Wah gwann?! Today we take a journey to a country that stole our hearts while Elizabeth and I were on our honeymoon. Jamaica is a place that I cannot wait to get back to, and it's one that has influenced us long after leaving it's beautiful tropical beaches. Every Sunday, the college radio station at NC A&T University has a reggae show, which means that every Sunday has quickly turned in to Reggae Sunday at the Farabee home. We listen to the radio show, or throw on a Tribal Seeds record or tune-in to the Toots and the Maytals station on Pandora, and transport ourselves back to a time where we didn't have a care in the world.
Usually, I try to do something Jamaican influenced when it comes to Sunday's dining options. Normally, this means either a Jamaican style breakfast, or we enjoy one of these:
This is a Jamaican patty, which has it's roots in the Cornish pasty, which was brought to the region with colonialism and has remained a mainstay every since . We had maybe 2 of these a day while we were in Jamaica (hey, it was our honeymoon, we were not there to eat celery). We've found a pretty good brand in the frozen food section at the local Harris Teeter (we prefer the curry chicken frozen patty, which is odd because on the island we enjoyed the beef patties more).
I wanted to do something a little more homemade than reheating something in the toaster oven, however, so today for lunch I went with a jerk chicken recipe that I like to make, mashed plantains, and callaloo.
The callaloo was actually discovered by us at each breakfast. It's a hearty, green-leaf vegetable that is billed as a Jamaican spinach. It's tough to find, unless you happen to have a market that caters to international cuisine. And lucky for me, I have one within walking distance.
The Compare Foods Market on Summit Avenue here in Greensboro is touted as a discount grocery store. But what I found very surprising was the amount of authentic Hispanic and Latin ingredients that could be found there. Things like cactus leaves, whole sugar cane, and a wide variety of peppers that could no doubt napalm one's taste buds. In addition to the beyond-the-norm fresh produce, there are aisles and aisles of African and Caribbean spices, sauces, and other cooking items.
The Compare Foods Market on Summit Avenue here in Greensboro is touted as a discount grocery store. But what I found very surprising was the amount of authentic Hispanic and Latin ingredients that could be found there. Things like cactus leaves, whole sugar cane, and a wide variety of peppers that could no doubt napalm one's taste buds. In addition to the beyond-the-norm fresh produce, there are aisles and aisles of African and Caribbean spices, sauces, and other cooking items.
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| Said spices, sauces, and other cooking items. |
Jerk Chicken
1 bottle Pickapeppa sauce
3/4 bottle Mango marinade
Jerk seasoning
6 chicken thighs
Slow cooker
Broiler Pan
After some experimentation, I've found this method of cooking wings, jerk chicken, or pulled pork to be the best. What I did in this case was take the bottle of Pickapeppa sauce and mixed it with 3/4 of a bottle of mango marinade (I found this particular marinade at Harris Teeter, but I've used a wide variety of them for similar tastiness).
I then added that sauce to a slow cooker, along with the chicken thighs. I set the slow cooker on low for about 4 hours.
I then added that sauce to a slow cooker, along with the chicken thighs. I set the slow cooker on low for about 4 hours.
Next, I took the chicken out of the slow cooker and added it to a broiler pan. I sprinkled the jerk seasoning on the wings before putting it in the broiler on low for about 8 minutes (thanks Tim Gortman and Joel Fingerhut for the seasoning from Jamaica!)
Mashed Plantains
5 plantains (not too ripe)
Water to cover the plaintains
1 large pot
For this recipe, it was pretty easy. I added the plantains to the pot, added the water, and set it to a boil. Once the skins split, I reduced the heat and peeled the plantains with a pair of tongs.
Then, I mashed up the plantains with a potato masher...
I recovered the mashed plantains and let the heat on low.
Callaloo
1 can of callaloo (can be found in specialty grocery stores or international aisles at some markets)
1 medium pot
For this, I simply put the canned leafy vegetable into the pot and heated it. I know that this was not the most elegant form of "cooking," but as I didn't have callaloo growing freely in my garden, it was the best I could do with what I had.
For this, I simply put the canned leafy vegetable into the pot and heated it. I know that this was not the most elegant form of "cooking," but as I didn't have callaloo growing freely in my garden, it was the best I could do with what I had.
It all ended up with this:
The jerk chicken paired very nicely with the plantains, which were starchy but also had a great sweetness. The chicken itself had a sweetness to it as well from the mango marinade, and the jerk seasoning helped add some spiciness to it. Both Elizabeth and I felt that the callaloo was overly salty (probably a result from it being canned) and we both agreed that it would have been better to use fresh local greens instead of canned authentic greens. Chalk that one up to lesson learned!
Jamaica day turned out very well. The plantains were on special when I bought them, and I hope to use them again if they come on sale. They were a really good way to add a starchy side that were an alternative to potatoes or rice, and I plan on using them again.
Reggae Sunday went off without a hitch here at 711 Percy Street. Jamaica will always be in our lives, and after today's culinary success, I'm excited to try even more recipes from that wonderful island nation. Walk good all, and see you tomorrow!
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