka Malabar Spinach. Basically I’m using ingredients which are readily available to me here in Canada.
You’ll Need…
4 cups yellow split peas
1 tablespoon turmeric
12-14 cups water
3/4 tablespoon salt (adjust)
1/2 medium onion (diced)
8-10 cloves garlic (divided)
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 cups baby spinach
2-3 cups baby kale
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
Important! Please go though the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your #Vegan #GlutenFree and/or Vegetarian dietary requirements. If you find that it gets too thick, feel free to add a bit more water. No, don’t use stock as it will ruin (IMHO) the flavor.
Bring the water to a boil in a LARGE pot. As this happens, it would be a great time to wash the split peas (watch the video below). Basically all you’re doing is rinsing the peas in cool water, while using your hands/fingers to massage the grains. This will create cloudy water.. drain and repeat until this water runs clear.
As the water comes to a full boil, add the washed split peas and turmeric and bring back up to a boil. Then skim off any frothy stuff at the top and discard. After-which you can add the onion, 1/2 the garlic, black pepper, salt and scotch bonnet pepper. (use as much spicy pepper as you can handle and remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after)
Reduce to a simmer and let that cook for about an hour and twenty minutes or until the peas are tender and start falling apart. It’s now time to make sure the dhal is smooth. I used a wooden swizzle stick to achieve this. Feel free to use a wire whisk or electric immersion blender. If using the blender may I suggest that you “pulse” as if it goes continuous it will add too much air to the dhal and it will take on a frothy texture.
Now ad the washed (and drained) baby kale and spinach to the pot and stir well. The residual heat in the pot will be enough to fully cook the greens. Take the pot of the stove and set aside.
In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil (high heat) then go in with the remaining garlic and the cumin seeds. Cook until almost burnt.. then pour over the dhal (this is called “chunkay). This step will add a lovely layer of further flavor. You MUST do this or your dhal will be lame. Stir well to incorporate everything.
Taste for salt and adjust… ENJOY!
I forgot to mention, this is a HUGE pot of Dhal, so I usually freeze the rest for use later in the week when I need my next hit of Split Peas Dhal. If you do freeze, reheat on a very low heat on the stove top.. add a bit of water to the pot.
There’s a special place in my belly for jerk pork (no lie). While I much prefer it made over a coals fire so you get lovely smoked sort of finish, which really compliments the herbs and other ingredients in the classic Jamaican jerk marinade. The said… reality in Canada is it can get VERY cold during the winter months, so realistically I had to come up with a recipe with will duplicate those same flavors, but in an everyday kitchen oven. Here is such a recipe.
For dressing the roasting pan (optional)
+ thyme 5-8 sprigs
+ scallions 3
+ Orange juice 1 cup
Important!If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the soy sauce, which will have to be substituted for a gluten free type like Tamari.
Basically all you’re doing to start, is to create the marinade. Give all the ingredients a rough chop (where needed), then into a food processor or blender. You have 2 options A smooth marinade or a somewhat chunky one. I prefer chunky, so I pulsed the ingredients until it was at the texture and consistency I like.
The next step is to (well what I did). The piece of pork I used was from the leg or shoulder area (round piece of meat), so I butterfly it and made some deep cuts at the same time, to allow the marinade to really penetrate the meat and infuse this wonderful jerk favor from deep (watch the video below). Please try your best to use a fatty or marbled piece of pork. Not only will it be a cheaper cut, that fat will render and keep the meat really moist. Place the pork in a strong (big) zipper bag and pour the marinade over it.. massage and place in the fridge overnight for maximum flavor. Place the bag on a plate in case the bag leaks and if you remember, try to flip it a couple times during the marination process.
The next day.. pre-heat your oven to 375F and allow your pork to come up to room temperature (outside the fridge). Then place it in a heavy roasting pan and add the other ingredients mention in the list above. I pour the orange juice in the same bag we marinated the pork and moved it around to pick up any remaining marinade. Then onto the piece of pork in the roasting pan (I used a shallow side dutch oven).
Now into the 375 F oven on the middle rack. No I didn’t cover the roasting pan. After 30 minutes of so, I took it out of the oven and used the juices on the side to baste it a bit, then back into the oven. I believe I did this about 5-7 times during the roasting process.
It took about 3 hours in total to fully cook to my liking. At that point I took it out of the oven, tented it with some foil and allowed it to rest for about 15 minutes before slicing it up. Keep in mind that if you use a piece of pork with a bone running though the middle like I did.. be mindful when slicing. Also note that the scotch bonnet peppers will make this very spicy (don’t use the seeds if you want to tame it down a bit) and to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such HOT peppers.
Save the pan drippings to pour over the sliced jerk pork, especially if you’ll be making sandwiches with the meat. That low and slow heat will certainly develop similar flavors to having made this over a coals fire.. so no big deal when it’s – 30 C outside during the winter months in Canada. Chris will still get his Jerk Pork fix!
