World Recipes

Jamaican Stewed Chicken

5 to 6 pounds chicken pieces (your choice)
1 litre bottle catsup
2 to 3 large onions
2 to 3 medium tomatoes diced (optional)
Black pepper, to taste
Oil (for frying)

Clean chicken and place in a large bowl. Slice the onions into thick slices and separate into rings; add to the chicken. If using tomatoes, dice them and add to chicken. Add the bottle of catsup and the black pepper (at least 1 teaspoon is recommended). This dish should be spicy, but you can use less without affecting the taste. Marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.

Heat oil; brown chicken on all sides, then place in a covered oven dish. Add about 1/2 litre of water to the catsup mixture, until you have a smooth, but not thick, consistency. Pour over the chicken. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 2 hours or until the chicken just falls off the bones.

This is good served with steamed rice.

Jamaican Buns

Yields 24 buns

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon rind
1 cup butter
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 cup raisins
1 1/4 cups shredded coconut
2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon rind. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly in texture. Beat eggs with milk and add to flour mixture. Blend until just moistened. Do not overmix. Add raisins and coconut and mix again - just enough to incorporate. Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, portion dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Brush the tops of each bun with beaten egg whites and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for about 25 minutes. Buns should be golden brown and firm to touch.

Jamaican Beef Patties

Dough
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
5 tablespoons cold water

Mix together dry ingredients thoroughly in a medium size mixing bowl. Add vegetable shortening and cold water; rub them into the seasoned flour with your fingers until you have a stiff dough. If the dough is too dry to hold together, add more cold water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the filling.

After the filling is made, roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to 1/8-inch thick. Cut the dough into circles 5 inches in diameter. This is easily accomplished by pressing the edges of a 5-inch diameter plate or bowl into the dough, and then following the outline with a sharp knife to cut the circles. Roll out the scraps and cut more circles until all the dough is used.

Assemble beef patties by spooning about 1 1/2 tablespoons filling on one side of a pastry circle. Fold the other half of the circle over the filling so the edges meet, forming a half-moon. Seal the edges by pressing lightly with your fingertips and then with the tines of a fork. Place the beef patties on a baking sheet. Brush the tops of the beef patties with the beaten egg and bake them on the upper rack of a preheated 400 degree F oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the beef patties from the oven and transfer them to wire racks. Serve them while they are still warm.

Makes about 1 dozen.

Filling
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound hot or sweet Italian link
    sausage, removed from casing
1 medium yellow onion, finely minced
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 Scotch bonnet chile or 1 jalapeno,
    seeded and finely minced (optional)
1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
2 medium scallions, root ends removed, minced
1 large egg yolk, beaten

Saute ground beef, sausage, onions, garlic and chile in a large skillet over medium-high heat until brown, about 15 minutes, breaking the meats up with a fork as they cook. Reduce heat to low; add bread crumbs, curry powder, thyme, sage, salt, pepper and water. Cook the filling, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Stir in the scallions. Remove from the heat and allow the filling to cool to room temperature.

Cuban Tamales

24 dried corn husks (hojas)
2 cups corn kernels (may use frozen
    sweet corn kernels, defrosted)
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons butter (at room temperature)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Salt, to taste
1/3 to 1/2 cup cornmeal

Soak the corn husks in hot water for 1 hour.

Mix the corn kernels with the milk and butter in food processor; then add the sugar, salt and 1/3 cup cornmeal; blend quickly. Add more cornmeal only if the batter seems too liquid. Transfer to a bowl. Wash and dry the processor bowl.

Chicken Sofrito Filling
1/2 to 1 habanero chile, stemmed, seeded
1 red or green jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded
8 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
10 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
1/2 cup peeled, seeded, diced tomato
1 small cooked potato, diced
1/4 cup raisins (plumped in hot water)
1 tablespoon capers
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

With the food processor running, drop the chiles and garlic through the feed tube; they should be finely minced. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a nonstick saute pan. Add the onions and cook until softened; push to one side and add the chicken. Saute until lightly browned.

Add the garlic-chile mixture; saute 1 minute. Add the tomato, potato, raisins and capers. Season with the cumin, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Combine the filling and the corn batter. Place about 1/2 cup of the mixture in the middle of a corn husk. Wrap the husk around the mixture and tie on both ends with string. Continue with remaining tamale mixture and corn husks.

Steam the tamales over barely simmering water for 1 hour. Check on the water level from time to time; add boiling water, if necessary.

Yields 10 tamales.

Cuban Roasted Pork

1 small (3 to 4 pound) pork shoulder or loin roast
Juice of 2 lemons or 1 cup sour orange juice
4 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons black pepper
3 teaspoons dried oregano
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, sliced

Marinate pork roast in sour orange or lemon juice for 2 to 3 hours.

Remove pork from juice. Season with salt, pepper, oregano and garlic. Place in roasting pan and cover with foil. Bake 300 degrees F for 2 1/2 hours or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.

Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Remove foil and bake 15 minutes to brown meat. Remove from oven and let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Cut into 3/4-inch slices. Top with sliced onions for garnish.

Makes 6 servings.

Chicken and Vegetable Stew (Saucochi di Gallinja)

1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
6 cups water
2 tablespoons instant beef bouillon
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 medium sweet potatoes or yams, cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 ears sweet corn, cut into 3 pieces
1/4 pound winter squash, pared and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas
1 small hot chile pepper, stemmed, seeded and sliced
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Chopped chives

Heat chicken, water and bouillon to boiling in Dutch oven; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Skim off fat. Add remaining ingredients except chives. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until thickest pieces of chicken are done and vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Garnish each serving with chives.

Yields 8 or 9 servings.

Caribbean Jerk Pork Chops

1/4 cup water
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
2 1/4 pounds lean pork loin or rib chops
      (6 chops) - about 5/8 inch thick

Place all ingredients except pork in blender. Cover and blend until smooth.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade; cover and refrigerate for basting. Trim excess fat from pork. Place pork in shallow nonmetal dish or heavy-duty resealable plastic bag. Pour remaining marinade over pork. Cover dish or seal bag and refrigerate at least 12 hours but no longer than 24 hours.

Heat coals or gas grill. Remove pork from marinade; discard marinade. Cover and grill pork 4 to 5 inches from medium heat 8 to 11 minutes, turning frequently and brushing with reserved marinade, for medium doneness (160 degrees F) or until pork is slightly pink when cut near bone. Discard any remaining basting marinade.

Yield: 6 servings.

Per Serving: 183 Calories; 8g Fat (40.8% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 53mg Cholesterol; 312mg Sodium

Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Caribbean Honey-Spiced Chicken with Mango

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

In a small bowl, combine honey, lemon juice and lemon peel; whisk until well-blended. Remove 1/4 cup of mixture to food processor container; set aside. Add mango to honey lemon mixture in bowl; toss to coat. Store in refrigerator.

Add onion, jalapenos, paprika, oil, garlic salt, cinnamon, pepper and allspice to honey-lemon mixture in food processor container. Process until very finely chopped, scrape down sides when necessary. Spread mixture evenly over both sides of chicken breasts. Spread oil in 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Arrange chicken breasts in pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked through. Remove chicken to serving platter; top with reserved mango.

Yields 4 servings.