Caribbean Series: Fried Plantain

Plantain looks like a banana and is an utterly amazing side to any Caribbean dish.

You need to choose one that looks really bruised and battered, this will be perfectly ripe and sweet when cooked. I'm literally craving some right now whilst typing this!! I love plantain but it does need to be ripe or it won't taste too good!

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil
• Plantain (1 will serve 2 people)

Heat the oil in a large frying pan until hot.

Meanwhile, chop the plantain into bit sized pieces (diagonally or horizontally).

Once the oil is hot enough (I like to cut a little piece of plantain to through into the pan to test the oil. If it's hot enough the oil should bubble and the plantain will start to go golden) add the chopped plantain.

Turn once they start to turn golden. Keep turning until both sided are nice and golden.

Place on some kitchen towel to soak up the excess oil and serve once ready to plate up your meal.

Crayfish, Lemon & Chilli Ravioli

I treated myself to the KitchenAid mixer and it was love at first sight! It is on the pricey side but to me, it's an investment as I will be using it very often.

I purchased mine in red and it's beyond beautiful! It's a dream to use and easy to clean....which is a bonus as who wants to spend ages cleaning fiddly parts, especially after slaving away in the kitchen for hours??!! Not me!!

So, for my first use of my new toy, I decided to make pasta! I was laying in bed one evening, unable to sleep and conjured up the idea for this recipe.

It's light, flavoursome and fresh. If you're throwing a dinner party or wanting to cook a special meal for someone, then this would be a perfect starter! Or create a bigger portion (as I did) and have as a main meal. It's so yummy and I can't wait to make this for my parents when they are next visiting.

I used scotch bonnet as I can no longer stand normal chilli....it literally does nothing for me anymore! My English pallet has evolved and I can now handle my spice!! If you cannot handle anything too spicy then use half a scotch bonnet or a normal red chilli will be fine.


Recipe:
For the pasta dough:

• 250g semolina
• 250g 00 flour
• 8 whole eggs
• 10ml extra virgin olive oil
• 5g salt

For the filling:

• 2 packs of crayfish
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 scotch bonnet, cut very finely
• 2 garlic cloves
• olive oil
• freshly grinded sea salt & pepper

For the sauce:

• juice of half a lemon
• 25g butter
• 8 sage leaves
• Parmesan & black pepper to serve

Place the flour, semolina, salt, eggs and olive oil in a mixture and blend on a medium speed until it forms a ball.


Take the dough out of the mixer and onto a well floured work surface. Knead until a nice dough forms that isn't too sticky. Wrap in cling film and rest on the counter for at least 20 minutes.
After the dough has rested, run through a pasta machine (or with a rolling pin until you reach your desired thickness). You want the pasta thin, as if it is too thick, your pasta will take a long time to cook and be quite stodgy.


Once you have your pasta sheets, ensure they are put on a floured work surface or they will stick! Now comes the fun part....using a pastry cutter (the size you want your ravioli to be) cut out the shapes from the pasta. Once you have the desired quantity, leave on the counter until you are ready to use.

Ravioli all ready to cook

To make the pasta filling, put the crayfish in a food processor along with the chilli, lemon rind and some salt and pepper and blitz.


Put some olive oil in a pan and once heated, add the garlic. Once lightly cooked through, add to the crayfish mixture and ensure it is well incorporated. Have a taste and add more seasoning/chilli/garlic/lemon if required.


Once you are happy with the taste, start to form small balls to place in the middle of a ravioli. You don't want to be stingy with the filling but you do need to leave a rim of pasta so when you place another ravioli piece on top, there is an edge for them to bind together. Once the filling is in place, put your finger in a bowl of water and carefully wet the edge (not too much water or it will turn to mush!). Then place the second ravioli piece on top and pinch them together to secure.


Continue this process until you have created all of your ravioli.


Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Carefully put the ravioli in the pan and cook for several minutes until cooked through.


Whilst the ravioli is cooking, put a pan on the hob and heat up the butter and oil. Once it starts to foam, add the sage leaves then take off of the heat. Add the lemon juice and mix well.


Once the pasta is cooked, drain but save some of the water to add to your sauce.


Put the sauce back on the heat then take the sage leaves out. Add the ravioli and toss through.


Serve the pasta and carefully arrange a few of the sage leaves to garnish. Add some fresh black peper and parmesan.


Et voila!! Your ravioli is ready to demolish!!

Herbed Crab with Saffron & Chilli Mayonnaise

I love crab but don't eat it often as it isn't really readily available in the supermarkets, and if it is, then I'm being blind as a bat!

It was my boyfriends birthday the other month and I wanted to cook him something really special, and this was the starter I chose.

It's so fresh, flavoursome and most importantly, it isn't heavy and won't fill you up so you can't fully enjoy your main course!

I'd never made my own mayonnaise before but it is very easy and straightforward. With any leftover mayonnaise, you can keep in a tight jar and use in sandwiches, with fish, as a condiment with a BBQ.....the list is endless!

I would say this would be the perfect starter for any dinner party.

Serves 4.

Mayonnaise ingredients:

• 1 red chilli
• 2 large free range eggs
• 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 290ml sunflower oil
• Pinch of saffron strands, soaked in 1/2 tbsp. boiling water for 15 minutes
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Juice 1/2 lemon

Crab ingredients:

• 225g white crab meat
• 3 large handfuls of mixed fresh herbs (I used chives, parsley & coriander)

Using metal kitchen tongs, put the chilli directly over the flame of a gas hob, turning occasionally, for 5-8 minutes until completely blackened (or char under a hot grill). Put the charred chilli in a freezer bag, seal and leave to steam for 5 minutes, then rub off the skin and roughly chop the flesh. Leave to cool.

Whizz the egg yolks, vinegar, chilli, mustard and a good pinch of salt in a food processor, or whisk in a large mixing bowl with am electric mixer, for 2-3 minutes until well combined. Put the sunflower oil in a jug, then very slowly drizzle it into the egg mixture whilst whisking, until the mixture starts to thicken. If it doesn't thicken after a couple of minutes, stop adding the oil and whisk until the mixture thickens up a little, then continue adding the oil as you whisk. If at any point the mixture looks as though it is getting greasy or starting to split, add a small splash of cold water and keep whisking. You may also need to whisk in a splash of water if it gets too thick before you've added all of the oil - stop now and then take a look at the mixture. Once you've incorporated all of the oil, you should have a thick mayonnaise. Briefly whisk in the saffron and it's soaking water and the crushed garlic. Taste and season, adding a bit of lemon juice if you like - it should be quite sharp.

Mix the white crabmeat with the chopped herbs and season with a little salt and plenty of black pepper. Pile into 4 small bowls, put some mayo in some other small bowls and serve with some rustic toasted bread.

This needs to be served immediately so dress the crab meat as soon as you are ready to serve your starters.

Ready to serve! Yum!!

  



Caribbean Series: Jerk Chicken Salad

Not every day rice and peas, sometimes a light healthy meal is what the body needs!


I know I have some health conscious people reading my blog and I wanted to make a jerk dish with all the flavour but without the calories....this is it!


I have used a dry jerk rub for this dish and it's quick and easy to make! I recommend doubling up the jerk seasoning and storing in an airtight jar. That way, it's on hand to use whenever you fancy making up some jerk chicken.


I added some left over chilli sautéed potatoes to this salad which made it taste utterly amazing and gave it a slight extra kick!


Jerk dry rub ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. onion flakes
• 1 tbsp. onion powder
• 2 tsp ground dried thyme
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground Jamaican allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp dried chives

Mix together all the ingredients and store in a tightly closed glass jar.


Salad ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• salad leaves of your choice, enough for 2 people
• 12 plum tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 avocado, chopped
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Salt & pepper
• Coconut oil

Place the chicken breasts in a dish and sprinkle with a generous amount of jerk seasoning. Rub into the chicken and turn, then sprinkle with more season and rub into the chicken ensuring all the chicken is coated. Cover and leave to marinade over night.

Jerk rub marinating on the chicken

Cut the chicken into bite sized chunks. Using a Dutch pot or a heavy based casserole dish, add 2 tbsp. of coconut oil on a medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook through.


Whilst the chicken is cooking, make a vinaigrette with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add 2 parts oil to 1 part balsamic then add some freshly ground black pepper and sea salt. Mix well. Add the salad leaves, tomatoes and avocado and gently mix ensuring everything is covered with the vinaigrette.


Once the chicken is cooked, add to the salad and mix. If using leftover sautéed potatoes then add along with the chicken.


Serve onto plates and enjoy your healthy but full of flavour salad! Who said healthy food was bland??!