Best part of the OX is the tail-Oxtail Stew

Historically I think the ox tails were given to the slaves after the cow was slaughtered. Making a good ox tail stew involves slow cooking it. This means using a pressure cooker or even a crock pot. You typically season the ox tail with browning, which you can now buy at the store. If you can't buy it at the store you can make it yourself using a burned-sugar technique that makes it have a caramel like taste.


Ingredients

3 tbsp canola or peanut oil
2 lb oxtails (cut into 2" pieces )
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbs of minced ginger
1 rib of celery
1 small carrot chopped
2 large yellow onions chopped
2 tbs flour
4 cups of beef stock (you can buy organic in some stores)
1 tbs
 of whole allspice berries
4 sprigs of thyme
2 scotch bonnet peppers (habanaero chilies)
2 tbs of light brown sugar
scallions chopped

Directions

Heat the oil in an 8 quart Dutch oven pot or cast iron pot. Then season oxtails with salt and pepper. ( I marinate mine overnight with browning and salt and pepper). When oil is hot add oxttails, turning once until golden brown (about 5 mins). Transfer to plate and set it aside. Then add the other ingriedients to the pots stir the flour in gradually until mixture is smooth. Return the oxtails to pot. DO NOT BURST OPEN the scotch bonnet peppers (place them in whole). Add a little water if too thich and cook on medium-low to low heat for 1-2 hours

Serves 6 with white rice

Jamaican Roast Fish

I found this wonderful recipe on Jamaicans.com   I love Roast Fish.

INGREDIENTS :

• 4 small whole gutted doctor fish or turbit/turbot (some times spelt terbit)(you can use any small fish)



• 2 small onions  



• 3 sprigs scallions  



• 6 sprigs thyme  



• 10 pimentos  



• 1 table spoon salt  



• 1 table spoon pepper  



• 1 garlic  



• 2 scotch bonnet pepper  



• 1/4 cup pick a pepper sauce  



• aluminum foil paper  



• Wash fish with cold salt water or vinegar.  

METHOD:

1. Wash fish in with vinigar and water  



2. Pour picka-peppa into bowl  



3. Dice up onion, thyme, escallions, scotch bonnet pepper, garlic & combine  



4. Add salt, pepper, pimento  



5. Combine all and mix in the bowl of picka-pepper sauce  



6. Dry and place each fish on a sheet of foil  



7. Stuff each fish with the seasoning mixture & wrap completgly in foil  



8. Roast on open grill for 30 minutes or in an oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  



9. Serves 4  

*If you can't get pick-a-peppa sauce you can use Worcestershire sauce, with a little bit of sugar.

Jamaican Christmas Cake- Fruitcake

Ingredients

• 6 ounces or 1.5 cup flour
• 8 ounces margarine or butter
• 8 ounces sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 pound raisins
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces mixed peel
• 4 ounces cherries
• 1/2 pound prunes (chopped)
• 1 cup wine/brandy
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• finely grated rind of 1 lime/lemon
• 2 tablespoons browning

METHOD:

1. Cream butter, sugar and browning until soft and fluffy.
2. Sieve all dry ingredients together
3. Beat eggs, wine/brandy together.
4. Add egg mixture to creamed butter and sugar.
5. Add fruits.
6. Add flour and fold in. Do no over-beat when mixing.
7. Bake at 350F for 1 1/2 hours.
8. Yield: 9' round cake.

Jamaican Coconut Seafood

This is great dish to eat anytime of the year. I love seafood (those of you that have been following me probably know that already). This recipe calls for "vegetable oil," but I used canola oil instead.

Ingredients

2 tsp canola oil
raw prawns 1 lb (deveined and peeled)
2 bunches of green oinions (scallions)
1 garlic clove chopped
1 small habenero pepper (scotch bonnet) -use a green chili for less spicy
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into sticks
5 fluid oz of white wine
5 fluid oz of cream of coconut
4 oz shitake mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat a large skillet or if you have a wok it will work better, add oil. When oil is hot (almost smoking) then add the prawns and stir or about 5 minutes. Remove the prawns (keep warm in a low heat oven). Add the mushrooms, stir for about 3 minutes, remove and add to prawns to plate in oven. add the wine and coconut milk to the skillet. Let this mixture boil for about 5 minutes. reduce the heat. Return the prawns and mushrooms to the this mixture,stirring occasionally. Stir in the other seasonings. add salt and pepper to taste. (do notbreak open the scotch bonnet (habenero pepper) in the skillet). If you choose to use the sliced chillies then add to taste for spiceness.

Serve with cooked rice

Jamaican Fried Chicken

Yes, Jamaicans love Fried Chicken. Well, this Jamaican does anyway. One thing that is done different in Jamaica is tomato Ketchup is used in the recipe. See, to be a "real" Jamaican, you can't just say, "ketchup." You have to say "tomato ketchup.


Chicken
Onions
Black pepper
Scotch Bonnet Flakes
Salt
Garlic powder
Flour
Oil
2 eggs, optional
Ketchup, optional
1. Season chicken with onions, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, chicken , and if you want it spicy, use some Scotch bonnet flakes (or habernero)

2. Set aside

3. Heat oil in frying pan until boiling hot. Enough to cover chicken, as much as half way.

4. Prepare flour in a bowl. Shake chicken into flour then fry, making sure you shake heavy flour off before frying. NOTE: If you like, you may dip chicken in some egg mixture (2 eggs) before using flour. After frying, you may Sprinkle some Ketchup on it.

Jamaican Curry Chicken

Once in awhile I will post an interesting Jamaican recipe I have found on the internet. This video is from Jamaica Travel and Culture.com (by way of Youtube). I have featured several curry chicken recipes over the years, but this is a very simple and very tasty. Enjoy

Rum Glazed Roast Turkey

Yes, Jamaicans eat Turkey. This recipe can be made anytime. You use Turkey Breast

Ingredients
RUM GLAZE

1/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Lime Juice
2 tablespoons Dark Rum ( I use Appleton Special dark)


1 boned Turkey Breast
Garlic Seasoning
Onion Powder
3 bacon strips
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350. Spread your Turkey Breast skin down on a cutting board. Dot with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper, garlic seasoning and onion powder. Put turkey into a baking pan and put pan in the oven.
Mix together the sugar, lemon juice, rum and stir until the sugar is dissolved. After the meat is cooked for 1 hour then spoon the mixture over it. Cook the turkey until it has an internal heat of 170, baste with the pan juices about every 15 minutes. (add the turkey strips for the last 15 minutes. - use hickory smoke if you have it)

You know it is done when the glaze becomes thick and roast glossy brown. Remove from the oven and allow to rest at least 15 minutes. Slice and enjoy with your favorite side dish. (I like potato)

Jamaican Garlic Shrimp

Ingredients

4 cups water

1/2 cup chopped scallions
4 crushed garlic cloves
3 thyme sprigs
2-3 whole habanero/scotch bonnet chilis
2 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
10 whole allspice (or you can use the powder allspice)
1 lb 20/25 shrimp

Directions

Mix all ingredients except shrimp in large pot, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 20 minutes

Remove pot from heat and stir in shrimp, making sure they're all covered with the liquid. Let the pot cool for about an hour uncovered, then serve with a little of the cooking liquid

Otaheite Apple

This was one of my favorite fruits in Jamaica. It has this gorgeous appearnce. It is shapped like a pear. It has this shiny skin and can be red in color or burgundy when really sweet. It is very juicy (like and apple). It has one single large seed in the middle. I have read that sometimes it is seedless but I have never come across one without a seed.

There are many other names for this sweet fruit like Pomarosa, Pommerac, Malacca Apple, Plum Rose and Malay Apple.

The flesh of the Otaheite apple is white and juicy. In fact it is because of the fruit's high water content that it does not last very long. They do not last long and you have to eat them quickly.

The fruit makes an excellent jam when stewed with brown sugar and ginger

Sweet Potato Pone

Potato Pone- A oldtime Jamaican dessert

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. Sliced Sweet Potatoes


• 2 tsp light brown sugar


• 2 oz butter


• 2.5 fluid ounces orange juice


• 2 large eggs, separate egg yokes from whites


• 4 fluid ounces dark rum


• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions

1. Boil the sweet potatoes until tender. Drain water then mash potatoes and add brown sugar and butter. Slowly stir in orange juice, then add the beaten egg yolks and rum to the mix and mix well.


2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a pie plate. In a small bowl beat the egg whites until stiff then fold into to potato mixture.


3. Pour the mix into the greased pie plate and bake for 30 minutes. You will know that the dessert is ready if it is firm and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Jamaican Red Pea Soup

This is a wonderful dish to eat on a Saturday. It is quick, fun and a favorite in any Jamaican household. Jamaicans love their beans

Ingredients

• 1 lb Smoked ham hocks
• 1 lb Stewing beef cubed
• 2 cups Kidney beans, dried
• 4 quarts Water
• 4 small Potatoes peeled and cubed
• 1/2 cup Coconut milk -- optional
• 1 Onions chopped
• 2 Green onions chopped
• 1 Sprig fresh thyme
• salt, black, and hot pepper to taste

Directions

1. Soak the ham hocks overnight in fresh water to remove salt
2. Combine ham hocks, beef, and kidney bean in boiled water. Cook for 1 hr to 1 1/2 hr or until beans are tender and begin to split open.
3. Add the potatoes, coconut milk, onion, thyme and hot pepper.
4. Add salt, black pepper, and hot pepper to taste. Stir the soup and allow to simmer for 1 hour.

A Typical Jamaican Meal

SUNDAY
Breakfast - The Main dish is either Liver, Ackee & saltfish (codfish), Mackerel or Red Herring served with any or all of the following, fried dumpling, fried
bammy , boiled banana, boiled dumpling and yam.

Dinner - Rice and Peas with either (or all) Chicken, Roast Beef, Curry Goat. Tossed Salad Baked sweet potato are served on the side.

Drinks - The drink served with Sunday Dinner is normally special. Examples of drinks served are carrot juice, soursop juice, beet root , sorrel if it is in season.

MONDAY-THURSDAY
Breakfast - Sardine, Eggs (fried or boiled), rundown, fried green or ripe plantation. A bowl of Cornmeal or Banana porridge is also typical for breakfast. Hot drink- Milo, Coffee, Holicks, Ovaltine.

Lunch - Patty and cocoa bread, Grotto Bread, Bun and cheese, Meat loaf, box lunch - which is a smaller version of a Jamaican dinner.

Drinks- a box juice, ski juice, suck suck, coconut water, lemonade, syrup, Quench Aid, Soda.

Dinner- Curry Chicken, Curry Shrimp, Escovitch Fish, Steam Fish, Oxtails, Stew Peas, Stew Pork, Tripe and Beans, Cow feet. Steam Beef cabbage with either salt fish or Corn Beef. Curry Goat may be served, but it mostly reserved for Sunday Dinners or special occasions.

Side dish - Corn, yam, dasheen, cho cho, boiled corn meal dumpling, Fried plantains, boiled banana.

FRIDAY
Breakfast and Lunch - the same as Monday -Thursday.

Dinner- No one cooks. Everyone either eats out or "buy and bring" home. Typical "buy and bring home" are drum pan Jerk Chicken or Jerk Pork, fried fish and festival, roast fish, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Shakey's Pizza. Some even have Roast Yam and Salt Fish.

SATURDAY
Breakfast - Liver with Banana, dumpling and Yam, ackee and saltfish with fried dumpling or fried bammy. Haminy corn

Dinner- Beef or chicken soup is a must.

SPECIAL OCCASIONS- EAT ANYTING AN EVERYTING MON!

Celebrating Saltfish

As many may know "Ackee and Saltfish" is the Main Dish in Jamaica. It is one of Jamaica's signature dish. Recently in Jamaica at the Alhambra Inn at the Seafood from Norway Culinary Challenge many of the top chefs walked away with top prizes for dishes prepared from Saltfish.

This challenge is like the TOP CHEF of Jamaica challenge.

below is one of the dishes prepared by Chief Mark De Krines. It is Breaded Salt Fish Won Ton with Okra Fries.

To see the other winners CLICK HERE <------

Chef Mark De Krines' breaded Salt fish won ton raviolis with okra fries

Ingredients:
2 pounds salt fish
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 medium yellow onion
1 bunch fresh cilantro
2 scotch bonnet peppers
2 pegs chopped garlic
2 oz cooking oil
2 doz. large fresh okras
cornmeal for breading
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying
24 wonton skins
eggs and milk for a wash
flour for breading station
panko bread crumbs
oil for frying
2 large tomatoes, peeled seeded and diced
8 pegs of garlic, thinly sliced
1 bunch of fresh basil
3 oz white wine
1/2 medium yellow onion
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 oz olive oil

Method:
De-bone the saltfish and small-dice.
Fine-dice the bell peppers and onions and chop the cilantro and scotch bonnet (remove seeds). Sauté the vegetables in the cooking oil, add garlic , saltfish and scotch bonnet.

Finish with cilantro and season if desired (set aside to cool).

Wash and trim the okras, and quarter them lengthways.
Season and drench in cornmeal.

Fry in 350-degree oil, until just brown on edges.

Dice the onion and sauté in the olive oil.

Add the sliced garlic and sauté another minute. Deglaze with wine and reduce by half before adding the tomatoes and whole basil leaves.

Simmer for 15 minutes (remove basil before serving).

Place a scoop of saltfish in the middle of a wonton skin (1/4 oz). Brush the edges with egg wash.

Place another skin over the first and crimp the edges sealed.

Flour the raviolis, dip in wash and bread with panko crumbs. Fry the raviolis in 350-degree oil, until golden brown.

,

Source: Jamaican Observer

Tilapia with Tamarind Sauce

Tamarind has this unique flavor that can spice up any dish. The hard green pulp of a young fruit is very sour and acidic and is often used as a component of savory dishes. The ripened fruit is less sour and somewhat sweeter, so it when added to this fish dish, trust me you have the most delightful flavor.


Ingredients

• 2-3 fillets of talapia, or other white-fleshed fish (cod, sole, snapper, etc...)
• generous handful fresh coriander
• 3 spring (green) onions, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. tamarind paste (available by the jar at Chinese, Asian, or Indian food stores)(or use fresh tamarind if you can)
  
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 Tbsp. palm or brown sugar (or substitute 1 1/2 Tbsp. white sugar) - adjust to taste
• 3/4 tsp. shrimp paste (available by the jar at Asian/Chinese food stores)
• 3 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1/3 loose cup chopped fresh coriander (include both stems and leaves)
• 2 tsp. red chili sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb-size piece ginger, grated or cut thinly into strips

Place all "Tamarind Sauce" ingredients together in a sauce pan. Gently warm over low to medium heat until you get a uniform consistency.

1. Pour 1/4 to 1/3 of the sauce over the fish fillets. Cover the rest and keep warm over minimum heat for later.
2. Turn the fillets over several times in the sauce/marinade, then cover and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the fish is cooked. Fish is done perfectly when the flesh flakes easily and is no longer translucent. Note that thick fillets may need 20-25 minutes.
3. When fish is cooked, remove it from the oven. Lift fillets out of the baking dish and place on a serving plate or individual plates. Pour reserved tamarind sauce over, then top with spring onion and fresh coriander. You can even use mint leaves (this gives it a nice look and flavor)

Jamaican Pumpkin Soup

Jamaican pumpkin soup is the what chicken noodle soup is to America. Generally this is a Saturday dish, because Sunday is the "Big" meal cooking to start the week. I found out that Jamaican grown pumpkin is an entirely different thing then American pumpkin. However all pumpkins will give you the same results (just slightly different tastes).

This is the recipe, from The Food of Jamaica in the Periplus World Food Cookbooks series:

Jamaican Pumpkin Soup

1 lb beef roast, cut in big chunks

2 quarts water

1 lb Jamaican pumpkin, sugar pumpkin, squash or butternut squash

1/2 lb yam, chopped*

1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped

2 scallions, chopped

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 sprig fresh thyme

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small knob ginger, minced or finely grated

Place the meat in a large soup pot, cover with the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, skim off any foam, and simmer uncovered until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add all of the remaining ingredients except ginger and continue to cook until the pumpkin and yam are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the pumpkin and yam from the stock with a slotted spoon, place in a food processor or heat-safe blender, and process until smooth. Return the puree to the stock. Stir and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, topping each with a pinch of minced ginger.

Curry Spinach Soup

Well, I haven't done anything in awhile for the Vegans out there. So here is a dish that involves someting healthy mon! It is curry spinach soup. The dish originally calls for "callaloo," however I know that this vegetable is not normally grown in the United States, so I substituted it with Spinach.







Well, I haven't done anything in awhile for the Vegans out there. So here is a dish that involves someting healthy mon! It is curry spinach soup. The dish originally calls for "callaloo," however I know that this vegetable is not normally grown in the United States, so I substituted it with Spinach.

Ingrediaents

1/3 Cup of bell pepper (sweet pepper), chopped and de-seeded.
3 scallions, crushed and chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups Spinach
3 medium potatoes
2 sprig thyme
1 tomato chopped and de-seeded
½ Cup of Curry

Directions

Wash the Spinach leaves
Cut up Spinach leaves in pieces.
Dice and boil the potatoes for approx 2 minutes. Do not overcook.
Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan
Sauté the scallions and bell pepper in the vegetable oil
Add the other ingredients and let simmer for 7 minutes. Stir during this time.
Serve will hot with yam, dumplings and boiled green bananas

Enjoy.

Garlic Shrimp with Papaya

I must admit I am not a papaya fan. I use to be growing up, but I think I grew out of that taste range because I ate it so much. However, for you papaya fans out there here is a tasty combination. Shrimp and papya. enjoy.

INGREDIENTS :

• 3 tbsp. butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. dried thyme or 1 sprig fresh
• 1 lb. medium shrimp, shelled, deveined (may leave tail portion on)
• half a medium papaya, chopped into 1/2" chunks (can use a bit more or less if you desire)

Directions

1. In a saucepan, melt butter.
2. Sauté garlic and onion. Once sautéed, add papaya and thyme, stir until papaya just begins to get mushy.
3. Pour mixture into a bowl and then sauté shrimp in the same saucepan (with a little more butter) for a couple of minutes.
4. Finally, add the papaya/garlic/onion mixture back in for another 5 minutes on low heat till shrimp is cooked.
5. Serve over rice or with noodles.

Jamaican Potato Salad

This recipe comes by way of Jamaicans.com. This is a traditional Jamaican Potato Salad dish.'

INGREDIENTS: 4 cups potatoes diced 2 large eggs 2 stalk escallion chopped 2 tablespoon margarine 1 clove garlic 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 cup miracle whip 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/2 stalk celery (optional) 1/4 cup corn 1/4 cup baby peas (blanched) 1/4 cup carrot (optional) 1/4 tsp. salt Directions Wash, dice and cook potatoes with eggs, about 10 mins. Dice celery, slice escallion and finely chopped garlic. When potatoes are boiled, drain instantly. Place in a large bowl, toss with margarine. Add corn, peas, escallion, garlic and celery. Stir in miracle whip with pepper and salt. Add chopped eggs and stir lightly, serve warm or cold.

Jamaican Glazed Ham

Just in time or the holidays. Many people think for some reason Jamaicans don't eat ham. Where they got that notion I don't know. Here is a popular recipe for the season. You will find it is very similar to the way it is prepared in Jamaica. You can garnish the ham with the slices of orange and banana

NGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. (5 kgs) ham
• 1 bottle marmalade
• 2 tsps. grated orange rind
• 2 cups fresh orange segments
• 5 medium ripe bananas
• 2 Tbsps. fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 15 whole cloves
• 2 Tbsps. vinegar

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

1. Bake ham in preheated oven at 180°C / 350°F, (15 minutes for each pound).
2. In a saucepan over low heat, heat marmalade until it is of a syrupy consistency.
3. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, remove marmalade from heat and blend in orange segments, banana slices and lime juice.
4. Spoon mixture over ham 15 minutes before it is finished baking.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar and vinegar, brush this over ham. Bake ham for a further 15-20 minutes.

Jamaican cow foot soup

My friend made some cow foot soup for me today. It was delicious. One thing about Jamaicans, we don't waste any part of the cow. This is a wonderful soup to drink on a rainy day or cold weather.

INGREDIENTS :

• 2 lbs Cow Foot
• 1 Can butter beans
• 2 peg garlic crushed
• 8 pimentos
• 2 sprig of thyme
• 2 onions chopped
• 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper for taste (should have the stem)
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 5 cup flour water to mix

METHOD:

1. Season Cow foot with pimento, onion, crushed garlic, pepper & salt
2. Cook cow foot in the 1 1/2 cup water till tender
3. Add butter beans, thyme, salt and pepper if necessary for taste
4. Cook for approx 8 mins then add whole Scotch bonnet
5. Cook for approx. 2 minutes
6. Serves 4