Cookery Class with a Caribbean theme
What we cooked: Rice & Peas; Jerk Seasoning; Jerk Fish; Mango Salad; Sweet Potato Patties; Rum & Pineapple Fritter
Rice & Peas – a staple in Caribbean cuisine
Ingredients – Serves 4
- 400g can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 400ml can coconut milk
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 6 spring onions, sliced
- 200g long grain rice
Method
- Put the beans, coconut milk, thyme, allspice, 4 of the spring onions and 100ml water in a pan, and bring to a simmer. Season with plenty of salt and black pepper.
- Rinse the rice a few times in a sieve until the water runs clear. Tip into the pan and simmer for 10 mins over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, before lowering the heat. Put the lid on and cook for another 5 mins until the grains are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff up the rice with a fork before serving and scatter with the reserved spring onions.
Jerk Seasoning
Ingredients – mix the following together
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp smoked paprika (regular paprika is fine)
- 1 tsp allspice ground
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper ground
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp cumin ground
- ½ tsp nutmeg ground
- ½ tsp cinnamon ground
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp thyme dried
- 1 tbsp parsley dried
Jerk Fish or Chicken
- Once you have made your jerk seasoning, it’s really versatile. You can use fish – whole or a fillet, chicken or even cauliflower. The method is principally the same, just the cooking time longer for chicken and We will use a fillet of hake, it’s a chunky white fish – leave the skin on. Dry the fish and pat your jerk spice over the fish
- Take a frying pan on high heat and skin side down, place the fish in. You can transfer to an oven to finish the cooking – it would take about 6-8 minutes or you can turn the fish and keep in the pan.
Hot Pepper Sauce
Traditionally this is with scotch bonnet chillis – but we find that it can be too spicy for our palate! If you find it too hot, add to some plain yoghurt!
Ingredients:
- Handful red chilli’s – rough chopped
- ½ tsp Sea Salt
- 100ml Distilled White Vinegar
- Handful Chopped Fresh coriander
- 2 cloves Garlic, peeled
- ½ Lime, juiced
Method
- Wash the chllis and trim off the stems.
- Give the chilli, garlic, coriander a rough chop.
- Take a food processor or nutri bullet. Blitz
- Finally mix in the Distilled White Vinegar, Sea Salt, and juice from the Lime
- Since vinegar was used, this pepper sauce will last for ages!
Mango Slaw
Ingredients
- ½ head of small red cabbage
- 1 large mango (ripe but firm, not soft)
- Large handful fresh coriander, chopped – stems ok
- ¼ finely diced or thinly sliced red onion
- ½ to 1 green chilli – finely chopped
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 orange (zest and juice)
- 1 lime
- ½ tsp salt
Method
- Slice or shred cabbage very thinly- Add to large bowl.
- Peel mango with a vegetable peeler, then slice into thin strips, or cut into cubes and place in the bowl.
- Add onion, coriander, green chilli.
- Zest one orange and add the zest to the bowl. Add the juice of half the orange, and half the lime
- Add oil and salt and mix gently to combine.
- Taste and adjust salt, heat and citrus. Often I will squeeze in the other half of the orange.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve!
Sweet Potato Patties
Ingredients
- 2 small, sweet potato, roasted whole in its skin
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- whole Bulb of garlic
- 2 chopped red chilli
- 3 chopped spring onions
- salt & pepper
- a handful of chopped fresh coriander leaves
- lime the zest (1 lime), cut the lime in to wedges
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C
- Place the bulb of garlic and the sweet potatoes on an oven tray, and roast for about 30 minutes – should be soft to touch.
- Scoop out the flesh from the potato and add allspice, cumin, dried thyme, chilli flakes salt & pepper. Add half the roasted garlic, squeezed out of skin
- Mash all together
- In a pan, fry in a little oil, the spring onions and chilli, add to the mixture with a little salt, the chopped coriander and lime zest.
- Cover and leave to rest in the fridge until ready to cook
- Shape the sweet potato mix into patties.
- Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan or skillet over a medium high heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the cakes to the pan and cook on each side until browned and crispy.
- Sprinkle with some fresh coriander and serve with extra lime wedges to squeeze over.
Rum & Pineapple Fritters
Pineapple Fritters – this recipe excludes the rum! But you can flambé your rings in the Caribbean’s finest export!
- Peel your pineapple and cut into rings – use tinned if you can’t find fresh.
- Add a few tablespoons of cornflour on the dish/ saucer and take your pineapple rings, coat in the flour. In a small pan, heat 2mm oil, till hot and then fry your fritters for 2 minutes each side – you should get some colour. Serve with ice cream and we really like a bit of diced chilli or finely shredded mint.
We hope you enjoyed the class!
We really hope you enjoyed your class at Food Sorcery. If you have any questions for chef get in touch lovetocook@foodsorcery.co.uk
Spread the word about us! on TripAdvisor or google. If you have any feedback about the class please do let us know.
Take a Look at our cookery classes. Gift vouchers are available and never expire.