Whether you're having a small get together at home or a full fledged party, it's simple to re-create the warmth and spiciness of Jamaican cuisine in your own kitchen. It's sure to please even the fussiest of palates, since dishes from this Caribbean island have incorporated elements from African, European and Asian foods. Here are two of Jamaica's signature dishes which you can whip up at home.
Blue Drawers
This dish which originated in West Africa is a starchy, green banana based boiled pudding. It is also called duckunoo and tie leaf. Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this delicious treat.
- 2 cups of green bananas (grated)
- 1 cup of sweet potato (also grated)
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 1 cup of flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- A half teaspoon of salt
- 4 tablespoons of raisins
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla flavouring
- 4" x 6" aluminum foil sheets
- 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
- Some twine
Preparation method:
- Get out a big mixing bowl and mix together the bananas, sweet potato, cooking oil, salt, flour and baking flour.
- Next, warm the coconut milk on a low flame and add the brown sugar and vanilla. Mix these together, then put all of that into the mixing bowl and stir it up to form the batter.
- Add a few spoonfuls of the batter to the aluminum sheet (it's better to use a wooden spoon). To hold it in place bring the two long sides of the sheet together, then fold them together to retain the batter inside. Fold the two ends of the sheet and tie them using the twine. Repeat this step for the rest of the batter then put them into a pot of boiling water.
- Let them boil for at least three quarters of an hour, then take them out to cool.
- Serve them as is or with some ice cream. To jazz them up even more, add some cinnamon.
Jerk Chicken
This is a favourite enjoyed by Jamaicans and non-Jamaicans alike. The early inhabitants of Jamaica, the Arawak Indians, used to dig a hole in the ground and then put stones in the empty space. When they were ready to start cooking they placed their raw meat on top of the stones and poked holes in it. This is where the term "jerk" comes from. Herbs and spices would be inserted into the holes and this gave the meat an aromatic, smoked flavour.
Here is what's needed for this mouth watering recipe.
- 3 pounds of chicken
- 2 tablespoons of dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons of ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon of each of the following: cayenne pepper, black pepper, ground sage, garlic powder and salt
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- A half a cup of cooking oil and soy sauce
- 1 cup of white vinegar
- 6 Scotch Bonnet peppers (make sure to chop these up well)
- 2 onions (these also need to be finely chopped)
Preparation Method:
- Grab a big bowl and throw in the sage, garlic powder, salt, sugar, allspice, thyme, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Mix it up well.
- Next add the cooking oil, soy sauce, vinegar, peppers and onions. Mix everything well.
- Now take the chicken pieces and cover them with the mixture. If you're serving them the next day they can be left in the fridge overnight.
- Cook the chicken until done, and baste accordingly.
Bon appetit!
