Ginger Shrimp with Mango-Citrus Salsa

Ingredients

For the salsa:

1 green onion, chopped
2 tablespoon red bell pepper, diced
½ lime, diced
½ orange, diced
¼ teaspoon scotch bonnet pepper
½ cup ripe mango, peeled and diced
2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste

24 large shrimps
2 tablespoon canola oil

Combine the following ingredients in a bowl and set aside:

1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tablespoon fresh lemongrass, finely minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 tablespoon canned, unsweetened coconut milk
¼ cup shredded coconut, finely chopped
White pepper to taste

Method

Combine all ingredients of the salsa. Check for salt and hot pepper. You can get this part of the recipe out of the way up to 4 hours before the main event.

Prepare your shrimp: Peel, devein and remove the tails of 24 large shrimp. Heat 2 tablespoon canola oil in a large sauté pan and quickly sear prepared shrimp on each side, cooking about half way.

Add reserved coconut mixture, stir to combine and cook about 2 - 3 minutes. Serve with Mango-Citrus Salsa.

Chicken Roti

INGREDIENTS:

* 3 boneless breast of chicken
* 1 medium onion, chopped chunky
* 1 green pepper, chopped chunky
* 1 large carrot, peeled sliced thinly
* 2 large potato, peeled and cubed
* 1 can chicken broth
* 1/2 cup water
* 2 cloves crushed garlic
* 2 Tbs. curry powder
* 2-3 tsp. Blind Betty Original Recipe
* salt and pepper to taste
* fresh chopped parsley
* 4 large flower tortillas
* 1 jar mango chutney or fruit salsa

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

In a large skillet sauté garlic, onion 1-2 minutes. Add chicken and sauté till cooked but tender add green pepper and carrots. Sauté 1-2 min. Add chicken broth, potatoes and as much water as needed to cover everything. Simmer till potatoes are very tender and begin to reduce broth. Add all spices and flavorings to taste.

Cover and turn off. This can now stand till just before serving time. It will thicken a little as it cools. At suppertime heat the roti mixture to a boil stirring with a wooden spoon. You want a nice thick curry stew. Reduce more if too runny. Warm tortillas, place on plate, put generous portion of roti in center of tortilla. Fold into flat tube with ends folded under. Serve with chutney on top. Salad and rice good accompanyments.

This recipe comes from my friends at Caribbean Choice STILL STANDING

St. Lucia Cuisine

The cuisine of St Lucia is influenced by West Indian, Creole and French food. Popular dishes are pepper pot stew, callaloo soup and fried jackfish.

Shellfish and fish are caught daily. Salt fish is used in a number of recipes. Vegetables include cassava, dasheen (taro) and sweet potatoes. Breadfruit is also grown.

Fruits cultivated are bananas, coconuts, guavas, mangoes, papayas, passion fruit, pineapples and soursop.

Fresh fruit juices are available and alcoholic drinks, such as beer (Pitons) and rum (Bounty), are brewed locally. CLICK HERE to learn how to get paid to travel


Green Fig & Saltfish Pie



Ingredients

2 pounds green figs
1 pound saltfish
½ pound cheese
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 sweet peppers
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 onion sliced
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon bread crumbs

Method

Boil the green figs until tender. Peel and crush with fork while still hot and sprinkle with lime juice to prevent darkening.

Soak the fish in boiling water to remove most of the salt. Remove the skin and bones; shred fish. Press half of the crushed fig in a greased baking pie dish. Sprinkle ½ of shredded fish on fig.

Spread half of sweet peppers (cut into thin strips) onion, tomatoes, cheese and black pepper. Repeat layer - beginning with green fig and ending with grated cheese and black pepper. Top with milk and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Bake in an oven at 340°C, for 30-40 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is golden brown.

Martinique Cuisine

Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It is an overseas département (département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France. Like the other DOMs, Martinique is also one of the 26 régions of France (as a région d'outre-mer), and an integral part of the Republic. As part of France, Martinique is part of the European Union (EU), and the currency used is the euro.

With the exception of two short periods of British occupation, Martinique has followed the same course of history as France since 1635. Its administrative and political structures have been identical to those of the French Departments (states) since 1946, when it officially became a Department itself. It was granted the further status of Region in 1974. Fort-de-France is the administrative and commercial capital of the island.

Martinique lies in the heart of the Caribbean Archipelago and is one of the many islands which make up the group of lesser Antilles, or "Breezy Islands."

The waters lapping at its shores are those of the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Caribbean Sea to the west. The land rises gradually from the coast toward the center and northern parts of the island. It is in the north that we find the two peaks of the Carbet and Mont Pelée, a dormant volcano that is the highest mountain on the island at 4,586 ft. This part of Martinique is also a legendary tropical rain forest. In the center of the island, the Lamentin Plain, made up of small, rounded hills and enclosed valleys, slopes down toward the south. The Salines Beach at the southernmost tip of the island comes straight out of a beautiful postcard.

Martinique cuisine is a fusion of African and French and is certainly more international and sophisticated than that of its immediate island neighbors. The influx of young chefs, who favor a contemporary, less-caloric approach, has brought exciting innovations to the table. This haute nouvelle Creole cuisine also emphasizes local products, predominantly starchy tubers like malanga, plantains, white yams, and island sweet potatoes, and vegetables like breadfruit, yuca, christophene, and taro leaves.

Many Creole dishes have been Franco-fied, transformed into mousselines, terrines, and gratins, with creamy sauces. And then there's the bountiful harvest of the sea-lambi (conch), langouste (clawless Caribbean lobster), and dozens of species of fish predominate, but you can also see ouassous (freshwater crayfish, which are like jumbo prawns). Many restaurants offer a prix-fixe menu, sometimes with wine. Generally, cellars are filled with fine, French wines.

Some local Creole specialties are accras (cod or vegetable fritters), crabes farcis (stuffed land crab), and feroce (avocado stuffed with saltfish and farina). You can fire up fish and any other dish with a hit of hot chien (dog) sauce. Not to worry, it's made from onions, shallots, hot peppers, oil, and vinegar.

Martinique Cuisine

Stuffed Crabs and Gratin of Chayotes

2 cooked crabs

1 onion

½ glass of soft bread crumbled in some milk

Thyme, bay leaf, parsley, salt, chili (optional)

A few drops of lime

A little olive oil

Breadcrumbs

For Gratin of Chayotes:

2 chayotes

15 grams butter

1 glass of milk

2 tablespoon flour

1 glass of soft bread

Salt, pepper

Grated Gruyère (cheese)

1 garlic clove, chopped

Method

For Stuffed Crabs: Open the crabs, remove the inside and collect the meat caught in the cartilage.

In the olive oil, brown the minced onion, crab, herbs and the soaked bread. Then, add the salt and the lime. Stir over a low heat so as to dry up the mixture, which needs to be quite compact.

Pour the mixture in the crabs’ shells and sprinkle the breadcrumbs. Brown for a while in the oven.

For Gratin of Chayotes: Boil the chayotes for 20-25 minutes. Cut them lengthwise and remove the pulp with a small spoon, then crush it thoroughly with a fork (or in a mixer) along with the bread.

On the heat, mix the flour, butter and milk, then, add the pulp and the garlic. Leave to thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Fill in the skin of the chayotes with this mixture; sprinkle the Gruyère and brown in the oven just before serving.

Cod Fritters

8 ounce flour

1 glass of water

1 pinch of baking soda

1 onion

Clove of garlic

5 chives

Thyme

Parsley

Half of one hot pepper

Salt

Pepper

4 ounce cod

2 eggs

1 drop of vinegar

Method

Place the cod into cold water for a few hours then make it boil for thirty minutes. Whisk the flour and add the water little by little, do not make it lumpy.

Let the cod cool, take the skin and the bones off, mince the cod thinly with the onion, the garlic, the chives, thyme, parsley and hot pepper.

Season this batter to your taste and add 2 egg yolks, the drop of vinegar and, just before cooking, the pinch of baking soda and the egg whites stiffly-beaten. Dip the batter in very hot oil for about 5 minutes in small quantities.

Chef’s Note: The batter can be prepared in advance but the baking soda and the egg whites will have to be blended just before cooking. The fritters will be better if you don’t put too much cod.

Dominica Cuisine

Dominica is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea. It should not be confused with the Dominican Republic, another Caribbean nation.

The official name is Commonwealth of Dominica. The indigenous Kalinago people of the island, somewhat erroneously called 'Caribs', have a territory which resembles the Indian reserves of Canada. Because the island went through a period of French occupation, and lies between two overseas départements of France (Guadeloupe to the north and Martinique to the south), the island is sometimes called "French Dominica". The island also has the nickname "The Nature Isle of the Caribbean" due to its seemingly unspoiled natural beauty.

The isle of Dominica is one of the youngest islands in the Lesser Antilles, and it is still being formed by geothermal-volcanic activity. It is a lush island of mountainous rainforests, home of many rare plant, animal and bird species. The Sisserou parrot is featured on the Dominica flag. Dominica's economy is heavily dependent on both tourism and agriculture.

Dominica’s cuisine is like its history and culture, an exciting blend which draws heavily from their Creole past.

Tropical fruits and vegetables are in abundance, and not surprising for an island, Dominica’s range of seafood is second to none!

While eating in an elegant hotel or continental restaurant may be perfectly acceptable to some Caribbean tourists, for the adventurous traveler, Dominica offers many alternative opportunities to taste a wide variety of delicious tropical foods and drinks. Small family restaurants, local eateries and seaside cafes can often be the most authentic and satisfying way to sample the bounty of Dominican cuisine. In these humble places, each meal should be lovingly created, carefully prepared and perfectly seasoned. As a bonus, you'll often get a chance to chat with some very interesting folks - friendly chefs, owners and servers - and there is no extra charge for the useful information you'll pick up along the way!

Be aware that most local dishes are full of flavor and fire. Kitchens are filled with the earthy aroma of curry. Somehow the blissful sting of Scotch Bonnet peppers is artfully balanced with the smoothness of fresh coconut milk.

Luckily, Dominica is blessed with rich volcanic soil and adequate rainfall. It is quite possible to obtain plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables right in the local marketplace. Here you can find traditional garden vegetables as well as root crops ('provisions') of dasheen, tannia and yams. Fresh greens include lettuce, spinach, watercress and callaloo. Truckloads of ripe and green bananas and plantains are everywhere. By the roadside trees are loaded with coconuts, breadfruit, avocados, soursop and guavas. Citrus crops include grapefruit, oranges, tangerines and limes. The island also cultivates a variety of fresh herbs and spices such as thyme, parsley, celery, chive, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

In Dominica, traditional fishing villages still exist and fish and shellfish are plentiful. Flying fish, Dorado, king fish and snapper as well as spiny lobsters and octopuses are available year-round. The clear mountain streams hold a seasonal treasure of river crayfish, and in the mountains land-crabs and the elusive Crapaud frog or 'mountain chicken' are available September through March.

It is no wonder then, that with the help of all this natural goodness at hand, creative resident chefs are able to offer delicious and healthy menus fresh from the Nature Island of the Caribbean.

Dominica Cuisine

Caribbean Reef Chicken

Ingredients

2 broiler/fryer chickens - halved

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ cup dark brown sugar

4 tablespoon dark rum - divided

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoon lemon pepper

1 teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon cloves - ground

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

2 drops hot pepper sauce

10 ounce chutney - mango

Lemon - sliced

Lime - sliced

Parsley

Method

Sprinkle salt and pepper over washed and dried chicken. Set aside.

In a small bowl, make Caribbean paste by mixing together sugar, 2 tablespoons of the rum, lime juice, lemon pepper, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, garlic powder, and hot pepper sauce; set aside.

Place the chicken, skin side up, in a large shallow baking pan. Rub Caribbean paste evenly over the chicken.

Bake in a 400°F oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is fork tender. In a blender, place chutney and remaining 2 tablespoons of rum; process to blend.

Spoon chutney mixture over chicken and bake about 3 minutes more or until chutney is warm.

Arrange chicken on a serving platter. Garnish with lime, lemon, and parsley.

Caribbean-Style Crabs

Ingredients

8 tablespoon butter

4 scallions chopped

1-2 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 hot green chili - finely chopped and seeded

1 tablespoon curry powder

¾-1 pound crab meat - shredded

2 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves

2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Salt & freshly ground pepper

6-8 tablespoon crab liquid or clam broth

2 cups bread crumbs

Method

Melt butter in skillet; add scallions, garlic and chili peppers and cook until scallions are wilted.

Add curry powder to this mixture and blend thoroughly. Add crab, coriander and parsley. Add salt, pepper and crab liquid (if more is needed, add melted butter). Blend in bread crumbs.

Fill the mixture in 8 clam shells and bake at 400°F about 10 minutes or until browned.

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Guadeloupe's cuisine

Guadeloupe's cuisine mirrors its many cultures. To the typically Creole, dishes have been added the finesse of French cuisine, the spice of African cookery, the subtlety of Hindu and Southeast Asian recipes. Fresh seafood appears on most menus. Other specialties: shellfish, smoked fish, stuffed land crabs, stewed conch, and curry dishes. Guadeloupe is considered one of the true culinary capitals of the Caribbean, with some 200 restaurants recommended by the Tourist Office. Local rum drinks often precede a meal and imported French wines often accompany it. Prices for a three-course meal for one person, without wine, range from inexpensive to moderate to expensive. Guadeloupe's most colorful culinary event is the Fête des Cuisinières held annually in early August.

Caribbean Ginger Turkey

Ingredients

2 pound turkey breast, skinned

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup dry sherry

2 tablespoon apricot jam

½ teaspoon ginger

½ cup water

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 clove garlic – chopped

Method

Carefully bone turkey breast. Remove fillet from underside of breast by detaching the feather-shaped piece of boneless meat beside the breast bone. Cut remaining breast meat into 3 equal portions.

In a plastic bag, combine water, soy sauce, sugar, sherry, oil, apricot jam, lemon juice, ginger and garlic; mix well to dissolve sugar. Prop bag in a bowl; add turkey, submerge in marinade.

Marinade 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Remove meat from marinade, reserving marinade. Broil or barbecue turkey 12 to 15 minutes, turning and brushing meat with marinade.

Serve with rice and garnish with sliced fruit.

Black Bean Chicken

Ingredients

1 cut up chicken (3 ½ pounds)

1 freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup onion - chopped

½ cup green pepper - chopped

1 Jalapeno pepper - seeds removed & chopped

1 large clove garlic - minced

1 teaspoon cumin - ground

1 medium tomato - peeled & chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 can black beans (15 pounds)

Method

Sprinkle chicken with freshly ground pepper to taste. In a 12 inch skillet, sauté chicken in olive oil about three minutes on each side; remove from pan.

To pan drippings, add onion, green pepper, jalapeno pepper and garlic.

Cook two minutes, or until onions are softened. Stir in cumin, tomatoes, lemon juice and black beans.

Return chicken to pan; cover and simmer 20 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook until chicken is done and juices run clear, about 10 minutes.

Montserrat Cuisine

Montserrat is a lush, mountainous island in the Caribbean Sea, located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles. Montserrat was given its name by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New World in 1493, after its namesake located in Catalonia, Spain. Montserrat is often referred to as the Emerald Island of the Caribbean, due both to its resemblance to coastal Ireland and to the Irish descent of most of its early European settlers.

Montserrat is currently an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. Its official name is the Crown Colony of Montserrat. Its Georgian-era capital city of Plymouth was destroyed and two-thirds of the island's population forced to flee abroad owing to the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano that began on July 18, 1995. The eruption continues today on a much reduced scale, the damage being confined to the areas around Plymouth including its docking facilities and the former W.H. Bramble Airport. An exclusion zone, open during the day, extends from the south coast of the island north to parts of the Belham Valley and provides visitors with a spectacular view of the volcano and the destruction it has wrought upon the town. A new airport at Geralds in the northern part of the island opened in 2005. CLICK HERE to learn how to get paid to travel 

Cabbage Au Gratin

Ingredients

1 pound cabbage, shredded

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon flour

½ cup milk

Salt and pepper, to taste

Breadcrumbs

Method

Boil cabbage in salted water until tender. Melt butter; blend in flour and stir until lightly browned. Remove from heat and add milk gradually; return to heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, seasoning to taste.

Combine drained cabbage and sauce; place in a greased, oven proof dish. Sprinkle with crumbs and dot with butter. Bake in a moderate (350^oF) until well browned (15-20 minutes).

These recipes are from The Montserrat Cookbook, published by The Montserrat Old People's Welfare Association, 1973. The association was founded by Mrs. Patricia Griffin, a native Montserratian, in 1964.