If you can`t travel to the islands anytime soon, try some of these dishes to add a bit of Caribbean flavor to your summer.
Conch fritters are popular in the Bahamas, and grilled banana flounder is from Antigua. Jerk-style chicken is a Jamaican specialty, fried plantains are a staple in Puerto Rico and black bean soup is a traditional Cuban dish.
These recipes, from New York City`s Sugar Reef restaurant, are included in ”The Sugar Reef Caribbean Cookbook,” by Devra Dedeaux.
CONCH FRITTERS
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
1 pound conch meat, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
4 cloves garlic
1 green bell pepper, seeded
1 white onion
2 sprigs fresh parsley
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon each: baking powder, salt, black pepper, dried thyme
1/4 cup milk
Oil for deep-frying
Lemon or lime wedges, for garnish
1. Put conch through a food processor in batches until all meat is finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in eggs. Process garlic, green pepper, onion and parsley in food processor until finely chopped. Drain vegetables in a sieve lined with cheesecloth and add to conch. Stir to combine.
2. Stir together flour and baking powder and add to conch mixture. Add salt, pepper, thyme and milk. Fold together to make a thick dough. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
3. Heat oil in a deep fryer to 400 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and let it stand 15 to 20 minutes. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Be careful not to make dough balls too large or the dough may not cook in the center.
4. Drain fritters on paper towels and serve immediately. Garnish with lemon or lime wedges and serve with hot sauce.
BLACK BEAN SOUP
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Soaking time: Overnight
Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours
Yield: 8 servings
1 1/2 pounds black beans
4 cups each: chicken stock, water
4 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded, finely chopped
2 tablespoons each: salt, black pepper, ground cumin, dried oregano
1 Scotch bonnet pepper (or serrano chili or jalapeno), seeded, finely chopped 1 whole orange
10 whole cloves
1 hard-cooked egg, peeled, mashed
1. Soak beans in water to cover in large bowl overnight. Drain.
2. Place beans in a heavy stockpot or Dutch oven and cover with chicken stock and water. Heat to boil over medium heat; reduce heat to simmer. Stir. Cover and cook until tender, about 1 hour.
3. Remove 1 cup cooked beans and mash until very soupy. Return to pot along with cilantro, garlic, onion, green pepper, salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano and Scotch bonnet pepper. Press cloves into orange and add to beans. Stir ingredients together well.
4. Bring beans back to a boil over medium heat and stir well. Lower heat, cover and simmer about 30 minutes. Remove orange and serve soup. Garnish with a sprinkle of hard-cooked egg or chopped red onion.
JERK CHICKEN SUGAR REEF-STYLE
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Marinating time: 1 hour or more
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
2 tablespoons each: salt, garlic powder
1 tablespoon each: ground allspice, dried thyme, sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons each: cayenne pepper, black pepper, ground sage
3/4 teaspoon each: ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup each: olive oil, soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1 Scotch bonnet pepper (or serrano chili or jalapeno), seeded, finely chopped 1 cup chopped white onion
3 green onions, finely chopped
4 chicken breasts, 6 to 8 ounces each, trimmed of fat
1. Mix salt, garlic powder, allspice, thyme, sugar, cayenne pepper, black pepper, sage, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large bowl. Using a wire whisk, slowly whisk in vinegar, orange juice, olive oil, soy sauce and lime juice. Add Scotch bonnet pepper, onion and green onions and mix well. Add chicken breasts, cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, longer if possible. If desired, reserve a small amount of marinade in a separate bowl for use as a dipping sauce for chicken.
2. Prepare an outdoor grill. Remove chicken from marinade and grill 6 minutes on each side, or until fully cooked. While grilling, baste frequently with marinade.
Note: Do not use any marinade that has come in contact with raw chicken as a dipping sauce. It could contain salmonella or other disease-causing bacteria.
GRILLED BANANA FLOUNDER
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Marinating time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
4 flounder fillets, 5 to 6 ounces each
2 teaspoons each: salt, freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 2 limes
4 teaspoons butter
4 slices bacon
4 ripe bananas, peeled, mashed
2 sprigs fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 Scotch bonnet pepper (or serrano chili or jalapeno), seeded, finely chopped
1. Sprinkle flounder with salt and pepper and place in a shallow pan. Pour lime juice on top, cover and refrigerate to marinate at least 30 minutes. 2. Build a charcoal fire in a grill or heat oven to 375 degrees. Tear off 4 generous strips of aluminum foil, each large enough to wrap a fillet, and spread a teaspoon of butter on each.
3. Remove fillets from marinade. Place 1 strip bacon on each foil sheet and spread about 1/2 of a mashed banana on top. Place a fish fillet over banana and top with another 1/2 mashed banana. Sprinkle with parsley and Scotch bonnet pepper and fold foil sheet to cover, leaving top loose. Grill or bake fish 15 to 20 minutes, checking occasionally. Open top of foil packets for last 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
FRIED GREEN PLANTAINS
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Soaking time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
2 green plantains
Oil for frying
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1. Peel and slice plantains 1/4-inch thick. Soak slices in warm water at least 40 minutes and drain. Pat dry.
2. Heat oil in a deep fryer to 400 degrees and deep-fry plantains 1 to 2 minutes. On a sturdy surface, flatten each slice with a mallet or other heavy object. Return to hot oil and fry until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
