Caribbean Food Series (Rice Dishes)

Caribbean Food is notably the most highly spiced and flavorful food in the world. It tickles every taste bud and leaves you wanting more every time. Every Island has a signature dish and a special touch that they place on the not so signature ones that make it unique to it's culture and people.

Let's explore every island and their diverse palette and dive into some delicious cuisine shall we, as we seek to diversify the meals on the international table with some Island flavored recipes.

Today, we shall explore rice dishes as the Caribbean has a number of spectacular ones from each island. Each dish was of some influence to the natives that inhabited the island, whether it be the Chinese, the Africans (whether Nigeria or Ghanaian) or even the Spanish settlers.

• Fried Rice or Vegetable rice (as known by some)

Ingredients

2 cups cooked rice (see note below)

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup diced carrot

2 scallions

1/2 cup diced bell pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 cloves of garlic crushed

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 large onion diced

3/4 teaspoon salt (optional) as per individual taste

1/2 cup diced celery

The first thing we need to do is to chop and cube all the vegetables we’ll be using in the vegetable fried rice. Try to keep the pieces uniform in size to allow for even cooking and try not to be too big as we need everything to cook fast.

Heat the vegetable oil on a med/high heat is a wide pan, then add the crushed garlic and ginger and stir for 2-3 minutes to release all the flavors so as to properly infused the fried rice with tons of flavor. Then add the diced carrots and allow to cook for a few minutes.

Add all the other vegetables after the carrots have cooked for a few minutes and stir, allowing to cook for a few more minutes. Follow up with the soy sauce and sesame oil and the rice.

NB: When pre-cooking rice, it is important to not cook all the way, only cook 75% of the way then take it off and run under cold water in order to separate the grains and keep them that way.

At this point the salt could be added to taste. Please keep in mind that the soy sauce does contain salt so add a little at a time, tasting as you go.

Serves: 3-4 people

• Chicken Pelau

Ingredients

• 2 – 2 ½ lbs. mixed chicken pieces or legs and thigh, cut up and rinse with lime juice
• 2 limes, juiced
• ¼ cup green seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 plum tomato, chopped
• 1 medium size carrot, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced/chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced/chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme, DE-stemmed or leave whole
• 4 pimento flavoring peppers, chopped, optional
• 2 cups frozen pigeon peas, boiled for 15 minutes
• 2 cups parboiled long grain rice
• 2 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoon brown or white sugar
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 cups hot water
• 4 sprigs parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ketchup
• 2 packs chicken or vegetable bouillon
• 1 tablespoon cooking margarine (golden ray) optional
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper, optional   

Season chicken with green seasoning salt and black pepper for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. Add onions, tomatoes, carrot, bell peppers, pimento peppers, celery and thyme to marinated chicken, set aside.

Caramelizing or Browning the Sugar and making the Pelau
Heat a large pot on high heat, add oil and heat for about 2 minutes .Add the sugar, DO NOT STIR! At least not yet. Allow the sugar to melt until it starts to get brown around some of the edges. It should start getting light brown in color, and going from liquid too almost frothy and bubbly in less than a minute . The entire browning process, should take at least 2 - 3 minutes or so. Start adding the seasoned chicken a few pieces at a time, stir constantly to ensure all the pieces get coated evenly with the caramelized/burnt sugar.

DO NOT ADD THE SEASONINGS FROM THE BOWL, AT LEAST NOT YET. Save the seasonings, YOU WILL BE USING IT SHORTLY. After adding all the chicken pieces cover the pot and allow to cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes

Open pot lid, turn up the heat for about 3 – 5 minutes so as to allow the chicken to get A NICE AND FINAL brown color, STIR!

Add any seasonings that was left over from the marinated chicken bowl, Stir.
Add the drained cooked pigeon peas, Stir. Cover Pot with lid for 5 more minutes
While chicken is cooking, rinse rice in warm water about 3 - 4 times and drain.
Add rice to pot and stir. Add golden ray butter if using, bouillon seasoning, ketchup, coconut milk, STIR!
Add water and mix together. Cook on high uncovered for 2-3 minutes.
Add the whole scotch bonnet pepper, ONLY IF YOU LIKE AND IS USING HOT PEPPER
Turn heat to very low, cover pot and simmer for about 30 – 35 minutes, checking periodically to ensure it's not sticking to the bottom of the pot, Taste and adjust seasoning if you need too.
After you turn the heat off, add the parsley and mix in with your pelau.

Just keep in mind your liquid should be about an inch or so above your rice, the trick here is to allow your pelau to simmer on very low! You can also use canned pigeon peas, if you use the can, there is no need to boil before use. If you can get the fresh peas, even better, just follow the same directions as for the frozen.

Enjoy eating pelau with a cucumber salad, coleslaw, avocado and/or pepper sauce. 

• Coconut Rice

Ingredients

3 cups of coconut milk

1 Bay Leaf

1 Tsp of Garlic

1 1/2 cups of rice

1/2 cup of raisins 

1 onion

salt  (as per taste)

black pepper (optional/as per taste)

1/2 teaspoon thyme 

1 tablespoon parsley

1/2 cup cashews

Coconut Flakes (optional)

Chop the scallion, parsley,garlic, and thyme, Put everything (minus half of the coconut flakes) into a pot with the rice, pour in the coconut milk and cook.