Jamaican Ackee and Crab Crusted Grouper

Many groupers are important food fish, and some of them are now farmed. Unlike most other fish species which are chilled or frozen, groupers are generally sold alive in markets. Any species are popular fish for sea-angling. Some species are small enough to be kept in aquaria, though even the small species are inclined to grow rapidly. (this is Wikipedia's description) My description is it takes good.

The combination of the popular Ackee and the grouper fish make a wonderful dish. Jamaicans know we can eat this type of cooking for dinner and for breakfast. This recipe is a bit long, but sometimes things done slowly have the best taste.


Fresh Ackee at the market




This was a great catch for a lucky guy!!

Recipe:
Ackee & Crab Crusted Grouper
• 1 oz ackee
• 1 oz crab meat
• 1/2 cup rum
• 7 oz grouper
• 1 oz tamarind
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1/2 oz onion
• 1/2 oz garlic
• 1 oz butter
• 3 oz plantain, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Nutmeg to taste
• 2 tablespoon glace for sauce (this is a term for stock, can use stock or 2 Tbsp of instant gravy)
• Optional: 1/2 oz country pepper (similar to bell pepper but hotter)
• Optional: flour tortilla and lime to garnish

Steaming Liquor
• 1/2 cup of wine
• 3 oz butter
• 2 bay leaves

Jerk Sauce
• 1 oz ginger, freshly grated
• 1 branch thyme
• 1 Tbsp honey

Coconut Rundown
• 1/2 oz onion
• 1/2 oz garlic
• 1/2 cup coconut milk, unsweetened
• 1 branch thyme
• 2 oz assortment of fresh bell pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: 1/2 oz country pepper (similar to a bell pepper but hotter)

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Directions

1. Season grouper using half of the country pepper, and all of the tamarind, and cinnamon and leave to soak overnight in a separate container

2. The next day, sear the grouper and set aside

3. The next day, season ackee and crab with salt and pepper to taste

4. Add the rum and marinate the ackee and crab (marinate for 30 minutes)

5. Make the Coconut Rundown (see instructions below)

6. Use the Steaming Liquor to steam grouper: take some foil (8" square), butter this and place in the fish, add 1/2 cup of wine and bay leaves, close the foil and place in moderate oven (the grouper needs to sit in a small pool of cooking liquor within the foil)

7. Make Jerk Sauce (see instructions below); add rum to taste and add glace, boil (do not boil too much, this will make it salty)

8. In a separate pan sauté the onion and garlic, add plantains, butter, and salt and pepper to taste

9. To serve, splash plate with Jerk Sauce

10. Place plantain and onions on a plate with grouper

11. Pour Coconut Rundown over the grouper

12. Top plate with the ackee and crab mixture

13. Place plate under grill or broiler and brown slightly prior to serving

Coconut Rundown Instructions

1. Sauté onions and garlic and peppers

2. Add thyme; pinch your index finger and thumb together and pull the thyme branch between them, the thyme will come off the branch (no need to chop)

3. Add coconut milk and simmer

4. Add country pepper and season with salt and pepper to taste

Jerk Sauce Instructions

1. Mix ginger and honey together

2. Pinch your index finger and thumb together and pull the thyme branch between them, the thyme will come off the branch (no need to chop)

3. Add thyme to mix

Jamaican Music Video I did

Jamaican Foods at Penn Relay

Jamaican Lady sells food at Penn Relay at Pennsylvania.

Brown Stew Fish Recipe

This is another recipe I found for Brown Stew Fish at Jamaica Travel and Culture.

Earth Day Dish-Jamaican Spinach Soup

Okay, strictly "Green" food for this Earth Day.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, minced
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 cups chopped zucchini
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
• 1/2 red bell pepper, minced

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in onion, celery, garlic, ginger, and sugar. Cook 5 minutes, until onion is tender. Season with salt, turmeric, allspice, and nutmeg. Mix in potatoes and zucchini, and pour in the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
2. Remove soup from heat, season with cayenne pepper, and stir in spinach. Using a hand blender, blend soup until smooth. Garnish with red bell pepper to serve.

Fish Baked in Banana Leaves

If you are not able to get banana leaves, then substitute with parchment paper. This is a wonderful recipe.

Banana leaves or parchment paper
Salt and Pepper to taste
6 6-8 ozs fillets of grouper, snapper or any fish that is very firm
2 tomatoes, peel seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped scallion (green onions)
1/2 cup of coconut cream
A sprig of thyme
Couple of pimento seeds (about 4)

Method

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the banana leaves into rectangles, large enough to fold over the fish or cut the parchment paper the same. Sear the leaves (hold over a flame) over a glass flame, until they are limp and pliable. (do not sear parchment paper if you are using that)

Place each fillet on a piece of banana leaf, parchment paper, or foil. sprinkle the fish with the salt and pepper, chopped tomato and chopped (scallion) green onion. (i add regular onion too). Spoon on some coconut cream. Fold the warapping to enclose the fish and fillings and seal the edges by folding over twice. Fold over the ends in the same way. (if using banana leaves ties with string).

Bake each packet for about 10 to 15 minutes. Everyone you serve can have their own little fish bundle.

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

It is a long time I did not do any soup recipes. Here is a very simple one. I found this one on Jamaicans.com

INGREDIENTS :

• 2 tbs. butter
• 3 tbs. flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups boiled pumpkin (1lb.)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

1. Melt butter and fry onion in it.
2. Add flour, salt, pepper and sugar and cook well.
3. Add milk slowly, stirring so butter and flour are well blended with milk.
4. Stir until smooth and thickened. Combine pumpkin with mixture, stir well. Simmer for 5 minutes and serve hot.
5. Serves 4. The cream of pumpkin soup tends to get very thick, you can add a bit more milk if that happens.

Yellow Bird-Ultimate Rum Drink

This is one of the island's favorite rum drinks. It is named for the bird that also known in the famous calypso song, "Yellow Bird."

1/2 cup ice cubes
1 ounce light rum
1/2 ounce Triple Sec
1/2 ounce banana liqueur (or just use real banana )
1/2 once Galliano

Put all the ingredients except the lime into the bar shaker and shake vigorously until the contents are thoroughly chilled and frothy. Pour into tall 12 ounce glasses and serve.

Rum Chocolate Cheesecake

This is a really rich dessert. The addition of rum to cheesecake really brings the cheese cake to a whole new dimension.

Chocolate Almond Crust (if you don't feel like going through this step just get a ready made graham cracker crust and add some almond flavoring)

1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
6 tbs melted butter
1/2 cup chopped almonds
2 tbs sugar

Filling:
8 ozs cream cheese
1/2 cups sour cream
6 tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup rum (white rum will be true strong, Appleton special will work)
1 package of unflavored gelatin
8 ozs semi sweet chocolate chips melted

Directions

Blend all the crust ingredients together. Press mixture on the bottom and 1 inch up n the sides of a 10 inch pie pan. Bake for at least 8 minutes. Let crust cool.

Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla together. Put the rum into the top of a double boiler or a heat proof bowl, sprinkle on the gelatin, and let it soften for at least 1o minutes.
Stir the gelatin mixture over simmering water until the gelatin dissolves. Beat the solution into the cream cheese mixture. Beat in the melted chocolate. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and refrigerate the cake until the filing is firm.
Garnis with grated chocolate .

Jamaican Crab Backs

This recipe is from "GetJamaica.com"

On any given Sunday you can see Portmore residents ( a town in Jamaica) with bags catching large land crabs. This is a delicious Portmore recipe.

INGREDIENTS
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
3 slices of hard dough bread
2 tomatoes chopped
3 stalks escallion finely chopped
1 cup milk
2 tbsp margarine
1 lg chopped onion
½ cup bread crumbs
8 large crabs


PREPARATION

After boiling crabs extract crabmeat from claws and clean crab backs and reserve the shells.
Soak the bread slices in milk and add onion, scallions, tomatoes, black pepper, salt and crabmeat.
After mixing well place the crab mixture in the crab back shells.
Preheat the oven to approximately 375 Degrees then add crab backs for 20 minutes.
Serve hot.

Coconut Chicken

INGREDIENTS :

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 onions, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped roasted garlic
• 1/2 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. In a large skillet, fry chicken breast in vegetable oil until the chicken just begins to brown.
3. Stir onions, green bell peppers and red bell peppers into the skillet with the chicken.
4. Saute until the onions are translucent. When the vegetables are translucent, stir in the garlic and coconut milk.
5. Let the mixture cook 5 to 8 minutes before removing the skillet from the heat.
6. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
7. Transfer the mixture to a 9x13 inch baking dish and bake in a 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) oven for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables cook down and the chicken is tender.

Source: Jamaicans.com

Jamaica Okra an Shrimp

INGREDIENTS
1 pound Jamaican okra, trimmed, washed, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium Jamaican onion, coarsely chopped
1 Jamaican green pepper chopped
4 large Jamaican tomatoes; peeled and chopped
½ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons Jamaican lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
A pinch of salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1½ pounds shrimp; peeled and de-veined
hot cooked rice

PREPARATION
1. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet until the butter is melted.
2. Add the Jamaican onion and Jamaican green pepper; toss to coat evenly. Cook
until the Jamaican onion is translucent.
3. Add the Jamaican tomatoes, wine, Jamaican lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper.
4. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the Jamaican tomatoes soften.
5. Add the shrimp and continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the shrimp turns pink and opaque.

Cooking at the River

Here is a video that shows country living. Here they are cooking at the river.

Jerk Barbeque Vegetables

Many people have written and asked me to feature more vegatable dishes. So I found one on "CaribbeanChoice". You actually can play with this recipe and season to taste. Enjoy.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large cho-cho, cut into thin strips
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsps. vegetable oil
• 1/2 pack spaghetti
• 1 medium broccoli, broken in florets
• 1 medium cabbage, coarsely shredded
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup GRACE JERK BARBECUE SAUCE

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil spaghetti as directed on package.
2. Heat oil and sauté seasonings.
3. Add carrots, cho-cho and stir fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add broccoli, cabbage and spaghetti and continue stir frying for another 2 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with salt if desired, toss in Grace Jerk Barbecue Sauce and remove from heat.
6. Serve immediately.

Yard Food Names

Bully Beef- Bully is actually "corn beef". It known as Bully Beef in Jamaica

Dutty Gal- This is sardines in a can (yeah I know a bit derogatory)

Foska- Roll Oats

Calabaza- West Indian Pumpkin

Avocado Pear-This is what Jamaicans call Avocado

Janga- Crawfish-

Jelly- This is a term used for coconut



Stamp and Go-



washmouth- This is usually the first meal of the day, (and that is not necessarily breakfast)

Saltfish-Codfish

Spinners-This is dumpling


These are all I can think of. If anyone knows any more please let me know.

Dasheen Stuffing and Roast Chicken

First you need to make the Pineapple Dasheen Stuffing. Here is the Recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. (450 grams) dasheen, peeled and cubed
• 2 Tbsps. vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup chopped escallion
• 1/4 cup chopped sweet pepper
• 4 slices pineapple, cut into cubes
• 1 tsp. white pepper
• 1 tsp. salt

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook dasheen in salt water until tender.
2. Add vegetable oil to heated skillet. Sauté escallion and sweet pepper.
3. Add pineapple cubes, white pepper, salt and dasheen to ingredients in skillet. Use this to stuff chicken.

This is the recipe to finish roasting the chicken and adding the stuffing mix

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 lbs. (1.5 kg) chicken
• 4 Tbsps. soft margarine
• 2 tsps. salt
• 1 tsp. white pepper
• 1/3 cup sherry
• 2 tsps. tarragon
• 2 tsps. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. mustard
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. HOT PEPPER SAUCE

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F/ 200°C.
2. Combine 1/2 the margarine and all the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
3. Pour over chicken and allow to marinate for 3 hours or overnight.
4. Fill cavity of the chicken with dasheen pineapple stuffing.
5. Fasten the opening with skewers or sew with thread.
6. Place in a roasting pan and bake for 1 hour or until done.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

Serve with rice and peas accompanied with buttered carrot

Jamaica Fry Sprat

INGREDIENTS :

• 2 dozen sprats
• Vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• oil for frying

METHOD:

1. Clean and wash the sprats with vinegar and water.
2. Dry with paper towell.
3. Season with salt and black pepper and fry in hot oil.
4. Place fried sprat on paper towell to drain oil.
5. Serve with hardo bread.

Jamaica Beef Soup

This is a true Winter Dish. It will warm you up.

INGREDIENTS :

• 2 qt. water
• 1 lb. soup bones or stewing steak
• 1/2 lb. carrots, cubed
• 1/4 lb. turnips, cubed
• 1 lb. pumpkin, cut up
• 1/2 lb. cho cho, cut up
• 1 lb. yellow yam, cut up
• 1 sprig thyme
• 2 stalks escallion
• 1 tablespoon salt

METHOD:

1. Boil soup bones in 2 qts. water (about 30 minutes in pressure cooker).
2. Cut up vegetables, yam and cho cho and add with seasonings to soup.
3. Dumplings may be added if desired.
4. Once it starts to boil, simmer uncovered until yam is cooked and soup is of a medium consistency.
5. Serves 6

Source:Jamaicans.com

Mango Lada

A delicious smoothie drink. Yum

INGREDIENTS :

• 4 ounces pureed fresh mango
• .5 ounce coconut milk/creme de coconut
• .5 ounce pineapple juice
• 1 table spoon condensed milk (optional)

METHOD:

1. Blend the pureed fresh mango, coconut milk/creme de coconut & pineapple juice.
2. Add 10 cubes ice & blend again till smooth.
3. Add condensed milk to sweeten if needed

Source Jamaican.com

Green Papaya Salad

Well, Papaya is not only used when it is ripe. Some people eat Papaya when it is green as well. Since most of us might not this growing in our backyard, you can check your local supermarket when they have this fruit not fully ripe and try this delicious salad.

You use it like you would zucchini. Use the dark green papayas. (make sure you don't see any yellow on it )


1-2 green papayas, peeled and cut into julienne strips
use strips of celery or you can use some celery seeds
2 red bell peppers, chopped
3 scallions, chopped up

Cook Papaya in a covered pan with a little water. Simmer the papaya until it is tender. Let it cool. then refrigerate it.
In a bowl, toss together the celery, peppers, and onions. Add the papaya.

you can use a nice vinaigrette salad dressing. or a balsamic dressing.