Serrage Poulet

They were once known as Folhavahi or Hollhavai. The names given to atolls and islands located in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Atolls and islands in which Maldivian sailors found themselves stranded. Apart from providing some safety for endangered sailors, no one had any other interest in these little specks of brown that dotted an ocean of blue. 

Portuguese explorers eventually "found" the atolls and islands in the early 16th century. They gave the archipelago the name of Bassas de Chagas, but they never claimed any of the atolls or islands.  The first claim was made about one hundred years later, after the French settled Reunion in 1665 and Ile de France (now known as Mauritius) in 1715. The French began to issue permits to companies to establish coconut plantations in the 1770s. The French also established the first colony on the largest island, Diego Garcia in 1793. With the colony and the plantations, slaves were forcibly brought to the archipelago from Madagascar and Mozambique.

The British gained control over the atolls and islands, as well as Mauritius and the Seychelles, with the Treaty of 1814. Despite the change in control, the work on the coconut plantations continued. In addition to coconuts, Diego Garcia also became a stop on the slave trade. This brought Malay slaves to the archipelago. The British eventually freed the slaves in 1835, and, many continued to work on the plantations.  Those workers were joined by Indian laborers from the subcontinent.

Clement Saitous, Scene de la viequotidienne a la ville de
Perhos Banhos, 1950 Photograph: Simon Preston Gallery

The different peoples -- Africans, Indians, Malay, as well as Europeans -- developed their own Creole culture.  They became known as the Creole des Iles or the Ilois; and, they spoke Chagossian Creole, a variant of French Creole. For more than a century, the Ilios grew in number and began to settle some of the outlying islands.

This post is about those people, the Ilios.  Despite living under European control for more than three centuries, the Ilios maintained their own identity. An identity in which, according to one thesis, women were viewed as equals to men, Women are often the heads of the households, because the population on the islands were predominantly female. The Ilios developed their own creole language, with its own vocabulary.  They created their own traditions, their own music, and their own way of life.

When it comes to their cuisine, some say their cusine draws from Mauritian cuisine or Seychellois cuisine, groups of islands that are "neighbors" to the Chagos Islands. However, it may be just as likely that the cuisine of the Chagos Islands drew upon the influences that make up the the Ilois people.  Those influences come from the slaves and laborers who were brought from Africa and Southeast Asia, as well as came from India.  That is perhaps the reason why a dish such as Serrage Poulet makes sense.  The use of turmeric is a hint of South African cuisine; and, the use of garam masala underscores the cuisine of the subcontinent. The use of these spices, along with coconut milk evokes curries across southern and southeast Asia. It all comes together in this one dish.

SERRAGE POULET (CHICKEN IN COCONUT MILK)

Recipe from Travel by Stove and Food.com

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cubed

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 inch of ginger, grated

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 can of coconut milk (14 ounces)

2 cinnamon sticks

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Prepare the chicken.  Combine the ginger, turmeric, garam masala, and cayenne pepper.  Mix the spices well.

2.  Saute the chicken.  Heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the chicken and saute until browned and evenly cooked. 

3.  Finish the dish. Add the coconut milk and the cinnamon sticks.  Bring to a boil and the reduce to a simmer.  Continue to cook until the chicken is completely cooked.  Remove from the heat and serve immediately with white rice. 

*     *     *

What is amazing to me is how the Ilios they maintained their culture and identity over decades and, indeed, centuries. That culture thrived despite the exploitative systems imposed under colonialism and the post-colonial period. It thrive despite the fact that the Ilios did not own their homes.  It thrived despite the fact that they relied upon corporations and governments for much of what they needed. It lives on today, despite injustices at the hands of the governments of both the United Kingdom and the United States. It is an injustice that robbed them of their homeland. That injustice will be the subject of the next post about the Chagossian people and their cuisine. Please stay tuned....

Chef Bolek's Half Turkey Breast

This is a basic recipe.  It is something that I go to when I am very busy and need something that requires very little prep.  The only thing that needs to be done is the rub.  And, even the rub is simplified so that it can be prepared in a couple of seconds.

The base of the rub is onion powder and garlic powder.  The flavor elements include thyme, coriander and fennel seeds.  (I have recently been on a big fennel kick, especially in roasting, grilling and even barbecue.) All of those ocmponents are just 1 teaspoon.  Additional flavor comes from some stronger herbs, both rosemary and sage. I reduced the amounts for each of these two herbs to half teaspoons each. The rub is completed with a teaspoon of salt and freshly ground black pepper.  The work is complete. 

This is a great recipe to make on the weekend.  Once the breast is roasted and sliced, then you can make turkey sandwiches for lunch during the week.  It is a great way to skip the processed meats in the deli section of the local grocery store. 

CHEF BOLEK'S HALF TURKEY BREAST

A Chef Bolek Original 

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 half turkey breast, about 3 to 4 pounds
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, cracked
1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 cup of wateror more if needed
1/8 cup of olive oil, more if needed

Directions;
1.  Prepare the turkey breast.  Combine all of the dried ingredients and mix well.  Brush olive oil all over the turkey breast.  Sprinkle the herb/spice mix all over the turkey breast.

2.  Roast the turkey breast.  Preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Place the breast in a roasting pan, add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water around the edge of the breast. Roast the turkey breast in the oven until it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The end temperature is 165 degrees, but the breast will continue to cook for several minutes afer being removed from the oven. Remove from the oven, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.  Slice thinly and serve immediately or refrigerate for use in sandwiches later.

ENJOY!

Classic Roasted Bone Marrow

I was there for another reason.  I really can't remember it now.  But, I stood at the counter of a local butcher shop ready to purchase something.  Perhaps it was a pork butt.  Maybe it was a brisket point.  Whatever it was, it did not matter. As I waited for the meat, I wandered over to the freezer.  I saw it.  Two long bones, split to reveal the bone marrow.  I knew that I had to buy it.

One of my most favorite things to eat is roasted bone marrow.  If anyone searched through this blog post, he or she would probably find at least five or six recipes in which bone marrow was used as an ingredient.  At one point in time, I had a good source for bone marrow.  The cut were usually small vertical cuts, little disks with just enough marrow to fill a teaspoon or a tablespoon (if one was lucky). That source disappeared long ago, as did the bone marrow recipes. 

Things were different at the butcher shop. These were long marrow bones, cut horizontally. The bone holding in a nice long strip of marrow.  The type of bones that one could order at a fancy restaurant. The types of bones that I would order at a fancy restaurant. 

As wonderful as this ingredient can be, the best part about bone marrow is how simple it is to make. This is perhaps one of the easiest recipes out there. Set the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, a little salt and pepper, and roast for about twenty minutes.  Pull the bones out and garnish them with whatever you want (I like a little roasted garlic and fresh flat leaf parsley). That's it.  Spoon out that wonderful marrow onto some toasted bread and enjoy! 

CLASSIC ROASTED BONE MARROW

Recipe adapted from Honest Cooking

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 marrow bone, cut vertically
2-3 cloves of garlic, roasted, diced
1 clove garlic for the bread
2 teaspoons of flat leaf parsley, minced finely
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
Toasted bread slices

Directions:
1.  Roast the bones.  Preheart the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cover a sheet pan with aluminum foil.  Place the bones on the pan, cut side up.  Season wtih salt and pepper.  Roast the bones in the oven for 20 minutes.

2.  Toast the bread.  Grill the bread on a hot grill or toast the bread using your toaster.  Peel the garlic clove and rub one side of the bread.  Do not push too hard on the bread, the point is to get the taste and aroma of the garlic on the bread.

3.  Finish the dish.  Once the bones are roasted, remove the pan from the oven. Carefully and safely transfer the hot bones to a serving plate, garnish with roasted garlic and  parsley.

ENJOY!

Jailbreak's Oats & Toffee & Chocolate & Stuff

When it comes porters and stouts, I generally like them simple.  Perhaps I am old fashioned in that respect.  These beers are classics in and of themselves.  The style comes out of London, where brewers were making dark beers in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.  The beers started out as strong beers, beloved by local street and river porters (hence, the name porter).  The strong porters eventually went out of style, and, brewers reinvented the style in a milder form, which is the predecessor to the typical porter or stout thart one sees today. 

Many brewers have reverse engineered the stout and porter, in a sense of speaking. There has been a big push for imperial versions of the beer, pushing the ABVs up in a probably unintended, but quite coincidental nod to the original stout or porter style. I love imperial porters and stouts.  It is when the brewers take the next step ... adding stuff to the beer ... that I start to have reservations.

When Jailbreak Brewing released its Oats & Toffee & Chocolate & Stuff Imperial Stout, I had those reservations.  I had taken my parents to the Jailbreak Brewing taphouse for lunch and my dad ordered a flight.  This was one of the beers on that flight.  Skeptical, I just ordered the barleywine.  My dad ultimatley bought a four pack (at bit pricey) and left one for me to try.  I eventually opened it the beer and tried it.  It was quite the surprise. 

This beer is an Imperial Oat Milk Stout with Toffee and Chocolate; and, its ABV is a respectable 10.1%. The brewers describe the beer as a "liquid heath bar," with "a plentiful addition of liquid cacao" and a "big hit of peanut butter-esque English toffee upfront followed by pleasing milk chocolate. All of these descriptions. Ordinarily, I want my beer to be a beer, not a snack.  

With that said, this beer was actually pretty good.  The beer poured pitch black, like motor oil, which is the perfect color for a stout. The sweetness was inescapable in the aroma, as the toffee and the chocolate greet the nose almost immediately.  That sweetness was also the primary feature of the taste. In this regard, the milk chocolate was very prominent, making it a little difficult to focus on the chocolate aspects to the flavor.  

Overall this is a very good beer.  I believe it was brewed as a one-off, a version of a line of stouts that Jailbreak has been doing.  Given how great Jailbreak is as a brewery, I should not have had any reservations at all about this beer.  Until next time ...

ENJOY!

Smoked Rack of Pork Peri-Peri

One of my bucket list items as a cook is to prepare a Smoked Rack of Pork Vindaloo, using Vikram Suderam's recipe in his book Rasika: Flavors of India.  (Actually, the bucket list is to recreate a dinner at Rasika but in my house, including dishes such as Palak Chaat, Calamari Balchao and others). When I bought a bone-in pork roast, I thought this might be the opportunity. However, it was not.  The roast was not ideal (the roast was not cut well, which explains why it was so cheap).  I would also have to go to at least two grocery stores, and, I wanted to prepare this meal for family and guests.  Given the current limitations in this time of social distancing, I would have to put off my bucket list item for a future date. 

That doesn't mean that I could not at least use Chef Suderam's recipes as an inspiration.  Chef Suderam uses a very spice chile paste, which he refers to as a peri-peri paste, as the base for his vindaloo (and other dishes).  The basic piri-piri paste recipe in his book produces a cup, which was enough to use by itself as a rub or marinade for this pork roast. 

However, I got to thinking about those chiles. Although a Goan dish, vindaloo can traces its origins to Portuguese explorers and colonizers. Goa was a Portguese colony until 1961. The Portuguese were known for introducing peppers to their colonies, including those in Angola and Mozambique. Once the peppers took root, figuratively and literally, the cultivation spread beyond the borders of both countries. Today, peri-peri chiles are grown and processed in Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Uganda. The reach of the peppers extends as far as Nigeria and Ghana in western sub-Saharan Africa. 

Returning to Rasika, for the moment, Chef Suderam does not use peri-peri peppers for his vindaloo.  Instead, the chef uses Kashmiri chiles to make his peri-peri paste.  Despite the name, these peppers are not grown in Kashmir (or Jammu and Kashmir). Instead, they are principally cultivated in the southwestern Indian state of Karnatka. The Kashmiri chile is relartively mild, clocking in at around 2,000 Scoville units. At this level, the Kashmiri chile is in the company of some well known peppers, such as the passilla, ancho and and poblano peppers. This low level of heat makes the Kashmiri chile particularly popular in cooking, but that popularity is probably more due to the fact that the chile contributes a deep red hue to any curry dish.

It may be just happenstance that Karnatka is just due east of Goa, the Indian state where the famed vindaloo curry calls its home. This geographical relationship provides an explanation for the use of Kashmiri chiles in Chef Suderam's own recipe for vindaloo.  In any event, this recipe put a dent in my Kashmiri chile supply.  Given all of the recipes that I want to make in Rasika, many of which use these chiles, I am going to need to buy some more chiles very soon.  

SMOKED RACK OF PORK PERI-PERI

Peri-Peri Paste from Vikram Suderam, Rasika: Flavors of India, pg. 29

Serves several

Ingredients (for the paste):

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns

8 whole cloves

5 green cardamom pods

1 inch cinnamon stick, crushed

1/4 ounce (about 1 cup of stemed dried Kashmiri chiles, with seeds

5 medium garlic cloves 

1 cup malt vinegar or red wine vinegar

Ingredients (for the pork):

1 six-bone rack of pork

Hickory wood

Directions:

1.  Make the paste.  In a spice grinder, grind the cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom pods and cinnamon into a powder.  Transfer to a small blender.  Add the chiles, garlic and vinegar. Blend for 10 full minutes, shaking the container or scraping it down every now and then.  The paste should be a deep adobe red, smooth and the texture of a thick tomato sauce. 

2.  Prep the pork.  In a large bowl, coat the rack of pork on all sides with the paste.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, but preferably 24 hours.

3.  Prepare the smoker.  Bring a smoker to a temperature between 250 degrees and 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a drip pan filled with 2 cups of water) under where the pork will sit (if you have a lower rack, or between the coals.  Place the pork on the rack and use a rubber spatula to scrape out any of the marinade left in the bowl and slather it over the top of the pork.

4.  Smoke the Pork.  Smoke the pork roast until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.  Remove the roast and let it rest, covered with aluminium foil for about 15 to 20 minutes.  At this point, you can either slice off the bones and then slice the roast into relatively thin cutlets or you can leave the bones on and slice thicker cutlets.  

ENJOY!

Nyonya-Style Steak

One would think during these times of stay-at-home orders, I would be doing a lot of cooking.  While I am doing some cooking, it is not as much as I would like. There are a couple of reasons.  Work, of course, is one of the main reasons.  The other reason is that I really don't like going to the grocery stores right now.  It is not as enjoyable as it once was.  I have spent quite a bit of my spare time researching how to order directly from farms and other local suppliers.  

Still, I have my fair shares to continue with my cooking hobby.  My beautiful Angel recently bought a couple of sirloin steaks when she went to the grocery store.  I went online looking for recipes and found a recipe for "Nonya-Style Flank Steak" from Steven Raichlen.  According to Steven Raichlen, it is a recipe of steak, Malaysian "Grandmother"-style.  The "style" is defined by the of oyster sauce, anise (or Chinese Five Spice) and topped with fried garlic. As much as I love Steven Raichlen and his contribution to cooking and cuisine (I am a big fan of all his shows), there is a little more to the Nonya-style.

Initially, it is Nyonya, not Nonya. The Nyonya (or Baba Nyonya) are the descendants of the Peranakan Chinese.  The Peranakan Chinese left what is now Guangdong and Fujian in modern-day China.  They emigrated to the Malay peninsula and the islands of what are now Indonesia. The emigration began in the 10th century but mostly took place from the 15th to the 17th centuries.  Thus, the Nyonya are a subculture of Chinese descendants who live in modern-day Malaysia. Those who live in Penang, Malacca and Singapore refer to themselves as Baba Nyonya.

In researching the cuisine of the Nyonya, I came across a very detailed research paper by Chien Y. Ng and Shahrim B. Karim, which can be found here. Both Ng and Karim discuss the historical and contemporary influences on Nyonya cuisine in their paper. They generally describe that cuisine as "a product of of cultural borrowing and cultural innovation through exposure to local sources of food such as ingredients and food preparation, that are non-Chinese." In other words, given the roots from whence they came, the starting point is Chinese cuisine. Once they reached the Malay peninsula, some of the ingredients they would have have used were no longer available or easily attainable.  This is where other cultures, such as the Malay, could fill in the gaps.  This allowed the Nyonya to adapt Chinese cuisine to life on the Malay peninsula.

Commonalities between Nyonya and Malay cuisine emerged over time, particularly when it came ot the use of certain ingredients. Both cuisines extensively use pungent roots (such as turmeric, galangal and ginger), leaves (laksa leaves, galangal leaves, and coriander leaves), spices (cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin and nutmeg) and other ingredients (such as lemongrass and tamarind).  One other common ingredient between the two cuisines is the use of chiles. both dried and fresh.

Ng and Karim posit there are three types of Nyonya dishes: (1) traditional Chinese (Hokkien) dishes; (2) Malay-style dishes; and (3) innovated foods. Returning to Steven Raichlen's recipe, the use of oyster sauce, soy sauce, garlic, and turmeric make it hard to distinguish where this recipe draws its inspiration within those types.  Those ingredients are common in both Chinese and Malay cuisine.  It is perhaps the use of Chinese five spice (which is really a Chinese ingredient) that would put this dish in the first category (if categorization were possible).

Overall, this is a very good recipe for a steak, especially when one may be short on time. It was also a great recipe because it got me to look a little further into a culture and cuisine which I never knew about.  That is what cooking means to me.

I just have to remember the fried garlic slices.  Always something for the next time .... 

NYONYA-STYLE STEAK

Recipe adapted from Steven Raichlen

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 poounds of flank steak, sirloin steak or any steak

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons of oyster sauce
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons of Chinese five-spice powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt.

Directions:

1.  Prepare the marinade.  Heat oil in a small skill over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook until golden brown, about 1 minute.  Transfer the garlic to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.  Pour the garlic flavored oil into a heatproof mixing bowl and let cool to room temperature.  Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, Chinese five spice, turmeric, and pepepr to the garlic oil.  Season with salt to taste.  Pour the marinade over the flank steak, turn it to coat both sides.  Let the steak marinate in the refrigerator, covered, 1 to 4 hours, turning it once or twice.

2. Grill the steak.  Heat a grill on high heat.   Brush and oil the grate.  Drain the steak and arrange it on a hot grate at a diagonal to the bars.  Grill the steak until cooked to taste, about 3 to 5 minuts for medium rare.  Transfer the grille dsteak to a platter and let it rest for 2-3 minutes. Thinly slice the steak and serve it with the fired garlic slices sprinkled on top.

ENJOY!

Aluna

The Aluna is, to say the least, elusive.  I came across the beer at a Made in Maryland event, where the brewer Peabody Heights had a table.  Peabody Heights is a brewer located in the Charles Village area of Baltimore (which was originally known as Peabody Heights). The brewery is somewhat unusual, offering small brewers the opportunity to brew their beers under the guidance of master brewers. Peabody Heights brews its own beer, with three year around beers (a wit, a pale ale and an IPA) and a host of seasonal beers.  

When I visited the Peabody Heights website, there was no sign of the Aluna. Nothing. There were the three year around beers.  There were 13 seasonal beers. No Aluna.  I searched the Internet, but had more success finding Aluna, a documentary film about a Kogi tribe stepping out of its isolation into the modern world.  Hardly a movie about beer.

All that I have to go on is the can.

The can declares that it is an Imperial Milk Stout.  The style tends to be a sweet stout, which comes from the use of lactose.  There are some of the more common elements one would expect from a stout, such as chocolate notes. 

The Aluna stands apart, primarily from the brewers use of peanut butter, chocolate and vanilla wafers.  That's right. Vanilla wafers.  When one takes a look at the pitch black, oily liquid, one does not expect wafers.  But as the aromatic elements waft into one's nose, the wafers are front and center.  They also feature prominently in the taste of the beer. Every sip is full of those wafers, with the chocolate and peanut butter notes playing supporting roles.  This combination of sweetness, vanilla and chocolate makes for a very drinkable milk stout.  With an ABV of 8%, the alcohol catches up with you after a while.

The Aluna is a very good milk stout.  I say that, even though milk stouts are not perhaps my most favorite style of beers.  (Indeed, I am not a big fan of adding lactose to beer, and, generally, steer away from those beers.)  If you find this beer on a shelf, it is defintely worth a try. 

ENJOY!

Jerked Octopus

I am a huge fan of the Jamaican jerk style of cooking.  The combination of spices and peppers, along with the smoky notes used when cooked over wood is perhaps one of the best ways to cook proteins.  When it comes to the protein, one most often sees jerked chicken. However, the cooking process has also been used for pork, beef, goat and lamb.  It has even been used for shrimp and shellfish.  

I have prepared jerked chicken in the past, but I got to thinking that this style and process of cooking seemed perfect for octopus. Generally speaking, a common way to prepare octopus is to marinate the tentatcles and then grill it. This cooking technique is perhaps best known from the octopus dishes prepared in Greece. The basic method of cooking remains the same, the only differences would be the marinade and (in theory) the actual cooking process (that is, the wood used if one were using wood).  In the end, those differences do not really matter, because the overall style of jerk cooking seemed to be a natural fit for octopus.  And, it was.

I went back to some old jerk recipes to come up with a good jerk marinade for the octopus. The key to the marinade is the use of allspice and, of course, the scotch bonnet pepper (or a habanero, if your local market does not have the scotch bonnet).  Other spices, such as cloves, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg help to round out the marinade.  Once the marinade is ready, the tentacles should be marinated for at least a few hours, but overnight may be preferable.     

When it comes to cooking, if one wants to be authentic, then he or she would grill the octopus over the coals from a pimento wood fire.  I did not have any pimento wood.  So, I grilled the tentacles on my gas grill.  It worked just as well when it came to the requisite charring of the edges, but, it will lakc the smoky element that only grilling over hardwood can give.  (One could always cheat and add a little smoked paprika to the marinade, but I did not cheat with this recipe.) I was fine without the smoky taste.  The octopus was just too damn good to even care. 

JERKED OCTOPUS

Adapted from recipe from Food Stories

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 package of precooked octopus, about 2 pounds

1 1/2 tablespoons of allspice (freshly ground is best)

1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed

4 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon thyme

1 bunch scallions (white part, chopped)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

3 Scotch bonnet chiles (deseeded)

Juice of 2 large limes

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Marinade the octopus. Blend the allspice, sugar, cloves, thyme, scallions, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, chiles, lime juice.  Insert skewers through the octopus to straighten the tentacles.  Combine the marinade with the octopus and allow it to marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours, or overnight. 

2.  Grill or broil the octopus.  Cook the octopus over direct heat, flipping frequently until a little charred, brushing every now and then with the marinade (because the octopus is already precooked, there is no worry about contamination).  Serve immediately with a side, such as Jamaican rice and peas. 

ENJOY!

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Dominican Republic

When it comes to my personal culinary challenge, Around the World in 80 Dishes, the selection of the country is sometimes left to chance and sometimes intentional.  When my beautiful Angel purchased sixteen pounds of goat meat for me to cook, that led to some specific challenges.  There was the Guyanese Goat Curry, which satisfied the challenge to make a main dish from the country of Guyana.  Then there was the Jollof Rice with Goat, which satisfied the challenge for the country of Ghana.  A couple of other specific challenges followed, which involved Tonga and, most recently, Myanmar. 

Now, I am returning to the random country selection. The first country that came up was the Dominican Republic; and, quite coincidentially, the main course to be selected is Chivo Guisado, or goat stew.  However, before I get to the challenge, some background is necessary. 

The Dominican Republic lies in Greater Antilles, sharing the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Long before any European set foot on the island, the Taino people called the land their home.  Since about 650 A.D., the Taino fished, farmed and hunted across the island. (The Taino may have been the people whose cooking inspired what ultimately became known as barbecue.)  By the time European explorers reached the island in 1492, there were five Taino kingdoms with a combined population of more than one hundred thousand people. Four years later, the first permanent European (Spanish) settlement was founded at Santo Domingo.  With the rise of Spanish, the Taino fell. The Europeans  found gold on the island and established mines.  The Spanish conscripted the native Taino to work in the gold mines, exploiting the workers who endured horrible conditions.  Eventually, the Spanish exhausted both the mines and the native Taino.  As focus turned to agriculture (such as sugarcane) and other industries, and, the need for labor increased, the Spanish brought African slaves to the island. 

The colonial history continued for centuries, but the peoples of what would become the Dominican Republic declared their independence from Spain in 1821.  The turbulence continued for decades, first with a united Hispaniola country and then another war of independence in 1844 that resulted in the Dominican Republic. The troubles continued for many more decades, until the 1970s, when peace and stability finally took hold in the country.  

MAIN COURSE

The foregoing is just a thumbnail sketch that does not do justice to the history of the country.  Nevertheless, that sketch provides the outline for the cuisine of the country.  A cuisine that still has its roots in the native Taino culture, with broad strokes of Spanish culinary influence, that are filled in by African  food traditions.  The food is a combination of meats, rice, beans, vegetables and stews.  This is what led me to the preparation of a guisado or stew.  The only question is what protein to use in the stew.  And, the answer led me to chivo or goat.

The use of goat in dishes is quite common throughout the Caribbean, and, it is no different in the Dominican Republic.  Goat meat is considered a special ingredient in the country's cuisine.  As the story goes, goats graze on the naturally growing oregano in the Dominican countryside, with the herb imparting its flavor in the meat.  (It also explains the use of oregano in the recipes, see below.)

So, with a lot of goat still on hand, I have decided to undertake the challenge of making Chivo Guisado or goat stew.  As one can expect, there is no one standard recipe, with each cook or chef preparing this dish with his or her own twists.  I pulled from two different recipes, one more traditional and one a little less traditiona. to make this dish.  The end result is a somewhat spicer stew with more of a tomato base, which I think follows more closely to what one would expect from this stew.  

CHIVO GUISADO

Recipe adapated from Manusmenu and Dominican Cooking

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the goat):

2.2 pounds of goat meat, with bones

1 orange, juiced

1/2 lime, juiced

2 bay leaves

1 white onion, diced 

1 bunch of cilantro (coriander)
1 cubanelle pepper, diced

4 plum tomatoes or 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves

Salt, to taste

3 tablespoons of oregano

Ingredients (for the braise):

2 tablespoons of oil

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

2 tablespoons of tomato sauce

Directions:

1.  Prepare the ingredients.  Cut the goat meat into smaller pieces (but do not trim the fat as it adds lots of flavor and keeps them meat soft.  Dice the onions, coriander and spring onions.  Put the garlic cloves, oregano and salt in a mortar and grind to a paste.

2.  Marinate the goat.  Put the goat meat in a big bowl and add all of the marinade ingredients. Mix well, cover the bowl and refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight.

3.  Braise the goat. Heat the oil and cook the sugar until it turns to a caramel color.  Be careful not to burn it.  Add the meat, with the marinade kept in reserve. Brown the goat meat on all sides.  Add the marinade, stir and add the tomato paste. 

4.  Cook the goat.   Add some water, little by little, and cook it over medium heat until the meat is very tender, about one and one-half hours.  Season to taste, serve with white rice and fried plantains.

SIDE DISH

No main course is complete without a side; and, one very popular side in Dominican cuisine is Tostones or fried plaintains.  I have to admit that this is my first effort cooking plaintains, so my expectations were not very high.  Nevertheless, I thiink the end result was pretty good.

TOSTONES

Recipe from Dominican Cooking

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 unripe plaintains, peeled and cut in 1 inch slices

1/2 cup oil

1 tablespoon salt (or more to taste)

1 chopped tomato

4 sprigs of parsley

1 clove garlic

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of sugar

Directions:

1. Prepare the dipping sauce.  Combine the tomato, parsley, garlic, black pepper and olive oil in a blender or food processor.  Pulse until thoroughly blended but not liquefied.

2.  Fry the plantains.  Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and fry the plantains until golden.  Remove from the oil and flatten to 1/4 of an inch.  Fry the plantains again until golden yellow again.  Serve immediately with the dipping sauce. 

BEVERAGE

It has been a long time since I prepared a drink in connection with my culinary challenges.  The last drink was Po Cha, a butter tea, that was part of my culinary special to prepare a Tibetan main course.  (It's hard to believe that it has been eight years since that culinary experience.)  For this challenge, I decided to make a papaya drink, which seems appropriate for this Caribbean challenge.   

BATIDA DE LECHOSA

Recipe from Dominican Cooking

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 cups of papaya, cut into cubes

3 cups of ice cubes

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 quart of evaporated milk

1/2 cup of sugar

Directions:

Put all of the ingredients (but only half of the sugar) in a blender and keep on high speed until the ice is blended.  Try and add more sugar if needed, blend for a few additional seconds. 

*     *   *

With my third goat challenge under my belt, I have to say that I am ready for a challenge involving another protein. Still, the Chivo Guisado turned out very well, and, I count this challenge as a success.  If I could improve upon it, I could have had a better cut of goat (one with less bones and connective tissue. The tostones and the batida de lechosa were both excellent and definitely something that I am going to keep in the back of my mind. Now, it is time to turn to the next challenge.  Until then ...

ENJOY!

Parmesan Crusted Rack of Lamb

A rack of lamb or carré d'agneau presents an amazing canvas for the right ingredients. The rack of lamb is a cut perpendicular to the spine of the lamb that includes sixteen (16) ribs.  This is an amazing cut of meat, which was often referred to by the British as the "best end of lamb."  And, as one could expect for the "best end," it is also one of the more expensive cuts of lamb sold at a butcher shop or grocery store.  

There are many recipes for a rack of lamb out there on the Internet.  A large segment of those recipes focus around a "crust" for the meat.  Generally speaking, a crust has two to three components: something wet, something dry and something interesting.  The "something wet" is an ingredient that can hold together the other components to the rack. Typically, mustard or olive oil could work. The "something dry" is usually bread crumbs. Finally, for that "something special," it is typically a combination of herbs and spices.  If the right ingredients are combined together, the crust will enhance the taste of the lamb with a depth of added flavors and aromas.

For this recipe the three components are fairly straight forward.  The "something wet" is olive oil and the something dry is bread crumbs. The "something special" is truly special, the king of cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano, along with rosemary and parsley.  The combination of the Parmigiano Reggiano, parsley and rosemary provide levels of earthy flavors that complement the lamb. The amazing flavors are really noteworthy given how easy it is to prepare the dish.

Everytime I think about this recipe, I think about how I need to go out and buy a rack of lamb.  Speaking of which, I need to go out and buy one.  Until next time....

PARMESAN CRUSTED RACK OF LAMB

Recipe adapted from New York Times Cooking

Serves 41

Ingredients:

1 rack of lamb, approximately 1.5 ponds, frenched

2 tablespoons extra virgin oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped finely

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Sear the lamb.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Put a large frying pan over high heat until very hot.  Rub lamb with 1 tablespoon of the oil, season aggressively with salt and pepper and then sear the meat in the pan the meat in the pan until it is golden brown all over, about 4 minutes a side.  Place on a rimmed baking sheet and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes, until cool.

2.  Prepare the crust.  In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, rosemary and parsley.  Rub the cooled off lamb with the remaining oil, then pat the seasoned bread crumbs all over the meat in an even layer. 

3.  Roast the lamb.  Put the lamb back on the baking sheet, and roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 120 degrees Fahrenheit, about 20 to 30 minutes.  Remove the lamb from the oven and allow to stand, covered loosely in foil for about 10 minutes.  Carve into chops and serve on a warmed platter.

ENJOY!