Tasty Tourism Series-The Caribbean

 

For this installment of the Tasty Tourism series, I'm going to feature recipes from the Caribbean. While these island nations are usually grouped with North America, they have enough flavorful and distinctive recipes to warrant their own post. Without further ado-

Here is a recipe from Jamaica that would be very welcome at any summer cookout. One warning, though-this recipe is very hot and spicy!

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved

1 cup water

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons ground allspice

Juice of 4 limes

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 habanero peppers, chopped

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 onions, chopped

1 ½ cups chopped green onions

6 cloves garlic, chopped

Cut the chicken breasts into chunks and put them in a medium-sized bowl. Cover with water and lime juice, then set aside.

In a blender or food processor, put the brown sugar, allspice, nutmeg, salt, ginger, thyme, vegetable oil and black pepper. After they are blended well, add the onions, garlic, green onions, garlic and habanero peppers. Blend until almost smooth. Set a small amount of the marinade aside for use while cooking and put the rest in the bowl with the chicken. Cover and refrigerate at for at least 2 hours.

Now, preheat the grill for medium heat, brush grill with oil and cook chicken very slowly. Turn often and baste with the rest of the mixture.

Believe it or not, this is actually one of the easier and quicker recipes for Jamaican jerk seasoning! Some of them recommend marinating overnight. However long it takes, the taste is worth it! It's great as an entree, but also works well with pasta or white rice.

Now, for dessert-

Cuban Mango Mousse

2 medium-sized mangoes

1 ½ tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 egg whites

1 ¼ cups heavy cream

Peel the mangoes and cut them into cubes. Then, put them in the blender or food processor with the lime juice and honey and puree until smooth. Beat egg whites in bowl until they're stiff. Whip the heavy cream until it has soft peaks and add it into the puree. Stir half of the egg into the mango mixture, blend well and add the rest of the egg white. Stir until everything is even and refrigerate for about 2-3 hours before serving. This recipe serves 8 and is perfect for a light summer treat! I've seen other fruits used or a splash of lemon juice to add a bit of 'tartness' to the mix. I wonder how using a bit of pineapple in place of part of the mango or putting in some coconut shavings would taste? Hmmm...

These are only a few of the awesome recipes from a part of the world that most people who have been there would describe as 'gorgeous'. I've only been to the Bahamas, but many of the rest of the islands in the Caribbean are on my travel 'hit list'. Enjoy!