Contemporary Tastes

[Jamaican Treasure]

I am actually not fond of anything mentioned so far.

I don't eat shell fish or pork (anymore). But I really miss roast fish, hominy, cassava flat breads (called by different names in each island) - bammy with coconut and sugar inside, beef stew, ....I'll think of more later.

[Jamaican Treasure]

http://www.jamaicans.com/cooking/seasonal/images/fruitcake.jpg

Recipes I found on the net.

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:

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

[Jamaican Treasure]

Jamaica Beef Patties

12 oz. ground beef
2 tablespoon oil
sprig of thyme ( its a spice)
3 stalk escallion chopped
1 small hot pepper
4 slices bread
1 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 egg yokes beaten or 1/2 cup milk
fry beef and thyme in oil for about 15 minutes. chop hot pepper finely, add escallion and pepper to meat. cook,stirring for about 5 minutes.place bread and water in a blender and blend, add this puree,salt,b.pepper to meat. cook stirring for 3 mins. do not allow mixture to dry out too much discard thyme.

for pastry

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup lard
1 cup cold water
sift flour and salt. knead in lard.bind with water to form a firm dough. knead for 2mins.
roll pastry 1/8 inches thick. cut pastry round 6 inches. divide filling between patties, brush edges with water. fold over.seal glaze with egg yoke or milk .bake on top shelf for about 25 mins. at 450 degrees until golden brown. ENJOY

mi find if yu pinch off the dough mek a round ball den roll den out individual it easier

[Jamaican Treasure]

http://www.jamaicans.com/cooking/cakes/images/drops.jpg

INGREDIENTS :

1 medium dried coconut (it must be a dried coconut )
5 tablespoons minced or shredded ginger
3 cups dark unprocessed sugar.
1 cup Water


METHOD:

Use a sharp point to puncture the three eyes of the coconut and drain the water
Break the coconut using a hammer and remove the hard outer shell.
Using a small knife dice the coconut flesh into ½ x ¼ inch cubes.
Combine the diced coconuts cubes and ginger
Place in a deep pot with the sugar and water.
Put stove on high and boil
Boil until water gone and the sugar is like carmel and sticky.
Place a sheet of greased paper (can also use moistened foil paper) on a flat surface (kitchen counter) close by. (In Jamaica some use Banana leaves instead of greased paper)
Stir the mixture in the pot with a large spoon to be sure it does not stick to the bottom.
Use the spoon to scoop out mixture to create 1-1/4-inch wide mounds on the greased paper.
Each 1-1/4-inch wide mound should be placed in a separate heap on the greased paper.
Let the drops cool and harden. Serve

[Jamaican Treasure]

http://www.jamaicans.com/cooking/fish/images/roastfish.jpg

INGREDIENTS :

4 small whole gutted doctor fish or tirbit
2 small onions
3 sprigs escallions
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:

wash fish in with vinigar and water
pour picka-peppa into bowl
dice up onion, thyme, escallions, scotch bonnet pepper, garlic & combine
Add salt, pepper, pimento
Combine all and mix in the bowl of picka-pepper sauce
dry and place each fish on a sheet of foil
stuff each fish with the seasoning mixture & wrap completgly in foil
Roast on open grill for 30 minutes or in an oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Serves 4

[Jamaican Treasure]

http://www.jamaicans.com/cooking/chicken/images/jerk_chicken.jpg

(I will find a recipe)

[Jamaican Treasure]

http://www.jamaicans.com/cooking/meat/images/roast_beef.jpg


I like to use my own recipe for roast beef. I find that most Caribbean people tend to dry out their roast beef too much.

Preheat oven to 390 to 410, depending on how good your oven is.

First I will brown whole onion, white or spanish (doesn't matter). Once browned, pour all of it over the meat.

Then I will brown every single side of the meat (back, front, all sides, top, bottom - whatever) to seal the meat and prevent juices from being lost. Then I place it into a preheated oven pan, if you put the meat into a cold pan, it wil cause it to toughen up because of the temperature difference. This is also why you should not serve your food on a cold plate. Pour the browned onions all over the top of the meat, as if you are burying it. Make sure the pan is one that is covered.

Do not open the pan for one hour and a half.

Do not add salt. Salt will make the beef dry out.

You can stuff the meat with garlic and cloves before you brown it if desired - but it is not required because it will be so tender, juicy and sweet anyway.

Take the pan out of the oven. Do not open for another hour. Just let it cool right off by itself. Once it is cool then you can slice it with an electric knife. Never cut a warm roast, you'll just end up shredding it and making a mess.


Finally, enjoy! (makes great filling for sandwiches too. mmmm)

[Irielex5]

Looking at this post mek me mouth water. I miss all dem good tings. I still have drops and jerl chicken. I'm lucky enough to live in a neighborhood wit a lot a Jamaican restaurants. Thanks for the recipes! :D