This is a favorite in Cuba. Ernest Hemingway was particularly fond of it.
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 or 3 fresh mint leaves and 1 sprig mint, for garnish
Crushed ice
1 1/2 ounces white rum
Club soda
Stir lime juice and sugar in a tall drink glass until the sugar dissolves. Add the mint leaves, crushed ice and rum, then stir. Top off the drink with club soda. Stir again, then garnish with the sprig of mint and serve.
Serves 1.
3 light green plantains
Vegetable or peanut oil (for frying)
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces chicharrones (cracklings)
Salt (optional)
Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Peel plantains by slicing off the ends and cutting 3 or 4 lengthwise slits through the peel. Soak in cold water for 10 minutes, and pull of the skin in strips. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, cutting at an angle so the slices have an oval shape. Sauté in vegetable oil until softened but not browned. Set aside on paper towels to drain and cool.
Mince or press garlic; add to olive oil and mix well.
Process cooled plantains in a food processor until barely smooth (this is traditionally done with a mortar and pestle).
Break chicharrones into bite-size pieces.
In a bowl, mix plantains, chicharrones, garlic and oil. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary (chicharrones may make dish salty enough). Form into egg-size balls with your hands. Serve warm, dusted with cilantro.
Makes about 20 balls.
These chunks of pork are traditionally made with pork shoulder and are fried. They are similar to carnitas, the braised pork cubes found on Mexican menus.
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1/2 cup sour orange juice (or use 1/4 cup orange
juice and 1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Place pork cubes in a self-sealing plastic bag; mix together remaining ingredients and pour over pork cubes; seal bag and refrigerate overnight.
Remove pork from marinade, discarding marinade, and place pork cubes in a shallow baking pan. Roast at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, until pork is tender. Remove to serving platter and serve hot.
Serves 6.
4 cup water
1 tablespoon salt
1 pound raw shrimp, shelled, de-veined
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 scallions (with tops), thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 to 10 drops aromatic bitters
Dash of crushed red pepper
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
Lettuce leaves
Lime wedges
Heat water to boiling in 3-quart saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the shrimp. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer until shrimp is pink, about 3 minutes; drain.
Mix oil, lime juice, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, scallions, tomatoes, garlic, bitters and red pepper in large bowl; stir in shrimp. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours.
Just before serving, gently stir in avocado. Spoon shrimp mixture onto lettuce-lined plates with slotted spoon. Garnish with lime wedges. Serve with remaining marinade if desired.
Yields 4 servings.
1 small ripe mango
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 drops red pepper sauce
1 pound beef boneless sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 large firm bananas, each cut into 6 pieces
12 (1 1/2-inch) cubes fresh pineapple
Pare and remove seed from mango; place mango in blender container. Cover and blend on low speed until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Cook and stir onion and garlic in oil until onion is tender. Mix onion mixture, mango, brown sugar, curry powder, vinegar, salt and pepper sauce in a non-reactive bowl. Stir in beef. Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours.
Remove beef from marinade; reserve marinade. Alternate beef, banana and pineapple pieces on each of four 14-inch metal skewers. Brush marinade over all sides of fruit. Set oven to broil or 550 degrees F. Broil kabobs with tops about 4 inches from heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Turn; brush with marinade. Broil until beef is of medium doneness and fruit is brown, 7 to 8 minutes longer. Heat remaining marinade to boiling. Serve kabobs with marinade and hot cooked rice, if desired.
Yields 4 servings.
6 mangoes, peeled
4 cups water
4 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine the mangoes and water in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the mangoes and measure 4 cups of the liquid, discarding the rest. Combine mangoes, the liquid, the sugar and the vanilla extract in the same pot and boil over moderate heat until the syrup thickens (222 degrees F on a candy thermometer). Allow to cool and serve chilled or at room temperature.
Will keep for 1 week refrigerated.
Serves 6.
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.
This is known in Jamaica as "Jamaican Coat of Arms." It is used as a side dish or as an entrée.
1 cup dried small red beans
2 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups long-grain rice
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
1 whole Scotch bonnet chile, or a 1-inch long whole
habañero or any other very hot whole chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pour beans into a colander; pick over them and discard any pebbles, debris or malformed beans. Rinse beans thoroughly with cold running water. Place beans in a large pot and soak them overnight in enough water to cover.
Drain beans, return them to the pot, and add 4 cups of water. Bring the beans to a boil, covered, over medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer the beans until they are not quite tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, rice, diced onions, garlic, chile pepper, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer the rice and beans, covered, until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the chile pepper and serve at once.
Posted by LladyRusty at recipegoldmine.com 8/11/02 12:32:42 pm
Source: caribshop.com
4 cups water
1 cup lime or lemon juice
6 cloves or allspice berries
3 cups strawberry-flavored syrup
2 cups Jamaican white rum
Mix all ingredients together in a punch bowl, and let the mixture settle for 1 hour before removing the cloves or allspice. Stir and serve over ice cubes in old fashioned glasses. Water and rum maybe added to weaken or strengthen as needed.
Servings: 10
1 small white onion, peeled and quartered
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled
1 Scotch bonnet chile or a 1-inch long habañero,
stem removed, halved and seeded, or to taste
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Purée all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Transfer the jerk paste to a medium non-reactive mixing bowl.
To Use
Coat cubed meat with jerk paste. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator, stirring once, for at least 3 hours. Toss onion wedges, bell pepper, zucchini and cherry tomatoes in a large mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Thread equal amounts of marinated meat and vegetables, alternating the ingredients, on 6 metal skewers. Broil the kebabs 1 to 2 inches from a preheated broiler, rotating them as they cook, until well browned on all sides. Or you can prepare a grill with wood chips or charcoal. When the fire is ready, place the kebabs on an oiled grill and cook until well browned. Transfer the kebabs to serving plates and serve with the rice dish of your choice.