Brown Stew Chicken

This recipe is interesting. The stew is rich and thick, and has a beautiful dark brown color.

Brown Stew Chicken

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Marinade Time: 1 hour

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken meat, cut into stew chunks

splash of lime juice

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 onion, chopped

3 scallions, sliced

1 scotch bonnet pepper, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic

1/2 inch ginger, grated

3 tomatoes, chopped

3 tbsp flour

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp browning (Jamaican burnt sugar)

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 cups stock

Substitutions:

Scotch Bonnet Pepper - Habenero

Prepare a marinade:

Mix together the salt, pepper, thyme, onion, scotch bonnet pepper, green bell pepper, garlic, ginger, and tomato, and let marinade for one hour.

Mix the flour into 1/4 cold water carefully making sure there's no lumps, until you have a smooth mixture.

Cooking:

Scrape the marinade off the chicken and set aside. Brown the chicken in a frying pan until lightly browned.

Remove the chicken and set aside. Add the marinade and fry for three minutes.

Add the stock, soy sauce, and browning and simmer for five minutes.

Mix some of the liquid into the flour/water mixture slowly to bring it up to temperature and mix it without lumps. When it is diluted, add it to the stew, along with the chicken.

Simmer five minutes, stirring gently, until all ingredients are cooked through.

Serve with rice.

Curry Goat

Goat has an odd flavor to it. But it shouldn't be underestimated, although largely forgotten about compared to lamb and beef in America. This recipe is wonderful. Goat often comes with bones, so don't be afraid to use those to make stock for the recipe.

You can use premixed curry powder, although Jamaican curry powder does have a different flavor than Indian or Japanese curry powder.

Curry Goat

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Marinade Time: Overnight

Cooking Time: 3 1/2 hours

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

2 lbs goat meat

1/4 cup oil

6 garlic clove, minced

4 cups stock (made from the goat bones, or chicken stock)

1 cup coconut milk

2 tbsp curry powder

1/2 lb sliced carrots

1/2 lb potatoes

Marinade:

5 scallions, chopped

2 Scotch bonnet peppers (Habenero will suffice, but not taste as good)

2 onions, chopped

2 sprigs thyme

1 teaspoon allspice, ground

juice of 2 limes

salt

black pepper

2 tbsp Jamaican curry powder

Jamaican Curry Powder:

5 tsp ground turmeric

4 tsp coriander seeds

3 tsp cayenne pepper powder

3 tsp fenugreek seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp whole black pepper

2 tsp aniseed

1 whole clove

1 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp whole allspice

Prepare Jamaican Curry Powder:

Put the whole ingredients into a spice grinder, and grind into a fine powder, then mix with the ground ingredients.

Prepare a marinade (night before):

In a blender, mix scallions, 1 onion, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper, allspice, salt, pepper, 2 tbsp curry powder, and juice of 2 limes into a blender with 1/2 cup water and mix into a paste.

In a zip-lock bag, put the goat meat and marinade and let sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Cooking:

Scrape the marinade off of the meat, and set aside.

In a large pot, heat 1/4 cup oil, and fry 2 tbsp Jamaican curry in it for two minutes, stirring constantly. Add the other onion, and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and the goat meat, and lightly brown goat meat.

Add stock and coconut milk.

Bring mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 2 hours.

Add potatoes and carrots, and simmer for one more hour or until goat and potatoes are tender.

Serve with parboiled rice.

Steamed Cabbage

This simple, spicy steamed cabbage recipe makes a wonderful side dish.

Scotch bonnet pepper, otherwise known as Jamaican pepper, can be replaced by habenero if you can't find them.

Jamaican Steamed Cabbage

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients:

1 head cabbage, shredded

2 tbsp butter or margarine

1 scotch bonnet pepper, minced

2 sprigs thyme

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 green bell pepper, sliced

1 onion, chopped

Ground black pepper to taste

Salt to taste

1/4 cup water

Cooking:

In a large saucepan, add a little oil, and sautee onion, garlic, scotch bonnet pepper and thyme until onion is translucent. Add the cabbage, and water. Cover, and cook until cabbage is tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

Jerk Chicken

"Jerk" spice mixes are common in the states, but the flavor of making your own is far better.

If you can't find Scotch Bonnet Pepper, habenero is similar in appearance and heat, although the flavor is nowhere near as good. (based on this recipe)

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Marinade: at least 1 hour

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tbsp ground allspice

1 tbsp thyme

1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 tsp ground sage

3/4 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp cinnamon

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

3/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup orange juice

1 lime, juiced

1 scotch bonnet pepper, minced

3 scallions, chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

4 to 6 chicken breasts

Prepare the marinade:

Mix allspice, thyme, cayenne, black pepper, sage, cinnamon, garlic, and sugar. Mix in olive oil, soy sauce, white vinegar, orange juice, and lime juice. Add scotch bonnet pepper, scallions, and onion.

Prick the chicken all over with a fork, and place chickena nd marinade into a zip lock bag and refridgerate at least one hour.

Cooking:

Preheat an outdoor grill, or oven to broil, and cook 6 minutes per side, or until meat reaches 165 degrees. Baste with marinade.

Bring leftover marinade to a boil and serve on the side as sauce.

Chapter 18 : Jamaica

One region we had not gotten to yet was the Caribbean. Jamaica seemed the best place to start. The cuisine of this little island is wonderful, a blend of America, Central American, African, and Indian that is unique.

Scotch Bonnet Pepper

The Scotch Bonnet Pepper is easily ignored. Its cousin, the Habenero, made its way to America and Mexico from Cuba. Nearly identical, the bright orange Scotch Bonnet Pepper is equally hot, but far more flavorful.

You can replace it with Habenero, and the flavor will be close enough, but still far less wonderful.