caribbeancentral american

Some like it hot. And those that do will absolutely love this jerk chicken recipe, which calls for heaps of Scotch bonnet (or habanero) peppers.

Jerk Chicken

chicken,

red onion, chopped

garlic

scallions (white and pale-green parts only), chopped

ginger, sliced

thyme

cinnamon

allspice

salt

adobo seasoning

Maggi Liquid Seasoning

Bon Appétit

Pierce chicken all over with tip of a small knife; transfer to a large bowl. Purée remaining ingredients and 1/4 cup water in a blender until smooth. Reserve 1 cup for dipping sauce, if desired. Pour remaining marinade over chicken; massage into chicken. (To protect your hands from the chiles' heat, wear latex gloves.) Cover; chill for at least 1 day and up to 2 days.

Let chicken sit at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking. Build a medium-low fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium. Place chicken on grill, skin side up. Cook covered, turning often, until skin is crisp and lightly charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest parts of chicken registers 160° (breasts) or 165° (thighs), 30–45 minutes. Transfer to a platter and tent loosely with foil; let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with reserved dipping sauce, if desired.

Use whatever produce you want in this recipe for curry vegetables from chef Rawlston Williams. The combination of intense curry powder, turmeric, and rich coconut milk will make any mix of vegetables taste delicious.

Curry Vegetables

Tbsp. virgin coconut oil, divided

1" pieces mixed vegetables (such

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

turmeric

curry powder (preferably Chief or Lalah’s)

coriander

onion,

garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated

habanero chile, Fresno chile,

13.5-oz. can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk (preferably Native Forest)

vegetable broth

honey

green pigeon peas

cilantro

lime (optional)

Roti white rice (for serving)

When I was growing up in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, our curry vegetables were cooked in coconut milk made from scratch. We’d grab sun-dried coconuts that had fallen from the trees, remove the husks, and crack the nut open. Then we’d grate the pulp with a hole-punched piece of metal, mixing with water, squeezing, and straining it to make coconut milk. These days, I rely on the canned stuff (Native Forest for aroma and consistency and Trader Joe’s for its concentrated coconut flavor) to make this Caribbean-style curry with a mix of vegetables: zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, okra, mushrooms. It’s got a brilliant yellow hue from grated fresh turmeric (or ground turmeric in a pinch), an assertive curry flavor (look for Chief or Lalah's brands), and a little heat. But if the music is playing a bit too loud and you want to turn it down, that’s what coconut milk does. It balances out sharp, intense, or spicy flavors. —Rawlston Williams

Preheat oven to 425°. Melt 3 Tbsp. coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Transfer oil to a large bowl, add vegetables, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Divide vegetables between 2 rimmed baking sheets and roast until almost tender and starting to brown in spots, 10–12 minutes. Set aside.

Heat remaining 3 Tbsp. coconut oil in a large skillet over medium. Add turmeric, curry powder, and coriander and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and ginger, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent and spice mixture starts to look dry and clumpy, 6–8 minutes.

Add chile, coconut milk, and broth to skillet and bring curry to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about one third (it should be almost thick enough to coat a spoon), 13–17 minutes. Stir in honey; taste curry and season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Add pigeon peas and reserved roasted vegetables to skillet and return curry to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are fork-tender, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in cilantro. Let sit 5 minutes, then stir in lime juice if using. Serve curry vegetables with roti alongside.

This traditional Haitian chicken stew is packed with flavor thanks to the mainstay spice blend known as epis.

Poul Ak Nwa (Chicken With Cashews)

red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, coarsely chopped

green bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, coarsely chopped

scallions,

(loosely packed) parsley leaves

apple cider vinegar

olive oil

lime juice

thyme leaves

raw cashews

chicken

garlic cloves, finely chopped

cloves

parsley

black pepper

Diamond

Scotch bonnet chile

Tbsp. olive oil

Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste

plum tomatoes,

green bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced

basmati rice

Originating in northern Haiti where cashews grow abundantly, this aromatic chicken stew is usually reserved for Sunday dinners or special occasions. Simmering the chicken before browning it may seem counterintuitive, but this commonplace Haitian technique infuses the chicken with flavor and moisture. Though not included in this version, another traditional step involves washing the chicken with warm water and lime juice, which removes the raw chicken smell and adds another layer of seasoning from the limes.
The chicken is packed with flavor thanks to the mainstay Haitian spice blend, epis (you can read more about epis here). Just as no two sofrito recipes are alike, the same goes for epis—other common epis ingredients include cilantro, cloves, and Scotch bonnet chiles. This recipe makes more epis than you need for the chicken, but the leftovers will keep for weeks in the fridge (or months if frozen in ice cube trays). Use some as a marinade for pork or fish; stir a couple of tablespoons into soup and stew bases; add a spoonful to rice along with the water before cooking; or add a dollop to sautéed greens. —Lesley Enston

Blend or process red bell pepper, green bell pepper, onion, scallions, parsley, garlic, vinegar, oil, lime juice, and thyme in a blender or food processor until smooth (you will have about 3 cups).
Do ahead: Epis can be made 2 weeks ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill, or pour into ice cube trays and freeze up to 3 months.

Bring cashews and 3 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover pan, and simmer until a cashew crumbles but doesn’t disintegrate when pressed between your fingers, 45–60 minutes. Drain cashews and set aside.
Mix chicken, garlic, cloves, lime juice, parsley, thyme, a copious amount of black pepper, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ¼ cup epis in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot until chicken is coated. Nestle chile in the center of pot, cover, and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until chicken is nearly cooked through and a lot of juices have cooked out, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken mixture to a medium bowl, scraping any remaining seasonings out of pot with a heatproof rubber spatula.

Pour oil into same pot and increase heat to medium-high. Using tongs, return chicken to pot, leaving juices and chile behind in bowl. Cook chicken, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 5–10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often and adding 1 Tbsp. chicken juice if starting to burn, until paste is slightly darkened in color, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until starting to soften, about 4 minutes.

Add cashews, reserved chile, and remaining reserved chicken juices to pot (make sure to keep chile intact; an open chile will add a lot of heat), then pour ½ cup water into bowl and swish around to pick up any seasonings left behind. Pour water mixture into pot. Bring chicken mixture to a simmer, cover pot, and cook until chicken meat is falling off the bone, about 20 minutes. Stir in onion and bell pepper, re-cover pot, and cook until vegetables are softened but still retain some bite, 5–10 minutes. Remove chile from pot; discard. Taste poul ak nwa and season with more salt and pepper if needed.

To serve, divide rice among shallow bowls and ladle poul ak nwa over.
Do ahead: Poul ak nwa can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Reheat over medium-low before serving.

Also known as the hummingbird cake, this sweet and spiced Dr. Bird cake originated in Jamaica. It gets its remarkable moisture from ripe banana and pineapple.

Dr. Bird Cake

pecans

canned chopped pineapple

(1¾ cups plus 2 Tbsp.) whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour

(¾ cup) light soft brown sugar

baking soda

baking powder

nutmeg

sea salt

bananas,

coconut oil

Tbsp. vanilla extract

egg (optional)

coconut flakes, toasted

pecans,

(1¾ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

full-fat cream cheese

vanilla extract

(2 cups, plus 2 Tbsp.) icing (powdered) sugar, sifted

The world-famous hummingbird cake has its origins in Jamaica, where it is also known as Dr. Bird Cake. The interweaving of both pineapple juice and pineapple chunks with spices and banana produces a craveable cake, which is bolstered with crunchy pecans and a creamy frosting. The cake’s history goes back to the 1960s when the Jamaican Tourist Board, looking to foster tourism as a means of creating a new stream of income, utilized fruits of the island—yes, banana and pineapple—in a cake recipe. This recipe distributed to the media sought to spread the word about the island’s remarkable produce. The spiced banana-pineapple cake was named after the country’s national bird, the hummingbird, colloquially known as the doctor bird. Food editors, particularly in U.S. Southern states, got hold of the recipe and from there it rapidly became part of the annals of American cooking, and then the world’s. Upon tasting the cake it’s evident why it has attracted so much attention over the years.
Note: This Dr. Bird cake recipe makes a single layer cake that’s ideal for snacking. If you’d like a double-layer cake, use two 9½" round cake pans and double all ingredients for both the cake and frosting.

Epicurious

Preheat the oven to 400°F (180°C) and grease and line the base of a 9½ inch round cake tin. (If making a double-layered cake, use 2 tins and double the quantity of cake mixture and frosting).

Put the nuts and pineapple in a blender or food processor and pulse briefly until finely chopped.

Sift all the dry ingredients, up to and including the salt, into a mixing bowl, then stir until combined and set aside.

In a separate bowl, add the bananas, coconut oil or butter, reserved pineapple juice, vanilla, vinegar, and egg, if using. Whisk until combined, then add to the dry ingredients with the pecan and pineapple mix. Briefly stir until combined, but do not over-mix the cake batter.

Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and level the top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then turn out of the tin onto a rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy. Add the salt and vanilla, then stir in the icing sugar, a little at a time, to make a thick, spreadable icing. Spread the frosting over the top of the cake (or half over each cake if making 2). Sprinkle with the coconut flakes and pecans.

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