Jamaica: Coconut Turmeric Red Snapper, Sweet Potato & Walnut Salad with Cinnamon Pilau
The constitutional monarchy of Jamaica is a West Indies island nation nestled in the Caribbean Sea. Famed for its beautiful beaches & being the birthplace of reggae music, the island of Jamaica is one of the largest in the West Indies island archipelago. Near neighbours to Jamaica include Cuba to the north (which is ten times the size of Jamaica), & Hispaniola Island to the west (homeland of two Caribbean countries, Haiti & the Dominican Republic).
Jamaican cuisine is a fusion of the cultures & ingredients that have come together on the island. The unique techniques, spices & flavours of Jamaican cooking are diverse due to early colonisation. In fact, this sensational food has been evolving for more than five centuries.
Echoes of the traditional culinary practices of pre-colonial Indigenous Arawak & Taino peoples are still present in Jamaican cuisine. Quite amazing considering the centuries of Spanish & English occupation & culinary influence. But the surprises in this cuisine don’t stop there.
When the Spanish introduced African slavery to Jamaica they simultaneously dispossessed African people from their homelands & contributed great depth to the cuisine of Jamaica. The British emancipated Jamaican African slaves in the 1800’s then further enhanced Jamaican food culture with Asian influences by bringing in indentured workers from India & China.
Jamaica achieved full independence in 1962. By then the cuisine of the country had reached a very eclectic style. Local Jamaican ingredients such as seafood & tropical fruits had been complimented by crops introduced from South East Asia & food preparation methods were influenced by cultures from multiple continents of the world. These factors have come together to shape a unique food school with very subtle, fragrant flavours & a fabulous combination of soft & firm textures that make Jamaican cuisine unique.
Our Jamaican menu included
Coconut Turmeric Red Snapper
Sweet Potato & Walnut Salad
&
Cinnamon Pilau
.........................................................
COCONUT RED SNAPPER WITH FRESH TURMERIC
Ingredients
· 1 tbs fresh coriander, chopped
Method
1.grind the whole spices into a powder using a pestle and mortar and mix with the cayenne pepper and turmeric
2.Heat the oil and butter in large pan. Add the onion and fry gently until soft and just beginning to brown
3.Add the garlic, ginger, sugar, turmeric and spice mix and cook for another 2-3 minutes
4.Add the tomatoes, lime juice, coconut milk, bay leaves and some salt and freshly ground black pepper and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until slightly thickened
5.Add the fresh coriander & stir through
6.Add the snapper fillets, skin-side up, and spoon some of the sauce over them. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, carefully turning the fish over halfway through.
This recipe is a Q_Zine recipe informed by an original found at:
CINNAMON PILAU
Ingredients
· 2 fresh Bay Leaves
· 600ml boiling water
Method
1.wash the rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs relatively clear. Cover with more cold water and leave to soak for ten minutes, then drain well
2.Heat the sunflower oil in a medium sized heavy-bottomed pot (that has a tight-fitting lid)
3.add the cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and bay leaves and cook gently over a low heat until the ingredients begin to smell aromatic
4.Stir in the rice and saut’e everything together
5.add the boiling water and salt and quickly bring to the boil
6.Stir well with a wooden spoon making sure the rice is not stuck to the bottom of the pot
7.Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook over a low heat for 12 minutes
8.Ten turn the heat off & let the rice sit in the pot for 10 minutes with the lid on on
9.Don’t take the lid off the pot until you are ready to serve the food
This recipe is a Q_Zine recipe informed by an original found at:
SWEET POTATO SALAD WITH WALNUTS
Ingredients
· 1½
lb sweet potato, peeled and cut in 1cm cubes
· 1
whole lime, zest and juice (chopped the zest small)
· 1
clove garlic, crushed
· 1
teaspoon ginger, finely minced
· 1
teaspoon cumin, ground
· ½
teaspoon smoked paprika
· ½
teaspoon salt
· 3
tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
· ½
cup Walnuts, dry toasted in a hot pan
· 1
stalk celery, finely sliced
· 2
green onions/shallots, ends removed and chopped finely
· 1
tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
· 1 heaped tsp soft brown sugar
Method
1. Place the sweet potatoes in a pot of cold water & bring up to a gentle boil, cooking the potato for about 10-15 minutes until tender. Strain & leave in the strainer to cool
2. Whilst the potatoes are boiling/cooling zest the skin off the lime, juice the lime & dice the lime zest finely
3. Put the lime juice, zest, garlic, ginger, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, sugar and olive oil in a glass jar, screw the lid on tight & shake the jar until all the ingredients are combined to make a salad dressing
4. Once the sweet potatoes are cooled use a wooden spoon to mix them together with the walnuts, celery, green onions & cilantro
5. Give the dressing jar a good shake then pour it over the salad
6. Now fold the dressing through the salad gently to ensure the texture of all the food is preserved
This recipe is a Q_Zine recipe informed by an original found at:
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