There’s something very WRONG about a Curry Chicken which is not spicy (IMHO). However what we’re about to make here is simply insane when it comes to raw heat.. so be warned. With an abundance of hot peppers in my garden and with my luv for spicy foods, I thought I’d share what I call my 5 Alarm Curry Chicken recipe with you. Packed with deep flavors of a good curry and the added heat from organically grown peppers, this curry chicken is absolutely delicious.

You’ll Need…

3-4 lbs Chicken (cut into pieces)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 small onion (diced)
3-4 cloves garlic (diced)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 large tomato (diced)
2-3 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 habanero peppers (sliced)
2 scotch bonnet peppers (sliced)
1 fatali pepper (sliced)
4 dried cayenne peppers
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 tablespoon Curry powder
2-3 Carolina Reapers (cut in half)
1 cup water
1 scallion (chopped)
3-4 leaves shado beni (optional – chopped)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (chopped)

Important: If doing this recipe gluten free, be sure to go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use as a some may have flour as a filler.

Let’s start by seasoning the cleaned chicken (I used legs and thighs which I cut into small pieces .. remove the skin and fat as best you can). Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, followed by the salt, black pepper, tomato, Caribbean Green Seasoning, Habanero peppers, scotch bonnet peppers and Fatali pepper. I included the seeds of the pepper as I wanted the raw heat. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such hot peppers. Stir well and allow to marinate for at least 1 hr in the fridge.

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy pot (I used a cast iron pot) on a medium heat, then go in with the onion and garlic.. turn the heat down to as low as it will go and cook gently for 2-3 minutes. Then add the dried cayenne peppers along with the coriander and cumin seeds. Heat still on low, cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

It’s now time to add your favorite curry powder. I have a blend I make, which is based on the Madras curry blend. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the rawness of the curry is cooked out… it gets darker in color and the spices which makes up a good curry powder is allowed to bloom. You may need to add a bit more vegetable oil.

It’s now time to crank up the heat to high and add the seasoned chicken to the pot. Stir well to coat in the curry base we created. Yes, it’s fine if the marinade goes into the pot as well. In the same bowl you marinated the chicken, swish around the cup of water to pick up any remaining marinade and set aside for use shortly.

Turn the heat down to medium, cover the pot and cook for about 5 minutes. At this point you may add the remaining Carolina peppers (if you so desire using) It will spring it’s own natural juices. Now remove the lid off the pot and take the heat up a bit to burn off any liquid in the pot. This step will intensify the curry flavor onto the chicken pieces. Be sure to have the fan above your stove on or at least open your kitchen window or risk being choked by the strong peppers.

When you can see the vegetable oil we started off with at the bottom of the pan, you may now add the water, along with he scallions and shado beni. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10-12 minutes.

The gravy should be somewhat thick at the point (it will thicken with the residual heat of the pot as it cools) and the chicken fully cooked (depending on how large pieces you used). Taste for salt (adjust) and top with the chopped cilantro.

There’s no mistaking that this is a very SPICY curry chicken dish and to be honest, not for most people. However if heat is your thing, you’ll love this 5 Alarm Curry Chicken dish. You can certainly add more or remove some peppers or play with different varieties of peppers if you wish.

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Breads & Bakes Desserts Holiday Recipes

Jamaican (Easter) Spice Bun Recipe.

June 2, 2025April 11, 2019Leave a Comment

I remember being in Jamaica with my one of best friends for a quick break. His wife had gone to the local grocery in Ocho Rios to get us stuff to prepare for dinner at our condo that night. She came back and with a joyous shout, she screamed… “I got you your fave.. bun and cheese”. My guy could not control himself.. suffice to say he didn’t share any either. As a kid growing up in the area, he mentioned that his grandma would make this for him and it’s been his fave since then.

You’ll Need…

3/4 cup sugar (golden brown is preferred)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon browning
2 tablespoon honey
1 3/4 cups Guinness (stout)
1 cup raisins
1 cup mixed fruit (peel)
3/4 cherries (chopped)
4 tablespoon butter (melted)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg (beaten)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ginger (powder)

Please note that this is my version of this classic Jamaican recipe.

In a saucepan add the Guinness, vanilla, molasses, browning, honey, raisins, cherries, sugar and mixed fruit. Place on a medium flame, stir well and as soon as you start seeing bubbles on the edges turn off the stove and set aside to cool.

Now it’s time mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In goes the flour (sift if you want), salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and baking powder. Stir well to incorporate. Now add the melted butter, egg and everything from the sauce pan. You’ll have some work here. Mix into a dough, but try your best to not over-work.

Place the dough into a greased/flour-dusted baking pan (about 11 x 5) and set aside while the oven preheats to 350 F.

Place on the middle rack of the oven and get ready to have your entire house smell like the Caribbean around Easter and/or Christmas time. The allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg will definitely perfume your house.

It will take about one hour to fully cook. Stick a toothpick through the middle of the bun and if it comes out clean, it’s fully cooked. Set aside to cool. Then brush with a simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar) to give it that classic shine. Don’t slice until it’s fully cooled.

I’m sure you see the crack down the middle of my bun.. lets discuss below in the comment section.

Why do my cakes crack in the middle after baking? Answer: There can be a few reasons behind a cake that cracks, but the most common culprit is an oven that is too hot. When the temperature is too high, the exposed surface of the cake starts to become firm while the interior is still wet and rising.

I don’t believe my oven was too hot, but I think I may have over-worked the dough. That said I do know that the thermostat in my oven is not accurate.

A classic Jamaican treat around Easter time. Luckily for me, the very same day we went back to the grocery to get some for me since my friend did refuse to share his (smile).

Do you own a copy of my cookbook? – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Simple Garlic Rosemary Roasted Chicken Recipe.

May 28, 2025April 10, 20192 Comments

There’s something so comforting when you enter a home/kitchen and there’s a chicken roasting in the oven. A scent that immediately captivates yours taste-buds and then the eager anticipation of dinner kicks in. This here Garlic Rosemary Roasted Chicken will truly impress your family and friends, but be warned as the neighbors may just show up at your door if there’s a widow open or you have the fan/vent on in the kitchen, as you prepare this one.

You’ll Need…

1 chicken (about 3-4 lbs)
1 tablespoon rosemary (plus more for stuffing)
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon (zest and juice)
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 pimento peppers

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.

Finely chop the rosemary (no stems) and one of the pimento peppers. then add it to a bowl with the olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix well.

Now cover the entire (clean/trimmed) chicken, with this marinade. I dabbed it on with a small brush.

You may place one of the used lemon pieces in the bird’s cavity, along with any remaining marinade and rosemary you may have left back. Feel free to top the chicken with more salt and black pepper as well as in the cavity. I didn’t. However I did slice the remaining pimento pepper in half and stuffed it in the chicken.

Place the chicken (I used a cast iron pan) into a preheated 400 F oven on the middle rack. No I did not tent or cover the chicken with foil. But you may do so for the first 30 minutes if you so wish.

Using a spoon, I tipped the roasting pan to a side and basted the chicken with the oils on the bottom every 15 minutes or so. This will keep the chicken nice and moist and help with developing a lovely golden color. After about 1 hour, this chicken was fully cooked/roasted. Keep in mind that if you use a bigger chicken it will take longer. I forgot to mention (watch the video below) I did tie the legs of the chicken with kitchen string and I tucked the wings below the bird to help keep it stable and to assist in even browning.

Allow the chicken to rest for about 10 minutes before you slice.

Yes you may work the marinade below the chicken’s skin but to be quite honest, I’ve done so in the past and for the work, it’s not worth it… as I never really see (taste) a difference. Maybe tv shows got us believing it makes a huge difference?

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Recipe Card

Print Recipe

Simple Garlic Rosemary Roasted Chicken

Recipe Keys: Dairy Free Gluten Free Non Vegetarian

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 1 hr Total Time 1 hr 15 mins

Servings: 6

Diet:

C Chicken G Gluten-Free

Description

A tender, flavorful roast chicken infused with garlic, rosemary, lemon, and fragrant Caribbean-style pimento pepper; perfectly golden and delicious.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (3–4 pounds)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (chopped, plus extra for cavity)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 pimento pepper (chopped, or substitute celery pepper)
1 lemon (zestedd and juiced)
2 tablespoons olive oil
³⁄₄ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Video

Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
In a small bowl, mix rosemary, garlic, chopped pimento pepper, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Brush the marinade all over the chicken and inside the cavity; stuff with extra rosemary and lemon pieces. Tie legs and tuck wings.
Place chicken breast-side up on the middle rack; roast uncovered. Baste every 15 minutes with accumulated juices.
Roast for about 1 hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 °F (74 °C) in the thickest part.
Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving to retain juices.

Tell us what you think

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry Rice & One-Pot Dishes

Ultimate SlowCooker (CrockPot) Curry Goat Recipe.

May 28, 2025April 7, 201910 Comments

With such a busy lifestyle we tend to live today, it’s always nice to have a comforting home-cooked meal waiting for us when we get home. With that in mind I decided to start exploring ways to tailor some of our classic Caribbean dishes for being prepared in a slow cooker (or crock pot). With this slow cooker Curry Goat, you’ll get that lovely Caribbean ‘curry’ with fall-of-the-bones tenderness mommy raised us on. I highly encourage you to give this method of cooking curry goat a try.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs goat
4 large potato (cut in 1/4s)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (cut or leave whole to control the heat)
2 tablespoons Caribbean Green Seasoning
2 tablespoon curry powder
1 large onion (diced)
5 sprigs thyme
4-6 cloves garlic (smashed)
3-5 thin slices ginger
8 pimento berries (aka allspice berries)
1 large tomato (diced)
3/4 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 scallions (chopped)
2 tablespoon water

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 requirements. Especially the Curry Powder you use, as some may contain flour as a filer.

I used goat meat with the bones as I find the flavor of the finished dish is much better when bones are used as compared to using boneless goat. This recipe will work great with lamb as well. Please get your butcher to cut the goat for you as the bones are VERY tough and will do damage to your kitchen knives. Wash and dry the goat and get ready to start. BTW, remove any big pieces of fat and discard.

Basically you’re adding all the ingredients to the goat (in the slow cooker) and give it all a good mix. I used potato in this curry goat as it’s a great way to stretch the dish for more people. Cut the potato into 1/4’s as they will want to fall apart during the lengthy cooking process.

The curry powder I used was my own blend, but I highly recommend Caribbean curry powders, especially the Madras-like blends. Or use your fav! I did slice the scotch bonnet pepper as I love my curry goat with a little ‘kick’. If you wanted you could add the scotch bonnet pepper whole, but try not to break it while cooking/stirring or you’ll release the beast (heat).

Remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handing such hot peppers like Scotch Bonnets. The tomato may seem out of place (for some people) but I assure you that it will add an acidic balance to the richness of the curry. There’s no need to allow this to marinate if you’re in a rush as it will cook slowly for 5 hrs and infuse the goat with that classic curry flavor.

With 20 minutes to go I opened the slow cooker and did a few things (cooked for 5 hrs as mentioned above). Tasted for salt and adjusted. But before that, you’ll notice a ton of fat at the surface (goat is very fatty), try your best to skim that off and discard (you can use a paper towel to skim that off easily). Do not pour this down your sink or it will clog your plumbing. Remove the scotch bonnet pepper if you had it in there whole. If the gravy is a bit runny you can cook uncovered for a further 30 minutes, but do bear in mind you can always crush a couple pieces of the potato to thicken things up.. also it will thicken naturally as the curry goat cools. Top with some finely chopped Cilantro (about 1 tablespoon – not mentioned in the ingredient list) and enjoy.

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Gluten Free Seafood

Ginger Chive Roasted Snapper Recipe.

April 28, 2019April 6, 2019Leave a Comment

We’ve discussed how as a child on the islands, I (and my siblings) gave mom ‘hell’ when she tried to get us to eat fish. Now I’m thousands of kms away from the ocean (I only like ocean fish) and it’s now that I crave fish and seafood on my plate. Poor woman tried her best back then, but we were just stubborn kids I guess. I’ll give mommy a big hug and apologize when I visit her next week… hopefully she won’t mind making her famous Curry King Fish for me.

You’ll Need…

2 lane snapper (about 2-3 lbs total)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 shallot (sliced thin)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger (grated)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 chive tops
baby bell peppers
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lemon (juice)

Important: If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the Soy Sauce, which you will need to replace with a gluten free version like Tamari.

Have your fish monger clean, gut and trim the fish if you don’t know how to do so. Wash with cool water and some lemon juice and pat dry… set aside as we make the marinade.

Combine the olive oil, salt, black pepper, ginger, shallot, garlic, soy sauce and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk well.

With my fish clean, I cut two slices down the thickest parts of the belly (both sides) to help the marinade penetrate the flesh of the fish. Then in the same baking dish I would use to roast the fish off in the oven, I poured the marinade over the fish. Then using my hands I worked the marinade into the cavity of the fish as well as into the cuts I made. TIP! Line your baking dish with parchment paper for easy clean-up after. Marinate for 10 minutes. Nothing more or you risk having the lemon juice cook the fish.

I found some baby bell peppers in the fridge so I went in with a few and to help perfume the dish as it roast in the oven, I tucked the chive stems/glowers between the fish. You may top the peppers etc with a tiny bit more salt and black pepper if you wish. (I did)

Into a preheated 400F oven on the middle rack. It will take between 18-24 minutes to cook fully, depending on the size of the snapper you use. BTW just about any fish will work with this recipe. There’s no need to cover the baking dish as you want to help develop a lovely golden color on the fish and peppers. Plus if you were to cover with foil, it may cause the dish to go soup-like and we don’t want that.

Feel free to drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil as you take it out of the oven.. or maybe some fresh lemon juice? With Easter around the corner, I’m sure your family will appreciate this fish dish come Good Friday.

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Gluten Free Side Dishes Vegetarian

Strawberry Chow (Spicy pickle / salad) Recipe.

May 27, 2025April 1, 20192 Comments

If you grew up in the Caribbean, especially the Southern Caribbean, “Chow” would have been a key part of your childhood experience. A spicy pickle loaded with Garlic and Citrus juice, along with Scotch Bonnet Peppers. Usually half-ripe mango is the key ingredient, but we use just about any fruit we can find and when all fails, we even use cucumber. With a good batch of fresh strawberries from my garden (watch the video) and since they were a bit tart, I thought I’d rock a quick chow.

You’ll Need…

– 2 lbs strawberries (green and red mix)
– 1 clove garlic
– 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
– 1/2 orange (juice)
– 1/2 medium red onion (sliced thin)
– 1 scotch bonnet pepper (crush or sliced thin)
– 2 tablespoon cilantro
– 1/2 lime (juice)

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. Be sure to wash your hands immediately after handling such hot peppers as Scotch Bonnets. I added some tomato to the chow (yellow cherry) but that is totally optional.

Since this is a pretty basic recipe I didn’t take the usual step by step pics you normally get. However there is the video below you can follow along with.

Wash and trim your strawberries. If they are large you can cut them in 1/2 if you wish and if you prefer to remove the stems, by all means do so.

Crush the garlic with the salt and juice of the orange.

It’s now time to assemble. Place the prepared strawberries into a large bow, top with the garlic puree, then add the thinly sliced onion, followed by thinly sliced Scotch Bonnet Peppers. Remember you can leave out the seeds if you’re overly concerned about the raw heat and you may also crush the scotch bonnet along with the garlic if you wish. I like leaving it sliced thinly as one can identify the pepper and avoid if necessary.

Add the cilantro (we’d normally use Shado Beni on the islands) along with the lime juice and give it all a good mix. Place in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes, then enjoy. Best enjoyed with adult beverages (Smile). Feel free to add some freshly ground black pepper if you wanted.

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

chris de la rosa

The Ultimate 5 Alarm Curry Chicken Recipe.

Jamaican (Easter) Spice Bun Recipe.

Recipe Card

Jamaican (Easter) Spice Bun

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Simple Garlic Rosemary Roasted Chicken Recipe.

Recipe Card

Simple Garlic Rosemary Roasted Chicken

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Ultimate SlowCooker (CrockPot) Curry Goat Recipe.

Ginger Chive Roasted Snapper Recipe.

Strawberry Chow (Spicy pickle / salad) Recipe.

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