The year 2012 marks the 50th Anniversary of Jamaican Independence. What a better way to start the New Year with a tribute to some of Jamaica's contribution to the world's menu. Foods such as beans, greens, fish, pork, and cakes are served during New Year Holidays and are thought by some to be lucky. After consuming large amounts of turkey and beef for Thanksgiving and Christmas, beans, squash, leafy greens and other such vegetables make a refreshing change for your body. These are some of my favorite and most delicious New Year Recipes with a Jamaican flair.
Dishes such as fried plantain, "Jerk" Pork or Chicken, steamed cabbage, "rice and peas" (pigeon peas or kidney beans) are prepared for most special occasions and also New Year Day.
Cooked greens including callaloo, cabbage, kale, and chard are consumed at New Year's in different countries for a simple reason their green leaves look like folded money and are thus symbolic of future economic fortune.
Here are a few recipes that you can try to give you an idea of how it is done down in the Caribbean.
Escovitch Fish
In a time when no one had electricity, it was a dish that could be prepared beforehand and left for a day or more without spoiling. Just about any type of fish can be used. It is fried and then covered with a spicy escovitch sauce which preserves it. We'll eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Beware, this dish is spicy!
2 lbs fresh fish, whole or sliced
1/4 cup flour, with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 red or yellow scotch bonnet
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed pimento (allspice) grains
Oil for deep frying
Escovitch Sauce
½ cup boiling water
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tsp sugar
4 cloves of garlic
1 large/2 medium onions, sliced into rings
1 carrot, sliced into strips
1 chocho, peeled and cut into strips (substitute sweet pepper or more carrot if chocho not available)
4 whole pimento grains
Hot pepper scotch bonnet to taste
Method
Make diagonal slashes in fish. Mix together the salt, black and crushed pimento. Place a little of this mixture inside each slash. If using whole fish, rub the mixture inside the fish itself. If using sliced fish, rub the mixture over each slice.
Dust the fish with the seasoned flour, and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Set aside. Fry the onion , garlic, carrots and chocho, in a table spoon of oil.
Place all the ingredients for the escovitch sauce in a pot, and bring to a boil for about half a minute. Don't boil too long or vegetables will lose their crunch. Pour the sauce over the fish.
There is no need to refrigerate if the fish is going to be eaten by the next day. Very convenient if your fridge is full!
This dish tastes better the day after cooking so good to fix ahead of time for a party.
Eat with Festival, Jonny Cake, Fried Dumpling or Bread.
Jamaican Festival
This is a small fried cake
2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup brown flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 cup milk
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp brown sugar
pinch of salt
Oil for deep frying
Method
Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour milk a little at a time and mix to form a stiff dough. (Some milk may be left over.) Knead lightly.
Roll into long dumplings, about 1" by 4". Some people like bigger festivals, but this size is easy to cook through. Deep fry in hot oil, about an inch deep, until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Especially delicious when served hot.
Jonny Cake
This is more like a fried bread, not sweet like the Festival
2 cups brown flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup water
2 tbsp butter
Canola or Coconut Oil for deep frying
Method
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into a large bowl. Cut in butter lightly. Mixture should look like crumbs. Gradually add water, kneading until a smooth, firm dough is formed.
Divide dough into balls, about a tablespoon in size. Knead each one lightly. Flatten each ball slightly, then fry in hot oil. Serve hot. Can be eaten whole, or cut in half and spread with butter or margarine. Great with Ackee and Salt fish, and other breakfast dishes.
Steamed Callaloo
Callaloo is a green that is used much like spinach.
lb. callaloo
1 tablespoon coconut oil
scotch bonnet pepper
1 medium chopped onion
black pepper
salt to taste
1/4 cup water
Method
Wash callaloo leaves
Cut up callaloo leaves in pieces.
Sauté onion in coconut oil.
Add cut up callaloo leaves, water and stir.
Cover saucepan an
d cook callaloo are tender.
Add whole scotch bonnet pepper
Sprinkle with pepper and salt.
Simmer then serve with avocado pear.
Jamaican Style Potato Salad
4 cups potatoes diced
2 large eggs
2 stalk scallion chopped
2 table spoon of olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup miracle whip
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 stalk celery (optional)
1/4 cup corn
1/4 cup baby peas (blanched)
1/4 cup carrot (optional)
1/4 tsp. salt
Wash, peel, dice and cook potatoes with eggs, about 10 mins.
Dice celery, slice scallion and finely chopped garlic.
When potatoes are boiled, drain instantly.
Place in a large bowl, toss with olive oil
Add corn, peas, scallion, garlic and celery.
Stir in miracle whip with pepper and salt.
Add chopped eggs and stir lightly, serve warm or cold.
Pumpkin Fritters
Pumpkin is so versatile and can be used in so many delicious ways.
1/4 of a small pumpkin
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup milk
6 tablespoons flour
I/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg.
Method
Boil Pumpkin in Water
Drain water and Crush pumpkin till creamed.
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and nutmeg.
Add milk and pumpkin then mix.
Dip a large spoon in oil and spoon scoop batter into frying pan.
Deep fry in a frying pan till brown and crisp on the edges.
Drain on paper towel and serve
Drizzle with strawberry sauce or condensed milk.
Fireworks over harbor in Kingston, Jamaica.
Note:
As far as I can tell there are two spellings for the word escovitch. The other spelling is escoveitch. Both seem to be used equally.
References;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaican_cuisine
Photo by Julian Cresser – Yaadinfo Contributor
http://blogs.jamaicans.com/yaadinfo/2011/06/02/yaad-pics-new-year/