Jamaican Lobster Fritters

One of my favorite ways to relax is over a basket of fritters, and a couple frosties at a little waterside place in Key Largo, Florida. I've been going there for years to check out the Tarpon after a day of diving the reef.....Here's how to make them!







1 Cup diced Red Bell Pepper
2 Onions, Minced
6 Green Onions, Minced
1/4 teaspoon Fresh Thyme
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2, Habañero Peppers, seeds and stems removed, minced
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 1/2 Pounds Cooked Lobster Meat, Diced
2 Cups Mayonnaise
1 1/2 Pounds Sweet Potatoes, peeled, cooked, and coarsely mashed
3 Egg Yolks, lightly beaten
1 Teaspoon Ground Allspice
Vegetable oil, for frying

Steps:

1. Heat skillet, and sauté the bell pepper, onions, thyme, garlic, and chilies in the butter for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

2. Place approximately 1/2 pound of the lobster in a food processor with the mayonnaise and purée until smooth. Transfer the purée to a bowl and stir in the remaining lobster, sautéed mixture, sweet potatoes, egg yolks, and allspice. Mix well and form into patties.

3. Deep fry until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Bombay Chiwda- Snack Mix

Bombay Chiwda is a traditional side dish that originates from the city of Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay), India. This dish is often served as a snack, and can be found all over the world. Bombay Chiwda made its way to the Caribbean islands by way of the laborers brought to the region by the Europeans. Many from India and China came to the Caribbean to work the various plantations and brought their traditional style of cuisine with them. Much of the Indian influence remains alive and well in the Caribbean of today with the introduction of curried meats and curry powder. Indians call it kari podi, and we have come to know this pungent flavor as curry.




Ingredients:

3 Cups Canola oil or Ghee( Clarified Butter) for frying
1/3 Cup salted Peanuts
1/3Cup saltedCashew
1/4 Cup whole Almond
1/4 Cup blanched Pistachio
1/4 Cup Pumpkin seeds
1/4 Cup Pine Nuts
2-3 thin sliced hot Green chilies
1 Tablespoon Fennel seeds
5 Curry Leaves
3 Tablespoon fresh Coriander Leaves
2/3 Cup thick pounded Flat Rice( Rice flakes available at your Asian Market)
1/4 Cup Raisins
1/4 Cup dried Currants( substitute with additional Raisins if Currants are not available)
1/4 Cup chopped Dates
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 teaspoon Madras Curry Powder
2 Tablespoon Maple or Date Sugar
1/3 Cup green lentils
1Cup deep fried Sev Noodles ( Chickpea Flour Noodles)*

Steps:
1. Heat oil or ghee in a deep-frying pan over a moderate heat.

2. Place the peanuts in a wire-mesh sieve and lower it into the oil.

3. Fry until golden brown, lift out the sieve, and transfer the nuts to paper towels to drain.

4. In separate batches, fry the cashews, almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds and pine nuts until golden brown, and drain on paper towels.

5. Pat the nuts dry with more paper towels, blot off any excess oil.

6. Transfer all the nuts to a bowl.

7. Increase the heat of the oil and place the green chilies in the sieve and lower them into the oil and fry until crisp.

8. Lift out the sieve and transfer the chilies to the paper towels to drain.

9. Add the fennel seeds, curry leaves and fresh coriander to the sieve and fry in the same way until the leaves are dark green and crisp.

10. Drain on paper towels.

11. Now add half of flat rice to the sieve, lower it into the oil and fry for 1 minute or until the frothing oil subsides and rice floats (It should not brown only turn golden).

12. Fry the remaining flat rice and dry on paper towel. Blot all the excess oil while still hot.

13. Add the flat rice to the bowl of nuts and toss to mix.

14. Add the salt , sugar & spices in a small bowl, and mix to incorporate.

15. Combine the raisins, currants and dates in a bowl.

16. Sprinkle 1/2 of the spice mixture into the dried fruit and the remaining into the nuts, toss well.

17. Finally, combine all the ingredients and toss gently to mix.

18. Cool to room temperature and store in an air tight container.


* Should you not be able to locate Sev noodles at your local Asian Market, purchase Rice Flour noodles as a substitute

Pastelles- Caribbean Style Tamales

Since I've spent the past couple months working on the island inspired foods for a company that I will soon launch, I thought I would post one of my favorite island recipes. These little beauties are called Pastelles, and are a common snack in many of the places I like to spend my time. If you're a fan of Tamales you're going to enjoy making this version.These tasty snacks arrived in the Caribbean islands by way of South America, where banana leaves are used as wrappers instead of corn husks. They are served with a variety of hot sauces depending on which island you happen to be located on, and should be eaten by hand. Should you be able to locate a couple bottles of chilled Caribbean Style Lager, and a white sand beach overlooking the sea you too will enjoy Pastelles the way they should be eaten.

Filling:
1/2 pound ground pork
1 large onion, minced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 habanero pepper, seeds and stem removed, minced
1 cup diced, peeled yam
1 cup cooked and drained black beans
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced basil
2 tomatoes, killed and chopped
1/4 cup drained capers, chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup beef broth

dough:
3 cups coarse cornmeal
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
23/4 cups boiling water
4 each banana leaves, cut into 18 rectangle shaped 8"x10" inch pieces.

Steps:

To make the filling, sauté the pork in a skillet until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the onion, garlic, and chilies and sauté for an additional couple of minutes. Add all the remaining filling ingredients and bring to a boil.Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, for 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

To make the dough, place the cornmeal in a bowl and, using a pastry blender, stir in the oil and salt. Then pour the boiling water into the cornmeal slowly mix to form a smooth dough. Divide the dough into 18 equal portions and form each portion into a ball.

Place a ball of dough in the center of a banana-leaf rectangle and press it out to form a 1/4-inch-thick round. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the filling in the center. Fold half of the leaf over, bringing the cornmeal with it, and flatten into a rectangle. Repeat with the other half of the rectangle so that the dough encloses the meat. Fold up the leaf rectangle to make a package and tie securely with butchers twine.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Add the packets, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered, for one half hours. Remove and drain. Snip the strings from the bundles prior to service. Serve with hot sauce.

Cedar Plank Smoked Salmon

Brining is a popular way to infuse moisture and flavor into a piece of salmon before smoking. It provides a subtle, pervasive flavoring of the salmon and can make a dry piece of salmon juicy and flavorful. It's a simple process that requires little experience and prep time, yet can transform your smoked salmon from boring and dry to plump, flavorful and moist.

A basic brining recipe is salt and water, but that's just for beginners. Some brines are mixtures of salt and sugar, while others use maple syrup, corn syrup or even fruit juices. You can brine salmon in wine or apple cider and salt or add such flavorings as pepper, herbs, spices, citrus peels, fresh berries, cinnamon sticks, cloves or garlic. What type of brine you use will determine what flavors the smoked salmon will assume.

You will always want to brine your cut of salmon in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, but 24 hours is ideal. Choose your wood chips for smoking such that they compliment the flavors used in the brine such as juniper berries for cedar plank Salmon, or cherry wood for sun dried cherries in the brine mixture.

Cedar Plank Smoked Salmon

Ingredients:

2 Quarts Pineapple-Orange Juice
2 Quarts Water
1 Cup Kosher Salt
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
2 cups light Brown Sugar
1 Cup Molasses
2 Cloves Chopped Garlic
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 Teaspoon Black Peppercorns
1 Teaspoon Fresh Ginger, Chopped

Steps:

Preheat Grill to 350°F
1). Soak Cedar Planks in Warm Salted Water for at least 2 hours
2). Combine all ingredients listed above and soak salmon in brine for 12 to 24 hours.
3). Place Salmon on Cedar Planks, and place plank on preheated grill for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked as desired.

Does a 10 pound bag of flour make a really big biscuit?

Am I the only one who wanted to know the answer to this question? Ok so the advertising executives at a big insurance company decided to ask, and needless to say I set out to discover the answer. I started this task knowing that the parameters for my recipe only stipulated the use of a 10 pound bag of flour. I decided to re-scale my recipe for Southern style beaten biscuits and here's a scaled up version for those that are interested.....


29 1/8 cups all-purpose flour- That leave just enough flour to dust your counter)
14 5/8 teaspoons granulated sugar
7 1/4 teaspoons of salt
7 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
7 1/4 cups vegetable shortening, cold
3 2/3 cups half-and-half
3 2/3 cups ice water

Steps:

preheat oven to 350°F.

1. Place flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Cover and pulse to mix. Add shortening; cover and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.

2. With the food processor running, add the half-and-half in ice water in a slow, steady stream through the food chute.

3. Process until the dough forms a ball. Continue processing three additional minutes.

4. Turn dough out onto a floured board. Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness; fold dough over onto itself to make 2 layers.

Plaistow on and on greased baking sheet; talk with a fork bake 30 minutes (if you're seriously making a big biscuit, you may want to reduce the oven temperature to 300° and bake for approximately one hour allowing the center of the biscuit to cook), or until lightly browned.

Now just in case you want to make beaten biscuits, and just don't have the necessary group of people it will take to consume a larger version here is a smaller recipe...

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening
1/4 cup half and half
1/4 cup ice water

The answer to the question I just had to see for myself: Yes it does..... about 3 foot diameter

Starting the day with a wonderful Croissant...........

A fresh baked Croissant

One of my favorite smells of all time is the wonderful scent of a freshly baked Croissant, and  the once daily ritual of  slathering croissants with warm butter and black currant preserves is still a cherished memory of my time overseas.. I find it difficult to track down a properly made croissant these days with so many places serving a proof & bake product! If you are lucky enough to run across a bakery who still actually bakes from scratch pick up a couple croissants. For my blog followers willing to spend a little time in the kitchen you will find the rewards for your efforts will be abundant!



1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110°F)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup +1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Steps:

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water; let stand five minutes.

2. Place milk in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, until thoroughly (approximately 180°F) heated but not boiling.

3. Combine milk, sugar, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large bowl; mix well.

4. Allow the mixture to cool to 110°F. Add yeast mixture and egg.

5. Gradually stir in enough flour to make a soft dough. Place dough mixture into a well greased bowl; turn to grease top. Cover; chill one hour.

6. Place dough on a lightly floured surface; roll out into a 12 inch square. Spread 1/4 cup of the butter evenly over dough. Fold corners to center; then fold dough in half. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

7. Repeat rolling, buttering, and folding procedure twice more; cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

8. Divide dough in half; roll each half into a 14 inch circle on a lightly floured surface; cut into six wedges.

9. Roll up each wedge, beginning at the wide end. Seal points; Place croissants point side down on a greased baking sheet; let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, for one hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

10. Bake for approximately 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.

yield: 1 dozen

Chess Pie

Chess Pie

I'm sure many of you reading this recipe today have never even had the pleasure of eating Chess pie. This dessert is perfect for humid summer afternoons, and has been served in the parlors of Southern homes since colonial times. With the addition of 1 teaspoon distilled vinegar to cut the sweetness, it becomes what is known throughout the South as vinegar pie. While many will debate the exact origins of the name chess pie, it is regarded as a classic southern desert and just may be the basis for traditional pecan pie. I highly recommend this recipe as a dessert to be paired when cooking any of my barbecued entree recipes such as pulled pork.

Chess Pie

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
1 pie crust- recipe follows

Steps:

Preheat up into 350°F
1. Combine sugar, corn meal, and salt in a small bowl; mix well.
2. Combine eggs and vanilla in a medium bowl; beat well.
3. Add the combined dry ingredients, milk, and melted butter to the egg mixture; beat until smooth.
4. Pour filling into a prepared  pie crust and bake for 30 minutes, or until set.

Pie dough

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup +2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons ice water
Steps:
1. Combine flour and salt in a bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle with cold water, one tablespoon at a time, mix with a fork, until all ingredients are moistened. Shape dough into a ball; chill in the refrigerator.
2. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface until approximately 1/8 inch thick.
3. Place dough into pie dish and press lightly with a small scrap to make sure dough is pressed into the corners. Trim edges, and dock bottom with a fork. Reserve.