Daley Gwendolyn - Caribbean cookery secrets: how to cook 100 of the most popular West Indian, Cajun and Creole dishes

CARIBBEAN COOKERY SECRETS Also available The Curry Secret The New Curry Secret Chinese Cookery Secrets The Takeaway Secret More Takeaway Secrets

HOW TO COOK 100 OF THE MOST POPULAR WEST INDIAN, CAJUN AND CREOLE DISHES David and Gwendolyn Daley Constable & Robinson Ltd 5556 Russell Square London WC1B 4HP www.constablerobinson.com First published by Right Way, an imprint of Constable & Robinson, 2013 Copyright David and Gwendolyn Daley 2013 The rights of David and Gwendolyn Daley to be identified as the authors of this work have been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. A copy of the British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library ISBN: 978-0-7160-2298-5
eISBN: 978-0-7160-2314-2 Printed and bound in the EU 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 Quotation from NHS website How to Prepare and Cook Food Safely www.nhs.uk/Livewell/homehygiene/Pages/Foodhygiene.aspx Crown Copyright used in accordance with the Open Government Licence for Public Sector Information (See: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ ) Cover photograph: Lonely Planet Images, Masterfile; Cover design: Simon Levy . What is the secret of Caribbean/West Indian cooking?Answer:timeandthyme. Time in terms of the fact that most Caribbean dishes must be marinated for several hours (or preferably overnight) prior to cooking; and thyme because its one of the most popular and common ingredients in Caribbean cooking. The food of the Caribbean is as diverse as its people and languages, drawing its cultural influences from Africa, Asia, Britain, France, India and Spain.

This book is not designed to cover every single technique, ingredient and cooking method used in Caribbean cooking, but rather to give you an overview of the most commonly used techniques, ingredients and cooking methods. This book will: Show you the ingredients and common cooking methods used across all the islands of the Caribbean. Give you practical tips on how to make your Caribbean dish look and taste authentic. Give you practical advice on where to purchase all your essential Caribbean cooking utensils and ingredients, even if you live in a remote area. Correct the mistakes often seen on TV when celebrity chefs attempt to cook authentic Caribbean food. Its important to realize that Caribbean cooking techniques, methods and ingredients not only vary from island to island, but also within communities, districts, parishes and also from family to family.

While there is strictly no right or wrong way to cook a particular dish there are, however, certain techniques and generally accepted principles that will give you an authentically looking and tasting dish. This book will take you on a journey across the Caribbean and introduce you to the most popular dishes cooked in: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Colombia, Cuba, Curaao, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St Barthlemy, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, St Martin, and the United States Virgin Islands. Enjoy! David and Gwendolyn Daley

In Caribbean culture it is a widely held practice to wash meat and fish in vinegar and/or lime juice prior to marinating and cooking. This practice dates back to times before pre-packaged supermarket foods and widely available refrigeration, where fresh meat and fish were killed and/or purchased daily, often with the entrails still inside. The acidic properties of vinegar or lime juice helped to kill bacteria and remove any unpleasant odours. However, the washing of meat and fish is not something that is generally done in the UK.

NHS guidelines on How to Prepare and Cook Food Safely state: Lots of people think they should wash raw chicken, but theres no need, says food hygiene expert Adam Hardgrave. Any germs on it will be killed if you cook it thoroughly. In fact, if you do wash chicken, you could splash germs on to the sink, worktop, dishes or anything else nearby. Nevertheless, a widely reported study, undertaken by Good Housekeepings microbiologist, Gina Marino, concluded that vinegar effectively kills 99.9 per cent of bacteria. Also, in a 2003 study at the University of Florida, researchers tested vinegar on food contaminated with E. coli and other germs.

It found that a vinegar based mixture reduced bacteria by 90 per cent and viruses by about 95 per cent. (See: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12597475 .) Whether or not you decide to wash your meat and fish in vinegar or lime juice in accordance with Caribbean traditions is a matter of personal preference. It is, however, strongly advised that prior to marinating and cooking meat and fish you should as part of your meat preparation: (a) always inspect and smell meat or fish for freshness; (b) use a sharp knife to trim off any excess skin, fat or sinew; and (c) remove any damaged flesh or blood residue (clots) as they may spoil the flavour of your dish.

A Dutch Pot (aka Dutchie) This thick-walled cooking pot, usually made of cast aluminium, with a fitted lid, is used for the slow cooking of authentic Caribbean dishes. Dutch Pots come in both round and flat-bottomed varieties and can be used on top of a stove, in an oven, or, as per the traditional method, in a pit dug in the ground, heated by coals or hot rocks. Both varieties of Dutch Pot are perfect for slowly cooking, stewing, frying or boiling a vast variety of authentic Caribbean dishes.

In short, if you do not have a Dutch Pot you cannot call yourself an authentic Caribbean cook. The two most common brands of Dutch Pot available today are the Jamaica Sun and Guycan brands. Dutch Pots are now available via the internet from Amazon, eBay and other online retailers, and start from around 20 (USD $30 or EU 25). Secret:Dutch Pots are not to be confused with Dutch Ovens which, although very similar and can do roughly the same job, will not convince your friends and family that you are an authentic Caribbean cook. A Tawa/Tava This is a flat or concave disc-shaped griddle pan made from metal (cast aluminium, cast iron or steel) which is used for cooking a variety of flat breads (rotis, bakes, etc). Tawas originated in the Indian subcontinent, but are widely used throughout central, south and west Asia and beyond.

Caribbean tawas are most commonly found in Trinidad and Guyana, but are used throughout the Caribbean. Once again, tawas are available online from a variety of retailers.

Ackee A fruit which originally came from West Africa, but has become a Jamaican favourite, ackee is one of the main ingredients in the Jamaican national dish ofNext page