Around the World in 80 Dishes: Yemen

 "Don't worry about Yemen. Yemen started in peace, and it will end its revolution in peace, and it will start its new civil state in peace."

-- Tawakkol Karmon, Nobel Peace Laureate (2011)

The journalist, politician and human rights activist -- Tawakkol Karmon -- spoke those words fifteen years ago when she accepted the Nobel Peace Prize. She accepted the award in the midst of the Arab Spring, when masses rose up against dictatorial regimes across North Africa and the Middle East. One of those revolutions took place in Yemen. That revolution brought down then-President Ali Abullah Saleh, a military officer who served in that role since 1990. 

Yet, over the course of the following fifteen years, peace has proved elusive in Yemen. The country has become a battleground between different forces, political and religious, internal and external. Those battles have inflicted severe harm upon the over 40.6 million residents spread out from the Red Sea across the southern Arabian peninsula to the borders of neighboring Oman. Yet, at least in the West, much of that harm goes untold, as the media focuses more upon the offensives of the political and religious actors. We hear more about missiles being fired from Yemen or ships being seized in the Red Sea than we hear about the millions of Yemenis who face starvation or the lack of essential infrastructure for much of the population. The result is a damning story that talks more about violence and less about the people. 

"The People are Not the Same as Their Government."

One really has to dig deep to get past the narrative that has been built by the media over the years to learn more about the Yemeni people. I have never been to Yemen, although I have always read with fascination and viewed with wonder about the country, its residents and their achievements. For example, there is amazing mud brick architecture, such as the 16th century walled city of Shibham. The city has densely packed, mudbrick buildings that are several stories tall, which has led to the city being  often referred to as the "Manhattan of the desert." And there is the Seiyun Palace in the eastern region of Hadramut, which stands as the largest mud brick structure in the world.  

Another great resource (surprisingly enough) is YouTube, where one could watch videos posted by people who have been brave enough to travel to war-torn and troubled places. Many of those travelers go out of their way to learn about the people themselves. And, as traveler and storyteller Drew Binsky has noted, the Yemeni people are not the same as their government. His video can be watched here: 

I strongly recommend Drew's videos generally, because of his efforts to talk with the people of a country to learn more about their culture and cuisine. In his video about Yemen, Drew is honest about the difficulties Yemenis face, but he is equally honest about the Yemeni themselves. As Drew says in his video, "the people are not the same as their government." Yemeni's hospitality is warm, curious and genuine. Yemenis are quick to welcome people in, share food, and talk about themselves, their cuisine and their culture. 

"Yemeni cuisine is ... a cultural narrative woven into every dish."

Yemeni cuisine differs from the cuisine of Arabic cultures. The differences arise in part from Yemen's relative isolation from the broader Arabic world. The country lies at the southwestern end of the Arabic Peninsula. The Rub al Khali -- the "Empty Quarter" -- limits land routes to Yemen, leaving only those that trace along the coastline of the peninsula. Yet, Yemen has nearly 2,000 miles of coastline, as well we major ports like Aden, Hodeidah, Mukallah and Nishtun. Yemen's ports played an important role in the maritime history of the spice trade, welcoming foods and ingredients from Persia, India and as far away as Indonesia. 

Over time, these foods and ingredients, along with culinary practices, became interwoven with the indigenous ways of cooking. They helped to create a cuisine that sets itself apart from other Arabic cuisines. There is a diversity that, for example, blends Persian cooking methods and indigenous cooking ingredients, Turkish ingredients with local fish, and much more. It is a cuisine that focuses on slow cooking methods, with many herbs and spices (cardamom, caraway, cumin, fenugreek, saffron, and turmeric, just to name a few), and, of course, chiles. The dishes are often served communally, shared among family and friends. Once again, a practice reflective of Yemeni culture and hospitality. 

"Before I had everything to eat. Now, it's one bite."

The rich culinary history cannot be viewed in isolation from the present situation in Yemen. The toll of decades of war, both fueled internally and externally (by Saudi Arabia and the UAE), have created a situation where mass starvation has the people in its grips. In the good times, Yemen imported a substantial amount of its food (sometimes up to 90% of it); war makes such imports problematic. It also makes the delivery of food aid and other humanitarian aid very difficult. As a result, mass starvation threatens large numbers of Yemenis. The United Nations estimated that, as of June 2025, nearly 5 million Yemenis faced food insecurity, with nearly 1.5 million of those Yemenis facing emergency food security. To put it in context, that would be the same as the entire population of Dallas, Texas or San Diego, California facing emergency food insecurity. And those are just the numbers from the southern regions of Yemen. 

There are numerous reasons for food insecurity in Yemen. That discussion is best left to another post or perhaps another blog. (There is a lot of reporting about food insecurity in Yemen out there). The point here is that such insecurity is projected only going to get worse, as the violence -- but not humanitarian assistance -- continues. The U.S. Agency for International Development provided substantial assistance (as much as $1 billion in Fiscal Years 2019 and 2020) that helped to provide food, medical care, safe drinking water and more to Yemenis. With the Trump administration's closure of USAID, the ripple effects are felt across Yemen, such as, by way of example, the closure of malnutrition support services for Yemeni children, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. 

MAIN COURSE

Given this rich culinary history, and the ongoing food insecurity issues, this particular occasion is a challenge for me in more ways than one. On the one hand, there are a wide array of main dishes that could be the subject of this challenge. For example, there is mandi, which is considered Yemen's national dish. It consists of lamb or chicken, marinated in spices, and cooked in a tandoor. There is also maraq, which is a soup made with lamb, that often serves as a first dish but can be used to make salta, a stew that is also considered a national dish. On the other hand, there is the knowledge that millions of Yemenis are struggling to find that "one bite."

Lamb shanks before the marinade.

In the end, I decided to make Lamb Haneeth. It is a dish that originated in the Hadhraaut region, which is the area that Drew Binsky traveled when he was in Yemen. However, Lamb Haneeth is more than just a regional dish; it has deep roots in Yemeni culture and cuisine. Indeed, this dish has been described as "an expression of familial bonds, cultural continuity and the preservation of a culinary legacy that transcends time and borders." The word haneeth hints at that legacy, as it refers to slow-cooked meat, which is a cornerstone of Yemeni cuisine.

The dish is also served in a manner that is truly reflective of Yemeni culture. Lamb Haneeth is served "family style" or "communal style," on a large platter with rice to be shared by guests and family members. Such a dish makes the perfect challenge for me to prepare. 

LAMB HANEETH

Recipe from Every Little Crumb

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch scallions
• 1 bunch chives
• 3 peeled garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon cumin powder
• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper powder
• 3 cloves
• 4 whole cardamom pods
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1.5 tablespoons butter
• 2 dried lemons (optional)
• 4 lamb shanks or lamb pieces with bone (about 1.5 pounds)

Directions:

1. Prepare the marinade. Combine all the ingredients from the green onions through to the butter (everything but the dried lemon and the lamb) in a food processor or blender and process until well blended and has turned into a thick paste consistency. If you need to, add a splash of water if the sauce is so thick that it won't combine well. 

2. Marinate the lamb. Pour the green sauce over the lamb and toss to coat thoroughly, then cover tightly by placing a sheet of parchment paper on top of the lamb, then sealing with foil and marinade for as much time as you have, anywhere from four hours to overnight. 

3. Roast the lamb. Preheat the oven to 465 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the shanks from the wrapper Place the shanks, covered with foil, on a foil covered pan in the oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for another 2 hours. Halfway through, toss the lamb, flipping the pieces over. When 30 minutes of cooking time remain, uncover the dish so the outside of the lamb crisps up a little.

4. Finish the dish. Serve with rice, preferably topped with toasted nuts and garnished with chopped cilantro.  

CONDIMENT

Shatta is a spicy hot sauce that often accompanies dishes in Yemen. It is not unique to Yemen, and, its culinary history can actually be traced to the Palestinian cuisine. The popularity of the hot sauce enabled it to transcend Palestine to reach tables in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and, of course, Yemen.

This condiment is typically prepared with long red chiles or jalapeno chiles. I did not have access to red chiles, so I went with jalapenos. The end result is not a fiery red hot sauce, but a deceptively hot green sauce (as I left as many of the seeds in as possible.)

SHATTA

Recipe from My Goodness Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 250 grams (1/2 pound) long red or jalapeno chiles
• 1 tablespoon salt, non-iodized
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Prepare the pepper mixture. Slice the chiles into coin-wide rounds. Combine the sliced chiles with the salt and stir well. Transfer the salted chiles to the jar and pop the lid on. Place the jar in a cool, shady place for 3 days or transfer to the fridge for up to 7 days.

2. Finish the hot sauce. Drain the chiles through a colander or sieve and transfer them to a food process or mortar and pestle. Add the vinegar and lemon juice and process - or pound in the pestle - until you are happy with the texture. Transfer the chile paste back to its jar and pour in enough olive oil to cover it. Store in the fridge for up to six months. 

*     *     *

In the end, the Lamb Haneeth was delicious and, when served with the shatta, it seemed to be truly reflective of Yemeni culture and cuisine. A land where it is hot (over half of Yemen is desert), but, like the people, warm and welcoming to those who are brave enough to make the trip there. This challenge was important to me, because it is important to highlight what does not get disseminated by the global media, and to put the focus where it belongs ... the Yemeni people. 

PEACE.

Mr. Bayley's West Indies Salad

It all started with a small grocery store at the corner of Dauphin Island Parkway and Fowl River Road, along the western shore of the Mobile Bay in Alabama. The owner, Bill Bayley, Sr. had big plans for that small store. Only, the plans did not involve a grocery store. It involved much more.

Bill Bayley, Sr. settled in the Mobile area after serving in the Merchant Marine. During his time at sea, he worked as a port steward aboard a vessel operated by the Alcoa Ship Lines. In that role, Bayley would have had many responsibilities, including the stocking of groceries for the vessel. Bayley would have also helped with the preparation of sandwiches, salads and other food for the crew. During a stop in the West Indies, Bayley was working in the galley. He boiled some lobster, added some onions, and then dressed it with oil and vinegar.  Bayley remembered that dish and it would play an important role in his future plans. 

Source: Alabama.com

Those plans involved taking the small grocery store that he owned, which stood at the corner of Dauphin Island and Fowl River Road, and turn it into a restaurant. People told him that a restaurant would not work at that particular corner of Mobile, Alabama.  However, Bayley did not listen to them. He opened his restaurant -- Bayley's Seafood, Steaks and Chicken -- in 1947. 

The menu featured an appetizer called West Indies Salad. The dish was inspired by Bayley's time as a port steward. There was one big difference: Bayley did not use Florida lobster. Instead, he chose an ingredient much closer to his new home ... Alabama blue crabs. 

As it turns out, blue crabs were (and, relatively speaking, still are) present in Mobile Bay and its tributaries. One could go to various points along the shore, from Old Nan Seas to Coden Beach or Port of Pines to find crabs.  When one zooms out and looks at what Alabama fishermen pull in per year, it is well over one million pounds of blue crabs per year (at least as of 2016).

Bill Bayley, Sr. in the kitchen. (Source: AL.com)

While Bayley used blue crab to make his salad, the rest of the ingredients remain the same ... onions, cider vinegar, Wesson oil and very cold water (plus salt and pepper). He continued to serve this dish for thirty years, until Beyley's restaurant closed. Beyley continued with a catering business, taking his dishes across the Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and even as far away as Washington, D.C. 

The dish survived, as Bayley's son, Bill Bayley, Jr., opened his own smaller restaurant in the building that previously served as the catering kitchen for his father's restaurant. The West Indies Salad, along with other dishes created by his father, such as the Fried Crab Claws, were the centerpiece for the son's menu. People from all around came to Bayley's Seafood for the West Indies Salad, Fried Crab Claws and other dishes. Bayley, Jr. continued to operate his restaurant for another few decades, until he ultimately closed the doors in 2022. 

While the Bayleys' nearly 80-years of operating a restaurant and serving West Indies salad may have come to an end, the recipe and that dish continue to live on. Interestingly, the family held onto that recipe as a closely guarded secret. The secret was revealed in 1964, when it was published in a Junior League of Mobile cookbook. This is definitely one of the easiest dishes to make, and, it is a great one to serve to guests. For that reason, the recipe continues to live on in the Savage Bolek household.

WEST INDIES SALAD

Recipe from Food.com

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion
• 1 pound fresh lump crabmeat
• 4 ounces Wesson oil (or vegetable oil)
• 3 ounces cider vinegar
• 4 ounces ice water (as cold as you can get it)
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare the crabmeat. Spread half of the onion over the bottom of a large bowl. Cover with separated crab lumps. Add the remaining onion. Season with salt and pepper. Pour oil, vinegar and ice water over the onions and crab meat. Cover and marinate for 2 to 12 hours. 

2. Finish the dish. Toss lightly. Serve as a salad on a bed of letter or on crackers as an appetizer. 

PEACE.

P.S.: I actually posted a recipe for West Indies Salad fourteen years ago. This post will take the place of that old one. For the original blogpost on Chef Bolek (for what it is worth), click here.

Fish Pepper Sauce

"The story of the fish pepper really spoke to me. It was an homage to enslaved African foodways, and that influence in Chesapeake Bay cuisine...."

Denzel Mitchell, Jr.

In a world dominated by chiles like cayennes, jalapenos, serranos, and habaneros, there is one little known pepper. Its story is not tied to the Spanish and Portuguese caravels that cross from the new world to old, going east to west. Rather, the story revolves around people who traveled in the opposite direction, from east to west in brigs and schooners, namely, the nearly 12.5 million enslaved Africans who were taken from their homes to the new world.

The fish pepper was first cultivated somewhere in the Caribbean. The chiles made their way north, rather than east, to the Chesapeake Bay.

It is not entirely clear when fish peppers began to be cultivated in the Chesapeake region. One author, culinarian and historian, Michael Twitty, believes that, in the years after Haitian independence, Haitians brought the chiles to the Chesapeake region, where African-American slaves began to grow the peppers. There are also stories about how slaves would rub their feet with fish peppers to throw off the scent of the dogs as the slaves sought freedom. After the end of slavery, African-Americans throughout the Chesapeake Bay continued to grow fish peppers in their gardens. They also tended to use the peppers to flavor mostly seafood dishes. 

By the turn of the century, however, the fish pepper largely disappeared. The decline coincided with African Americans moving from the rural eastern shore to Baltimore and Washington, D.C., along with changing food styles.  Given the absence of written records from the African-American community during the times of slavery, as well as the dearth of records thereafter, the disappearance went largely unnoticed.

That was until the 1940s, when Horace Pippin made trades, offering seeds from the fish pepper to a local beekeeper in return for the use of his bees. (Pippin needed the bees for their stings, which was a well accepted remedy for arthritis at the time.) The beekeeper, H. Ralph Weaver, kept the seeds. Two generation's later, Weaver's grandson -- William Woys Weaver -- came across the jars of seeds. He shared the seeds with the Seed Savers Exchange; and, today, just about any fish pepper seeds one can find are the descendants of the Weaver's seeds.

Fish peppers set themselves apart from other chiles because of their multitude of colors. One can surely find red and orange peppers, but about 1 in every 50 will lack chlorophyll and be pale in color. As the picture above illustrates, I got quite a few red ones, which are more piquant than than the orange and green ones. 

I wanted to pay homage to the ingredient and the African-American foodways where it played an important role. I did quite a bit of research before I found myself back before Michael Twitty. I have read his books and am quite the fan of his important work. You can read about some of that work when I explored his recipes for Kitchen Pepper and for West African Style Broiled Lobster Tails.  Twitty has developed a recipe for Fish Pepper Sauce, which is a sauce that I could easily see being used to flavor seafood stews, or as a way to add flavor to other main courses. The recipe reminds me somewhat of eastern Carolina barbecue sauce, which is heavy on the vinegar and laced with hot peppers. (The eastern Carolina sauce also draws its roots from the cooking techniques of enslaved Africans.) 

The recipe is easy to make. The hardest part was waiting the two to three weeks before I could use it. Then again, that gave me some time to come up with recipes. There will definitely be more to come with respect to this sauce. 

FISH PEPPER SAUCE

Recipe from Michael Twitty, My Cooking Gene, pg. 24

Ingredients:

• 15 to 20 fish peppers
• Kosher salt
• 4 cups apple cider vinegar or rum

Directions:

1. Prep the fish peppers. Take fish peppers, and cut off the tops and tips of the pods. A few peppers, about 5, should be chopped to a pulp in a food processor. Add a pinch or two of salt. 

2.  Prep the sauce.  Take this pulp and place it at the bottom of a jar. The rest of the peppers can be sliced down the middle, exposing the seeds or left whole. Place them on top of the pulpy mixture and cover in the bottle with apple cider vinegar or rum. Shake well and let steep 2 to 3 weeks before using. 

PEACE.

Steamed Shrimp

Sometimes all one needs is a very simple recipe. Steamed shrimp is just that recipe. All one needs is shrimp, some liquid and a spice mix (and, if you like lemons with your seafood, then add a lemon). Heat the liquid in a pot with a steamer basket to a boil, which creates the steam, and then add the shrimp. Wait two minutes, remove the shrimp, sprinkler the spice mix, and serve immediately. It's that simple. 

The only other thing that I can say about this recipe is that, as simple as it is, there are variations that one can do to add some creativity to the dish. While I used a good lager beer to make this recipe, you can substitute a good white wine for the vinegar or beer. I would probably use a good Sauvignon Blanc or unoaked Chardonnay. You can also substitute any other spice bland for Old Bay or XO, but, given my love for the Chesapeake Bay area, I went with Old Bay. (I don't have any XO on hand.) 

This is a great recipe if you need a quick appetizer or finger food for guests. It is a helluva lot better than simple steamed shrimp.

STEAMED SHRIMP

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 16 large shrimp, deveined
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar or beer
• 2 tablespoons J.O. or Old Bay, plus extra for finish
• 1 lemon, quartered

Directions:

1. Prepare the boiling liquid. Place the water and cider vinegar/beer in a small to medium-sized pot. Add the J.O. or Old Bay and stir well. Place a steamer basket in the pot and bring to a boil. 

2.  Steam the shrimp. Once the water is boiling, place the shrimp in the pot and cover. Steam for 2-3 minutes. Remove immediately rom the steam once the shrimp have turned pink.

3. Finish the dish. Place the shrimp on a platter, sprinkle lightly with more J.O. or Old Bay. Serve immediately with the lemons. 

PEACE.

Whole Roasted Fish with Gullah Mopping Sauce

"Fishing is the heart of the Gullah Geechee People."

- Marquetta Goodwine, Chieftess of the Gullah Geechee Nation

It is said that, apart from the cuisine of the indigenous peoples,  Gullah cuisine may be one of the oldest foodways in North America. However, unlike native cuisine, Gullah cooking draws its roots from across the oceans. Those roots can be found in the ingredients used in, and preparation of dishes from across the African continent, from Senegal to Angola and beyond. I explored some of that history as it related to the use of rice in my post about Carolina Crab Rice.

Another important part of that history lies with the impact that  Gullah cuisine has had upon the ingredients and preparation of dishes in North America. For instance, there has been a long tradition of barbecue in Gullah cooking. The Gullah (and Geechee) live along the Atlantic coastline from North Carolina to northern Florida. Thus, the centerpiece of Gullah barbecue revolves around pork, particularly the whole hog. The barbecue is an event, centered around family first and then the pig, with sauce being little more than an afterthought. 

Somewhat ironically, it is the sauce that opened the first door into Gullah barbecue for me. I had spent quite a bit of time trying to find an authentic Gullah (or Geechee) barbecue recipe. My research led me to this recipe, Whole Roasted Fish with Gullah Mopping Sauce. By definition, a mopping sauce is a thin flavored liquid that a pitmaster "mops" over the smoked meat. The purpose of a mopping sauce is to add additional layers of flavor while helping to ensure that the meat remains moist through the smoking process. However, the use of fish seemed out of place (in my humble opinion) for Gullah cuisine, because everything I have read emphasized how pork was the principal protein for barbecue. 

In fact, the use of fish, even in a smoked preparation, is not so out of the ordinary in Gullah cuisine. The Gullah and Geechee have been fishing the local waters of the Carolinas since the 1600s. Indeed, many of the Gullah and Geechee were driven to the marshes, coastal inlets and islands, thereby making fishing an important means of survival. Put differently, fish plays an important role in the diet of the Gullah Geechee. Indeed, it was the primary source of protein in their diet prior to the Civil War. More importantly, as at least one study found, the Gullah Geechee are "motivated to fish by childhood experiences that were frequently interwoven into their daily lives and by a sense of cultural preservation of the role and value fishing and fish consumption carries in this population."   

In the end, it was an interesting insight into a culture that I know very little about. My hope is that this small insight will hopefully serve as the springboard into a deeper exploration of Gullah Geechee culture and cuisine. Only time will tell. 

WHOLE ROASTED FISH WITH GULLAH MOPPING SAUCE

Recipe from the James Beard Foundation

Serves 3

Ingredients (for the fish):

• 3 dressed whole trout (1 1/2 pound each)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 lemons, each sliced into 4 rings
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup of mopping sauce

Ingredients (for the mopping sauce):

• 2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 8-ounce can tomato juice
• 5 1/4-inch-wide paper thin slices of lemon rind (only the yellow rind, not white pith)
• 1 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• Dash of hot sauce

Directions:

1. Prepare the mopping sauce. Whisk the ingredients together in a sauce pot over medium heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool. Store this mopping sauce refrigerated in a jar for up to six months.

2. Prepare the trout. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat the fish dry inside and out with paper towels. Make 3 diagonal cuts through the skin on each side of the fish and place on a rimmed sheet pan. Generously and evenly pour the olive oil over the fish. Season the inside and out with cayenne pepper (or paprika), garlic powder, salt and turmeric. Gently stuff the thyme sprigs and lemon rings into the fish's belly. Scatter the tomatoes in the pan and pour the mopping sauce over the fish. 

3. Roast the fish. Roast the fish for 25 to 30 minutes, basting every 8 to 10 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the fish from teh oven and serve immediately. 

ENJOY!

Pavochon

I am becoming more and more convinced that the best way to prepare a whole turkey or a turkey breast is to treat it like a pork roast. It all started a few years ago when I decided to prepare a turkey in the style of an arista, which is a way in Tuscany to prepare pork roasts. I prepared the rub - an amazing mixture of rosemary, garlic, fennel seeds, cloves and lemon zest. That arista-style has become my go-to recipe, and, indeed, perhaps one of Chef Bolek's signature recipes. 

There also happens to be more than one way to prepare a pork roast, as this blog readily demonstrates. If you check out My Personal Cookbook or the Recipe Vault, you can find several different types of pork roast recipes.  

Recently, I decided that it was time to try to prepare a whole turkey or turkey breast in another pork roast style. As I noted above, there are a lot of different ways to prepare pork roasts. Ultimately, I decided to try to prepare a turkey in the style of a Puerto Rican lechon or pork roast. 

A few caveats at the outset. I have yet to prepare a pork roast in a lechon style. So, it seems a little presumptuous to skip over the pig and head straight to the turkey. Still, I had a turkey breast in the deep freeze and no pork roast on hand. So practicality won over technicality. A found a recipe for a turkey done in a lechon style -- or pavochon, with el pavo being Spanish for turkey -- on The Spruce Eats and decided to make it. 

The recipe had a bonus: I could make my own adobo spice mix. Adobo is typically made from garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and oregano; however, there are versions that include turmeric (like this one) and citrus zest. As you may know, the use of turmeric -- the golden spice -- turns everything to a golden yellow color. Everything including the outside of the turkey breast. 

Still, the recipe is relatively easy to make and the end product was good for a first time. To be sure, the next time I want to make lechon, it will be with a pork roast. 

PAVOCHON

Recipe for turkey from The Spruce Eats

Recipe for the adobo spice mix adapted from The Spruce Eats

Serves Several

Ingredients (for the adobo spice mix):

• 3 tablespoons salt
• 3 tablespoons granulated garlic
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 1 tablespoons black pepper
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon onion powder

Ingredients (for the turkey):

• 1 head of garlic (cloves separated and peeled)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon whole black pepper
• 3 tablespoons adobo
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 turkey (about 14 pounds) or turkey breast

Directions:

1. Prepare the adobo spice mix.  Combine the salt, granulated garlic, oregano, black pepper, turmeric and onion powder. Whisk the ingredients together until well mixed.

2. Prepare the marinade.  Mash the garlic and salt into a paste using a mortar and pestle. Add the peppercorns and adobo. Continue to mash the ingredients into a paste. Stir in the olive oil and apple cider vinegar into the mash. Rub the mixture under the skin and in the cavities, as well as on the skin, covering the entire turkey. Tie the legs together with twine.  Let the turkey rest at room temperature for 2 hours. 

3. Roast the turkey. Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast the turkey for about three hours or until the breast meat reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the thigh meat reaches 175 degrees Fahrenheit. 

4. Finish the dish. Once the turkey reaches the proper temperature, remove from the oven, cover and let rest for about 30 minutes. Carve and serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Wesley Jones' Barbecue and Antebellum Sauce

Federal Project Number 1. The moniker for a government program that employed upwards of 40,000 writers, musicians, artists and actors during the Great Depression.  The Federal government hired all of these individuals because, as the then-Secretary of Commerce Harry Hopkins bluntly put it, "Hell, they've got to eat too." However, there was two important principles underying Federal One, as the project became known: (1) in the time of need, the artist - no less than the manual worker - is entitled to employment as an artist, even at the public expense; and (2) the arts - no less than business, agriculture, and labor - are the immediate concern of the country. 

One of the initiatives of Federal One was the Federal Writers Project. This project within a project employed thousands of writers, historians, researchers, editors and others to do what they do best: preserve the American experience. They did what was asked of them; and, in the process, demonstrated the important contributions that they could make to our country. 

Most notably, the Federal Writers Project produced, Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from interviews with Former Slaves.  This work is a literary opus, bringing together 2,300 individual interviews of former slaves and 500 original pictures that span nearly 10,000 pages. My introduction to this literary composition placed me squarely in its middle. It was Volume XIV (of thirty-three parts).  This volume is entitled, South Carolina Narratives, Part 3. It includes the interviews of approximately 75 former slaves.

One of those slaves was Wesley Jones, who was interviewed on June 21, 1937. 

Wesley was born in 1840 on a plantation somewhere in Union County, South Carolina. During his interview, Wesley talked about what he would do for the plantation owner, such as driving him to church or goiong to a store in Sardis, South Carolina to pick up papers (or letters).  Today, the town of Sardis appears to be little more than a crossroads just south of an exit on Interstate 95. However, back in the 1850s, a lot more was apparently going on in that little town, especially at that store. According to Wesley, there were "big barbecues" at the Sardis store. 

As it turns out, Wesley had a role at those barbecues. He worked as the pitmaster.  Wesley recounted that, "on his 'karpets' (pit stakes), ... I had whole goats, whole hogs, sheep and de side of a cow." He also discussed how he prepared these meats:

Night befo' dem barbecues, I used to stay up all night a-cooking and basting de meats wid barbecue sass (sauce). It made of vinegar, black and red pepper, salt, butter, a little sage, coriander, basil, onion and garlic. Some folks drop a little sugar in it.  On a long pronged stick, I wraps a soft rag or cotton fer a swab, and I swabs dat meat 'till it drip into de fire. Dem drippings change de smoke into seasoned fumes dat smoke de meat.  We turn de meat over and swab it da way all night long 'till it ooze seasoning and bake all through.

This excerpt from the Slave Narrativees provides a first hand account of how African-American slaves prepared barbecue.  However, let's be honest, it is an account of how those slaves prepared barbecue for the white plantation class. Slaves would not have had access to whole goats, whole hogs, sheep and a side of a cow to prepare their own meals or meals for their families. They often only had the discarded cuts, the tough portions of an animal that required a slow cook over low temperatures in order to make them tender enough to eat.  

Yet, the story of Wesley Jones remains important.  It provides a starting point on an educational journey to explore the true roots of barbecue. Those roots originated with the enslaved and persecuted.  The problem is that much of the history of barbecue is not written by those who did the work. 

The picture shown above is a good metaphor for this point. It shows a person working the pit, mopping the meat as it smokes. You can see who is doing the work, except for his face. Countless African Americans and Native Americans, whose identities have been ignored or forgotten by history, contributed to what we all enjoy today when we eat some pulled pork or sliced brisket. It was their cooking traditions, along with those of the Native Americans, that constitute the origin story of American barbecue.

I want to learn more about their work. That is my goal with this post. I decided to recreate what Wesley Jones would prepare for the barbecues in Sardis. Thanks to the Federal Writers Project, and one of the Project's editors named Elmer Turnage, I have the words of Wesley Jones for a starting point.  

Wesley said that he spent the night "basting de meats wid barbecue sass" and "all night long I swabs dat meat...." These passages suggest that he used something that modern pitmasters could refer to as mop sauce.  It is basically a thin liquid - usually vinegar (if you are trying to tenderize the meat) or beer (if you want to add flavor) - with spices.  Wesley basically provided the ingredients for this sauce: vinegar, black pepper, red pepper, salt, butter, a little sage, coriander, basil, onion and garlic.  He also provided one additional tidbit of information.  Wesley noted that some people added sugar, which suggests that what he was describing was a fairly typical barbecue sauce for the time period. 

A mop sauce is applied during the cook.  The question remained what happens before the cook.  Wesley did not say how the meat was initially prepared. He made no mention of applying salt or spices to the meat in advance of cooking it. I gave it a lot of thought and I came up with two options. First, I could do a simple salt and pepper seasoning. Second, I could prepare a rub, using the ingredients for the barbecue sauce as a guide. I chose the second option. I used the dry ingredients and substituted onion powder and garlic powder for onions and garlic.  

As for the meat itself, I don't have access to whole goats, hogs, sheep or even a side of beef.  I did have a pork butt.  I applied the rub to the meat and let it rest for a while, as I got the smoker going.  Once the cook began, I used the mop sauce basically every hour. I decided to wrap the pork about half way through the cook to help maintain the moisture. I applied a lot of the mop sauce before I wrapped it to help keep the meat moist during the final hours of the cook.  

WESLEY JONES' BARBECUE

Adapted from the Slave Narratives, Vol. XIV, pg. 73 (1937)

Serves many

Ingredients (for the meat):

• 1 pork butt (between 6 to 9 pounds)
• 2 tablespoon of kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 1 teaspoon of dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed coriander seed

Ingredients (for the mop sauce):

• 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoon of kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 1 teaspoon of dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed coriander seed
• 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare the pork.  Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Season the pork butt with the rub on all sides until well covered. Cover the pork and allow it to rest for at least a few hours, if not overnight. 

2. Prepare the smoker.  Prepare a fire in the smoker, and, allow it to burn until the temperature reaches approximately 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Soak wood chunks (preferably hickory or oak) in water for at least an hour before smoking the pork. 

3. Smoke the pork.  Once the smoker is ready, oil the grates and place the pork in the smoker. Add a few chunks of wood, such as hickory or apple wood to the fire to create the smoke.  You may want to wrap the pork about halfway through the cook to help retain the moisture. 

4. Prepare the mop sauce. Combine all of the ingredients for the mop sauce and stir well.  With a barbecue mop, apply the mop sauce at least every hour to the pork. Smoke until the pork reaches an internal temperature of at least 185 degrees Fahrenheit. 

One caveat: the foregoing recipe is experimental.  After all, this was the first time that I tried to make this recipe.  It needs some refinement, especially with respect to the rub. I hope to be able to cook it again and make some improvements.  When I do, I will update this post. 

Finally, a reknown writer, culinary historian and educator -- Michael Twitty -- recreates a barbecue sauce that is based upon Wesley Jones' mop sauce. Twitty recommends applying this sauce toward the end of the cook as a light mop sauce or glaze.  I used it as a barbecue sauce that could be mixed in with the pork once it was chopped or pulled.   

ANTEBELLUM BARBECUE SAUCE

Recipe from Afroculinaria

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick of unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow or white onion, well chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 tablespoon of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 1 teaspoon of dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed coriander seed
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar or 4 tablespoons of molasses

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic until translucent.  Turn the heat down slightly and add vinegar, water, optional ingredients (sugar or molasses), salt and spices.  Stir and allow the mixture to cook gently for about 30 minutes to an hour.  Use this sauce as a light mop sauce or glaze during the last 15 to 30 minutes over the pit of coals and as a dip for the cooked meat. 

Michael also offers to options for this sauce.  The first option is to add 1/2 up of brown mustard and a bit more sugar to create a Carolina Mustard Sauce. The second option is to create a "red sauce" by adding two cans of tomato paste or 4 very ripe red or purple heirloom tomatoes (Large Red, Cherokee Purple, Brandywine or Amish Paste), and then cook it down for several hours on low heat to a comparable consistency, adding two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. 

*        *        *

As I noted above, this post is a starting point on a journey to explore the original roots of barbecue in America. I plan on doing more research on this subject and, over time, to continue posting what I have learned.  Thank you for taking the time to research this post; and, as always,

ENJOY!

Iron Chef: Octopus

If memory serves me right, it has been a long time since I have stepped foot in Savage Bolek Kitchen Stadium.  My last challenger -- Radish Sprouts -- got the better of me.  While the three dishes each highlighted a certain creativity (for who would have ever thought of a radish sprout broth), the execution fell short of the expectations that I had set for myself. 

After that challenge, I decided to take a sabbatical from the Iron Chef battles. I needed to work on my creativity, my skills and my dishes.  As the days, weeks and months passed, I spent my time trying new foods, cooking with new ingredients, and honing my skills. 

But, as helpful as this time away from Savage Bolek Kitchen Stadium has been, the Iron Chef must return to face another challenger.  A challenger who could be as creative and crafty as the Iron Chef.  Coming from far away, this challenger will present the Iron Chef with many more opportunities to express not only his creativity, but his love for cuisines around the world.

Allow me to introduce the challenger ... OCTOPUS. 

FIRST COURSE

The first course is a nod to Japanese cuisine, with Taku Su, a cold salad that combines octopus with cucumbers and seaweed.  All of the ingredients are tied together with a vinaigrette of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar with sugar and salt to round out the taste .

TAKO SU (OCTOPUS SALAD)

Recipe from Just One Cookbook

Serves 2

Ingredients (for the octopus):

1/4 pound octopus cooked, sliced thinly

1/2 English Cucumber

1/2 tablespoon dried wakame seaweed

1/2 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds

Ingredients (for the vinaigrette):

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon toasted white sesame seeds

Directions:

1.  Prepare the octopus. Slice the octopus very thinly.  

2. Prepare the cucumber.  Alternatively peel a 1/2 inch side strip lengthwise, leaving a strip intact.  With this method, the cucumber slices have some decorative dark green accents and a little bit of extra crunchiness.  Cut the cucumber into small pieces using the cutting technique Rangiri.

3.  Prepare the seaweed.  In a small bowl, soak the dried seaweed in warm water.  Let it soak for 15 minutes.  Drain and squeeze the liquid out.  Set aside.

4.  Prepare the vinaigrette.  In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette.

5.  Finish the dish.  Add the cucumber, octopus, seaweed and sesame seeds and toss all together.  Chill in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes.  Serve immediately.  

SECOND COURSE

The second course takes its inspiration from Mexican cuisine, with the octopus being served with a sauce featuring the smoky heat of ancho chiles and the sweetness of honey.  Much like the Tako Su, the mild flavors of the octopus work as a tableau upon which the flavors of the sauce can show themselves.  The hardest part is making sure that the octopus itself, as the secret ingredient, is not eclipsed by that sauce. 

GRILLED OCTOPUS WITH ANCHO HONEY SAUCE

Recipe adapted from Tom Colicchio

Serves 2

Ingredients (for the octopus):

1/2 pound octopus tentacle, cooked

Ingredients (for the sauce):

2 dried ancho chiles
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons of honey
1/8 cup of grapeseed oil or vegetable oil

Directions:

1.  Prepare the sauce.  Toast the chiles over moderate heat, turning, until fragrant and pliable, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the vinegar, honey and garlic and bring just to a simmer.  Remove from the heat and let stand until the chiles are softened, about 20 minutes.  transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.  With the machine on, add the grapeseed or vegetable oil until incorporated.  Season the sauce with salt.

2.  Prepare the grill or broiler.  Heart the grill or broiler.  Grill the cooked tentacle until the suckers start to crisp and brown around all of the edges, about 4 minutes.

THIRD COURSE

For the final dish, I draw upon Hawaiian cuisine.  This is a play on the popular dish of Ahi Poke; however, instead of the rare tuna being the star of the poke, it is octopus.  The avocado, tomato and onions in this dish, combined with the lemon juice, provide a very bright background that allows the octopus to take the center stage.  The fish sauce provides that salty, umami flavor that rounds out the dish . 

HAWAIIAN OCTOPUS POKE

Recipe adapted from Cookpad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/2 pound octopus tentacle, cooked

1 avocado
1/2 tomato
1/4 onion
1 bunch green onions
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1/2 clove grated garlic
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

Directions:
1. Prepare the avocado. Pit the avocado, peel and dice.  Put the diced avocado into a bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to prevent discoloring.

2.  Prepare the onion.  Cut the onion in half and slice thinly along the grain.

3.  Prepare the octopus.  Slice the octopus.  Put it in a bowl and mix with the fish sauce and garlic.

4.  Prepare the rest of the ingredients.  Cut the tomato roughly and chop a generous amount of green onions.

5.  Combine ingredients: Put the avocado, onion, tomato, green onions, sesame oil and white sesame seeds in a bowl and mix.  Chill in the refrigerator.

6.  Plate the dish.  Just before plating, add the octopus and mix well.  

Pork Vindaloo

Vindaloo is one of my favorite dishes in Indian cuisine; and, as it turns out, it is one of those dishes that did not originate in India.  The name "vindaloo" is derived from carne de vinha d'alhos, a Portuguese dish consisting of meat marinated in wine and vinegar.  In preparation for long voyages, meat and garlic would be packed in alternate layers in barrels, and then soaked in wine.  The barrels were loaded onto ships and went wherever the Portuguese explorers went. Those barrels made to the Indian subcontinent during the 15th century.  The Portuguese colonized Goa, where Indian cooks added their own local twists to the marinated meat. There was no wine/vinegar in the subcontinent, so vinegar was fermented from palm wine.  The Indian cooks also added tamarind, black pepper, cardamom and cinnamon to the dish.  Those cooks also added something else that the Portuguese brought with them, namely, chiles.

The dish evolved over time. When the British established themselves on the subcontinent, they were happy to encounter this dish, which was cooked by Christian cooks in Goa.  These cooks were not limited by religion or caste, and, therefore, prepared the dish using meats such as beef and pork. The British also managed to take this dish and turn it into what it is today ... something that has less of a vinegar punch and. according to Lizzy Collingham in an article for Saveur, a dish whose "balance of different spices has been lost under a blistering excess of chiles."

This recipe does not come from Goa, but it does come from the cookbook, 660 Curries, that my parents gave to me as a gift. The book had a few different versions of vindaloo, but this one was the easiest of the recipes.  Given that I have not made vindaloo before, I decided to use that easy recipe.  While this is a very delicious and hot dish, the one thing that I noted is the lack of a "curry."  In other words, the recipe was more of a dry curry than a wet one. Ironically, this may be a little closer to the what would have been an original version of vindaloo, as opposed to the more modern versions of the dish.

My first attempt at Vindaloo is a modest success. I wish there was more of a curry sauce.  The lack of a sauce may have been my own doing, as opposed to the recipe.  Nevertheless, I plan on trying those other vindaloo recipes, as well as exploring the variety and range of vindaloos (like, for example, duck vindaloo).  So, stay tuned!

PORK VINDALOO

Recipe from Raghavan Iyer, 660 Curries, pg. 229

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon cumin seeds
8 lengthwise slices fresh ginger (each 2 inches long, 1 inch wide and 1/4 inch thick)
8 medium size garlic cloves
8 dried red Thai or cayenne chiles, stems removed
1 cinnamon stick
1 pound boneless pork loin chops, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems for garnish

Directions:

1.  Prepare the onion paste.  Pour the vinegar into a blender jar, and then add the cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, chiles and cinnamon stick.   Puree, scrapping the inside of the jar as needed, to form a pulpy, gritty paste that smells potent hot.

2.  Marinate the pork.  Place the pork in a bowl and pour the paste over it.  Sprinkle with the salt and turmeric and stir it all together.  Refrigerate, covered, for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight, to allow the flavors to mingle.

3.  Saute the pork.  Heat the oil in a medium size skillet over medium high heat.  Add the pork, marinade and all, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it is browned, 10 to 12 minutes (The meat will initially stew; then, once the liquid evaporates, it will sear and brown.) 

4.  Finish the dish.  Pour in 1/2 cup of water and scrape the bottom of the skillet to deglaze it.  Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally until the pork is tender, about 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with the cilantro and serve. 

ENJOY!

Project Maryland BBQ: Part 3, The Sauce

Barbecue styles are not just about the protein, but, also about the sauce (or, in some cases, the lack of sauce).  Many well established barbecue styles have a particular sauce that helps to define that style. The best example of a sauce that defines a barbecue style can be found in northern Alabama. Think Big Bob Gibson's Barbecued Chicken with White Sauce.  Chicken smoked low and slow, finished off in a bath of a barbecue sauce that is part vinegar, part apple juice and part mayonnaise. 

And, in some cases, the sauce can draw the borders of the barbecue. The Carolinas provide the best example of those borders.  Carolina barbecue is pork centric, usually whole hog or pulled pork.  Nevertheless, there is Eastern Carolina barbecue, which is known for its thin, peppery vinegar sauce. If one traveled west toward Lexington, North Carolina, pitmasters add tomatoes to that vinegar sauce or, as they call it, the "dip," That tomato/vinegar sauce is the defining characteristic of Lexington style or Piedmont style barbecue.  And, if that person then travels south, he or she will find that pitmasters use mustard, which is thinned with the vinegar.  That mustard sauce is the cornerstone of South Carolina style barbecue.

Yet, all of the sauces that I have discussed are not even the most well known sauces.  When most people think about barbecue sauce, they think of Kansas City.  A thick sauce, with both sweet and tangy characteristics, that is often slathered on ribs. The sauce is usually made with ketchup, molasses, vinegar, and brown sugar (which gives you an idea where both the sweet and tangy come from), along with a variety of spices to add depth.   A variant of Kansas City style barbecue sauce could be found in Memphis, where the sauce is thinner, and more vinegar based.

With all of this said, the question is, if there was a Maryland style of barbecue, what sauce would be part of that style?

Eastern Carolina BBQ Sauce

One would think that, due to its proximity to the Carolinas, a Maryland-style sauce would be, at the very least, influenced by the use of vinegar, if not vinegar based. Vinegar base sauces have made their way, to differing extents, into Virginia.  So, it is not too difficult to imagine vinegar based sauces in Maryland.  Indeed, if one were to check out local BBQ joints in the Delmarva, he or she would probably fine examples of a vinegar BBQ sauce.  The sauce is not a true vinegar sauce as one would find in eastern Carolina.  Rather, it is probably closer to a Lexington barbecue sauce, because there is usually tomato in the sauce.

With the use of tomatoes (whether sauce or ketchup), I think that brings us closer to what the barbecue sauce would be with a Maryland style of barbecue. But, I don't think that the sauce would go so far as to be a thick, sweet or smoky sauce that one would find in Kansas City barbecue, or even in Memphis barbecue.  I think that the sauce would be a little more basic; tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, and spices.  In this regard, I think I would go there and add some Old Bay, because that spice mix is quintessential Maryland.

So, in the end, I decided to make a Maryland barbecue sauce.  I started with a simple sauce from the New York Times.  That sauce had good proportions of tomato (ketchup), vinegar (apple cider) and sugar (I used dark brown sugar, which I prefer in sauces), along with the use of smoked paprika, which gives a little hint of smoke to the finished product. The original recipe also provides for the use of cumin, and, it is a very cumin-forward sauce.  I decided to swap out the cumin with the Old Bay, which, surprisingly enough, does not stick out as much as the cumin did. The end result is pictured below and it worked out very well.

MARYLAND-STYLE BARBECUE SAUCE

Recipe adapted from NYT Cooking

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

2/3 cup ketchup

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons pimenton (smoked Spanish paprika)

1 teaspoon Old Bay

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes.

ENJOY!