Curry Chicken Recipes

Jamaican Recipes

A Blend Of Diverse Cultures Creating A Unique Cuisine

Jamaican recipes and cuisine is a perfect blend of African, East Indian, European, American Indians cultural dishes and using ingredients both imported and indigenous to create a unique taste to every dish.

The Origin Of Jamaican Recipes

Jamaica was claimed in 1494 by the Christopher Columbus for the Spanish monarchy but the island was previous inhabited by natives originally known as Arawaks and later identified as the West Indian tribe known as the Tainos. Over the next century the island was fought over and controlled by Spanish, French and English armies seeking to colonize the region. The English eventually seized power in 1655 and over the next two decades populated the island with African slaves with of numerous origins, creating a true blend of cultures. After 1838 and the Emancipation of slavery all individuals with diverse cultures were thrown together and so the motto of Jamaica Out Of Many One People was born. This was the true catalyst for Jamaican recipes and cuisine. Dishes blending European ingredients and indigenous spices created an authentic, truly diversified, and brilliantly rich in flavor, colorful and aromatic cuisine. Already an evenly diverse culture between 1845 and 1917 over 36, 000 Indian indentured laborers were sent to Jamaica to work on sugar plantations and they carried spices such as Amla (Gooseberry) and Dalchini (Cinnamon) adding to the existing cultural melting pot. Over the next few years hundreds of immigrants poured into the country, some from neighboring islands, South and North America, Europe and Asia taking with them their cultures and unique cooking techniques and ingredients and contributing to the wonderful world of Jamaican cuisine.

A picture of the famed Jamaican Beef Patty, really a version of the British meat pie but blends Jamaican beef with pimento, scallions, onions and thyme and baked in crust.

Typical Jamaican dishes.

Breakfast

The traditional Jamaican breakfast is either fruit or vegetable based. It is very rare that meat is used as a main ingredient in a meal served in the morning. This is evidenced by the popular recipes that are used as breakfast dishes. These include Ackee and Salt Fish (dried cod fish flaked and deboned), Callaloo and Salt Fish, Cabbage and Salt Fish and Mackerel Rundown. Porridges are also a popular choice but these are also vegetable based such as Banana porridge and more recently Potato porridge. It is on rear occasions that meat based recipes are used; however when they are it would be chicken or fish that is utilized. This might be brown stew chicken served with boiled green bananas or a tasty steamed fish served with okras and steamed cassava (called bammys). Arguably Jamaica grows some of the best coffee beans in the world, the famous Blue Mountain coffee beans. These are reputed to make the best tasting and aromatic coffee beans cultivated and sold in the Western Hemisphere. Many Jamaicans add a good cup of blue mountain coffee to their daily breakfast.

Lunch and Dinner

Jamaicans really dont differentiate between lunch and dinner in terms of dishes served. However it is dominated by a type of meat kind. Popularly a single dish meal consisting of chicken, fish, mutton (goat meat), beef or pork. These would be served with rice, bananas, potatoes, yam tubers, callaloo, cabbage or some other vegetable based side dish. In recent years rice and peas which is dish is made with rice and red kidney beans (sometimes substituted with gungo peas) or cowpeas. The kidney beans are boiled along with crushed pimento seeds (known as allspice) and garlic until the beans are tender. They are then removed the water poured off and coconut milk and par boiled rice is added. The dish is then cooked down until the rice is tender. Salt, peppers (scotch bonnet), thyme and scallions are added to season the dish.

Jerk Dishes

However in recent years most popular Jamaican dishes are Jerk recipes. Jerk is the cooking technique in which meats are dry rubbed with a spice mixture known as jerk rub. The meat is then allowed to ferment overnight and then grilled. The dish has become phenomenally known because of the unique taste that the spice creates. The jerk rub consists of the following ingredients scotch bonnet peppers, cloves, cinnamon, scallions (spring onions), nutmeg, thyme and garlic. These are blended together to make a marinade or rub.

One other dish to be noted that is popular is soup dishes. Soup dishes have evolved from ordinary broth to over 350 documented soup dishes; meat and vegetable based and both hot and cold soup dishes. The most popular Jamaican soup recipe is Pepper pot Soup.

Drinks and Desserts

Drink and dessert recipes are two of the most unknown categories of Jamaican recipes. Only a few cooks and professional chefs have mastered the art of preparing these dishes as the recipes are not easily found. Recipes for dishes such as the Ackee cake, Grater Coconut Cake, Sour sop Ice cream, Mango Ice cream and Rum Cake are sought after by home cooks and chefs alike.

Drink recipes to prepare alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages are tremendously popular. Fruit and vegetable based non alcoholic beverages are very popular, apples, beets, carrots, cucumber, June plum, guinep are some of the more popular types. What is of great interest is how the alcoholic drinks recipes are prepared. Sugar based and coconut based rum are the most popular types of alcoholic beverages. In fact Jamaican rum is among the most popular and exotic beverages in the world today. These rums are often blended together with fruits to create a unique taste, which though very intoxicating does not have a hint in smell and are absorbed in the blood stream very quickly. One such popular drink is the pineapple daiquiri (pineapple, ripe bananas and Appleton V/X rum). Another new taste is the Rumple (Appleton white rum blended with diced Jamaican apples and teaspoon granulated sugar) drink recipe listed on the Jamaican recipes page on the website GetJamaica.Com.

Off course as popular as Jerk Recipes are Red Stripe Beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage. A lager style beer originally created as a soft drink in 1918 has evolved to become one of the most regionally distinctive beers and is well distributed in North America and Europe. It of course is also used during the preparation of Jerk Recipes.

Tasty Jerk Chicken Served with Rice and Peas.

A picture of Jamaican Red Stripe Beer.

The Sunday Dinner

During the slavery period in Jamaica (1660 1838), slaves worked six days per week and rested on Sunday. That tradition allowed female slaves the opportunity to prepare time consuming meals. Unfortunately slaves were not afforded the best type of meat. The cows tail, feet and intestines, chickens feet and back, pigs feet were the usual meat kind that was afforded the slaves. However the slaves were creative and prepared dishes such as Ox Tail, Chicken foot soup, Fried chicken back, Tripe and Beans, Cow foot and Pig Trotters are still very popular today. On Sundays Jamaicans have maintained the tradition and Fried chicken and rice and peas has become the staple dish. Rice and peas is served with fried chicken or any other meal such as the Ox Tail on any given Sunday.

Rural versus Urban Jamaican recipes

Though no distinct difference is referred to within any publication, however there are major differences between recipes and cooking techniques for rural areas and urban areas in Jamaica. Rural Jamaican recipes use authentic ingredients which are all organic based and use no preservatives whatsoever. The food is cooked on mainly coal stoves and meat is cooked almost immediately and not refrigerated. Hence these recipes require a much different preparation and cooking technique.

This makes the dish taste extremely different. Meat is prepared immediately using freshly picked seasonings and cooked over a coal stove. Arguably this is the best tasting Jamaican dish that anyone will prepare. True flavor, taste and aroma are unparalleled when Jamaican recipes are prepared this way.

Recipes written in urban call for seasonings and ingredients found in every corner store or supermarket. These ingredients use preservatives that affect the real taste of these seasonings. However there are companies such as Walkerswood Foods that have bottled and distributed ingredients and using as little preservatives as possible to retain the true taste.

Using these ingredients will deliver as close a taste to the Rural Jamaican recipes which we consider the true Jamaican cuisine.

True rural Ingredients used when preparing the Jerk Rub.

Rastafarian and Vegetarian Recipes

Rastafarian is not actually a religion but a movement that accepts and reveres Haile Selassie I, former Emperor of Ethiopia, as God incarnate, often called Jah or Jah Rastafari. He is viewed as the messiah promised in the Bible to return to save his people. Haile Selassies real name was Tafari Makonnen and the word Ras refers to head so the connotation Ras-Tafari. With this indigenous movement has come a new facet of Jamaican recipes. Those that observe the Nazirite vow in the movement which prohibits the consumption of meat are strictly vegetarian.

Rastafarians do not eat meat and do not consume salt in any way or form. This means that Tofu, fruit and vegetable based meals are the main staple. The most popular dish among the Rastafarians is called Ital Stew. This is prepared using dried beans, potatoes, yam tubers, okras, corn kernels, carrots, scallions, garlic, scotch bonnet peppers, coconut milk, soya margarine, pimento, thyme, whole wheat flour and cilantro. So no meat or salt is utilized at all.

Rastafarian Singer Warrior King enjoys a plate of ital stew and a slice of watermelon.

Most Popular Jamaican Recipes

There are many popular Jamaican recipes. However these are the most popular Ackee and salt fish, Jerk chicken, Curry goat, Rice and peas, Jamaican beef patties, Easter spiced bun, brown stewed chicken, red peas soup, stewed peas, mannish water, escoveitch fish, coconut rundown, ox tail, pepper pot soup, callaloo and salt fish, cabbage and salt fish, corned beef and white rice, steamed fish, okra stew, tripe and beans, pigs foot, cow tongue and cow foot.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe

Great Jamaican jerk chicken recipe for home.

INGREDIENTS

4 Leg quarters chicken

1 broiler/fryer type

2 tbsp Jamaican hot pepper sauce

1 tsp salt and black pepper

tsp cinnamon

tsp allspice

cup onion, minced

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp pepper, red, minced

2 tbsp hot pepper jelly

cup scallion chopped

1 cup rice, cooked

PREPARATION

1. In a shallow container, place the hot pepper sauce.

2. Add chicken, one piece at a time, turning to coat.

3. Sprinkle salt, cinnamon and allspice over the chicken.

4. Place the chicken, skin side up, in a single layer in a large shallow

baking dish.

5. Bake at 400 F, basting twice with pan juices for 45 minutes or until

the chicken is fork tender.

6. Arrange the rice and chicken on a serving platter.

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Jerk Chicken and pork with Festivals on a grill.

Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken Recipe

A great brown stewed chicken recipe delicious with every bite.

Ingredients

1 quartered chicken cut in serving portions

4 cups water

1 tbsp allspice

tsp salt

tsp black pepper

cup vegetable oil

cup carrots diced

cup potatoes diced

cup chocho diced (optional)

cup diced ripe plantains

cup scallions chopped

cup onions chopped

1 clove garlic finely chopped

cup melted butter

PREPARATION

1. Place all ingredients except vegetables in a blender and puree until smooth.

2. Place in a sauce pan and bring to slight boil.

3. Add chicken and vegetables to mixture.

4. Stew until cooked and serve hot.

Jamaican Cooking Made Easy Volume 1

Largest Jamaican cookbook ever published Jamaican Cooking Made Easy Volume I