From 'Taste of Jamaica', Ian Randle Publishers - Ray Chen IN THE distant past when sugar was king, the roasting joint, the fillet and other prime cuts of beef went to the Great House. Workers who reared the cattle usually took for themselves the tail, the head, the tripe and the feet of the cow. This was called the 'fifth quarter' and it required long, slow cooking. Still, even now many Jamaicans prefer the fifth quarter.
In Jamaica, most people cook cow foot but they also make calves feet jelly, or cow heel stew. Our men think any gooey food like this is good for them. Cow foot is savoury and calves feet jelly is sweet. Some persons cook enough cow foot to use some in a stew and the balance to make the jelly.
In the days of the shutpans, I understand that higglers used to treat calves feet jelly as a street food and deliver it door to door chilled, lemon and strawberry being the two favourite flavours.
- Enid Donaldson Mignotte, from The Real Taste of Jamaica
Cow foot and cow foot jelly are but a few of the real Jamaican recipes in Food this week to celebrate Emancipation Day and our 40th year of independence. We've got a bellyful from our columnist Enid Donaldson-Mignott as well as a few Jamaicans who've submitted their favourite recipes.
ON THE MENU
Coco Fritters
Callaloo Fritters
Codfish Fritters
19th Century Cornmeal Fritters
Green Banana Porridge
Hominy Porridge
Pumpkin Drink
Pressured Bananas
Bread Pudding
Potato Pudding
Candied Shaddock Grapefruit Or Lemon
Mango Salad
Callaloo
Pepper Shrimp
Curried Ackees
Steam Roast Fish
Fry Fish
Duckoono
Seasoned Rice
Omelette
Creamy Pumpkin Soup
Pickled Cow Tongue
Cow Foot
Cow Jelly
Tie-a-Leaf (Duckoono, Boyo
or Blue Drawers)
Call it Duckoono, Boyo or Blue Drawers, this West African dish is always popular. Tie-a-leaf is like a boiled pudding and can be made with cornmeal, green banana and sweet potatoes or a mixture of your choice. Grated coconut is always included to give a 'bite'. This is appreciated. If you don't have a leaf or banana bark to tie it in, use foil and string.
3 cups grated green bananas
2 cups grated sweet potatoes
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. mixed spice
2 tbsps. melted margarine
1 cup grated coconut
1/4 cup raisins
METHOD
1. Combine grated bananas, sweet potatoes, flour, baking powder, salt, mixed spice,
margarine, grated coconut
and raisins.
2. Sweeten coconut milk with sugar and add vanilla.
3. Pour milk mixture in banana mixture and blend well.
4. Prepare banana leaf by cutting off centre vein and holding leaf over boiling water or before an open flame to make it pliable.
5. Put 1/2 cup mixture in banana leaves or in foil and fold up sides to make parcel.
6. Tie with banana bark or twine.
7. Place parcels in enough boiling water to cover and boil for 30 minutes.
8. Remove leaf covering to serve or could be placed on a small piece of prepared banana leaf and garnished with nuts and chilled banana cream.
Serves 8.
Bread Pudding
Most men seem to like to cook bread pudding, and this recipe is a never fail one.
10 slices white bread
2 qts. cow's milk
1 tin evaporated milk
5 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup rum
1/2 cup sherry
1/2 tsp. salt
METHOD
1. Heat oven 350ºF.
2. Grease a 3 qt. ovenproof glass dish with butter
3. Remove the crust from slices of bread, butter bread cut in cubes and place in greased dish.
4. Heat milk, cool and mix with all other ingredients.
5. Pour milk mixture over bread cubes.
6. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before baking
7. Place ovenproof dish in larger container in 1/2 to 1 inch boiling water.
8. Bake for 45 minutes.
9. Take out while still soft.
10. Serve warm.
Serves 12.
Cook's Tip: Resting pudding for 15 minutes or more helps the bread to absorb the custard.
Pickled Cow Tongue
"Is no want of tongue mek cow no talk," according to the Jamaican saying, and when you see the tongue of a cow you will agree. Despite not talking, most cow tongue can find itself in a pickle.
1 cow tongue
7 glasses cold water
1 tsp. brown sugar (a little
less than a tablespoon)
1 tsp. salt petre (nitrate)
3 tbsps. fine salt
METHOD
1. Mix all ingredients together to make a brine and boil for 2 hours.
2. Leave tongue in brine for 3 or 4 days, turning every day.
3. To cook, use 1/2 brine and 1/2 cold water and boil for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Strip the tongue whilst hot.
5. To mould, roll tongue and put in basin with 2 tbsp. water in the bottom of the basin.
6. When set, slice and serve cold.
Yields 20 slices.
Cow Foot
3 lbs. cow foot
3 qts. water
Pinch of salt
2 stalks escallion
2 cloves garlic
Sprig of thyme
Black pepper to taste
Vegetables of your choice
METHOD
1. For the stew and jelly, cook 3 lb. cow foot chopped in 3-inch pieces.
2. Add to 3 qt. water, with a pinch of salt.
3. Boil or cook in pressure cooker approximately 40 minutes or until soft.
4. Remove cow foot from
liquid, and place cow foot and
2 cups of the liquid in sauce pan to make stew. Stew may be made with or without bone.
5. Set aside the remaining
liquid to make jelly.
6. Skim fat from liquid (a few leaves of lettuce passed over the fat will help to get rid of it).
7. Add seasonings and vegetables (carrots, chochos, and potatoes) stew. (Approximately 30 minutes).
Serve hot. Serves 4.
Calves Feet Jelly
Sugar or condensed milk to taste
1. Sweeten reserved liquid from cow foot with sugar and flavouring to taste or use condensed milk to sweeten.
2. Pour into serving dishes and leave to set in the refrigerator.
Serves 6.
Cream Of Pumpkin Soup
2 tbsps. butter or margarine
3 tbsps. flour
2 cups milk
1 onion, chopped
2 cups boiled pureed
pumpkin (1 lb.)
1 tsp. granulated sugar
salt and black pepper to taste
METHOD
1. Melt butter and fry onion.
2. Add flour, salt, pepper and sugar and cook well.
3. Add milk slowly, stirring so butter and flour are well blended with milk.
4. Stir until smooth and thickened.
5. Combine pumpkin with mixture.
6. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve hot.
Serves 4
Coco Fritters
1 cup chopped raw coco
1 small onion
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsps. evaporated milk
2 stalks escallion
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for deep frying
METHOD
1. Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
2. Drop by tbsp. into deep fat and fry.
3. Drain and serve hot.
Yields 10.
Callaloo Fritters
2 cups raw callaloo cut up
1/2 an onion
1 tomato
1 tbsp. margarine
BATTER
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
vegetable oil for deep frying
METHOD
1. Heat margarine, sauté onion and tomato.
2. Add callaloo and steam for about 5-10 minutes.
3. Cool and set aside.
4. Sift flour, measure, and sift again with baking powder and salt.
5. Beat egg and add to cooked callaloo.
6. Combine egg and callaloo with flour mixture.
7. Heat frying pan and add oil to a depth of 1/2 inch.
8. Drop by tbsp. in hot oil and fry.
9. Serve hot.
Yields 12.
Pepper Shrimp
A hot spicy appetiser.
5 lb. shrimps thawed and
rinsed (left in shells)
1 cup salad oil
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp. salt
2 scotch bonnet peppers
or 6 Bird peppers
2 tbsp. vinegar
METHOD
1. In a heavy dutch oven, put oil, garlic, salt and pepper to heat.
2. Add shrimps and stir for 5 minutes.
3. Sprinkle on vinegar and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Serves 6-8.
Cook's Tip: 5 pints of water may be used instead of oil boil everything together, except shrimps, for 10 minutes. Add shrimps and cook for 10 minutes more.
19th Century
Cornmeal Fritters
1 cup cornmeal
Water
Half cup flour
1 egg
Lard, butter
METHOD
1. Mix one cup of cornmeal and half a cup of flour with enough water to make it liquid.
2. Stir this in a pan over the fire until it thickens. Add one beaten egg and a little butter and fry fritters with a little lard.
This recipe has been taken from the first Cookbook ever published on native Jamaican cooking -- "Jamaica Cookery Book" written by Caroline Sullivan and first published in 1893 by Aston W. Gardner and Company of 127 Harbour Street, Kingston. A copy of this book may be seen in the National Library of the Institute of Jamaica, 12 East Street, Kingston
Codfish Fritters
1 lb. salted codfish
2 med. onions
1 tomato
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. hot pepper
3 stalks escallions
2 tbsps. baking powder
1 lb. flour
Enough oil to deep fat fritters
METHOD
1. Soak codfish (overnight if possible) and shred finely.
2. Mince onion, tomato, garlic, escallions and pepper very fine.
3. Sauté onions etc in oil. Drain off oil and add seasoning to codfish.
4. Mix with flour and baking powder and enough water to make a thin batter. Fry by tablespoonful. Drain on absorbent paper towel and serve hot.
Green Banana Porridge
The banana is a versatile fruit and can be used ripe as the first fruit in the morning or when green it makes a delicious porridge.
4 green bananas,
peeled and cut up
4 cups water
1/2 level tsp. salt
METHOD
1. In a blender jar put 2 cups water, 4 green bananas cut up and 1/2 level teaspoon salt. (Salt prevents the bananas from getting dark).
2. In a saucepan put 2 cups water to heat. When boiling, add blended bananas and stir until cooked, about 5 minutes.
Serves 4.
Preserved Bananas
6 ripe bananas
1/2 pint of water
1/2 lb. sugar
METHOD
1. Boil the sugar and water together to make a syrup. While boiling, peel the 6 bananas and break them in halves.
2. Put these halves into syrup and boil till tender and the syrup is about `the consistency of honey.
Serve cold.
Curried Ackees
12 pods ackees
(prepared for boiling)
2 ozs. butter
1 tbsp. curry
METHOD
1. Boil ackees, drain and set aside.
2. Cook curry in butter and add to ackees.
3. Serve with rice balls.
4. This makes a delicate and delicious entree.
Candied Shaddock Grapefruit or Lemon
To be used as Citron
1. Select mature but green fruit. Wash and dry
2. Use a dull knife to break cells.
3. Cut in quarters and remove pulp.
4. Soak skins in cold water for 12 hours changing water several times.
5. Place in fresh water and boil until soft. Add colouring during this stage if desired.
6. Squeeze out water by twisting the bits of peel.
7. Weigh and for every pound of peel, prepare a syrup of 1 1/2 pounds sugar to 1 1/2 cups water.
8. Simmer peel in the syrup until there is no liquid.
9. Prepare a second syrup using 1 1/2 pounds sugar to 1 cup water.
10. Pour hot syrup over peel.
11. Drain and dry in the sun.
Mango Salad
4 mangoes (Bombay
or St. Julian), not very ripe
2 onions chopped
2 sweet peppers chopped
(red and/or green)
4 tbsps. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
Pinch salt
1/4 pepper scotch bonnet
pepper, chopped (optional)
Lettuce
METHOD
1. Peel mango and cut in strips.
2. Mix mango with all ingredients, allow to marinate for at least 1 hour. Overnight is better (refrigerated).
3. Serve on a bed of lettuce.
NOTE: This can accompany curried or very spicy dishes.
Callaloo
Callaloo goes well with meat, fish, eggs, cheese, starchy roots, fruits `and cereals. It may also be served as a side dish. It even finds scope in breads, cakes, rice and beverages.
Like most vegetables with a high moisture content, callaloo wilts rapidly when exposed to air and sunlight after reaping. It should therefore be used immediately or stored in a cool place in air and moisture-proof containers, such as polythene bags, to maintain its freshness.
Try egg yolk and callaloo for children
3 ozs. cleaned callaloo
2 tbsps. cornstarch
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 small onion
1 2/3 cups water
METHOD
1. Cook callaloo and onion in 1 cup boiling salted water.
2. Mix cornstarch and egg yolk with 1/3 cup water and add to cooked callaloo: Stir over flame until thick.
3. Put into blender with an additional 1/3 cup water and blend at high speed for
3-5 minutes.
Serves 3.
Seasoned Rice
Lance Smith, Mandeville
1/2 1b rice
Salt fish
1 1b. Pumpkin
Escallion
Onion
Pepper
3 tbs. butter
Sweet pepper
METHOD
1. Cook salt fish separately, pick it up then add rice to a pot with diced onion, escallion and sweet pepper.
2. Cook for 15 minutes.
Omelette
Zedayne Simister, Mandeville
Sweet pepper
Black pepper
1 egg
Onion
2 frankfurter's sausages
2 tomatoes
METHOD
1. Beat egg then add chopped seasoning and beat together.
2. Dice Frankfurters.
3. Grease frying pan or platter so as to use less oil.
4. Add the beaten egg with seasoning & frankfurter.
5. Fry until golden brown then with a spatula turn and repeat until the other side is golden brown.
6. Cut Tomatoes into a roll and serve omelette
Potato Pudding
Beverly Small, Albert Town, Trelawny
2 1bs sweet potato
1 coconut
Raisins
2 tbs. vanilla
1 nutmeg
1 1/2 1bs. sugar
Salt to taste
METHOD
Juice Coconut then add all dry ingredients.
Add liquid, then mix together. Bake for 1 1/2 hours in a 360 degree oven.
Steamed Roast Fish
Jermaine Jappa, Ocho Rios,
St. Ann
1 clove garlic
3 stalks of escallion
3 pieces of thyme
I pack cock soup mix
Vegetables of your choice
except turnip
2 ply of foil paper
2 tbsps. butter
2 scotch bonnet peppers
1/2 cup soya sauce
1 lb. Snapper
METHOD
1. Cut fish from the belly right down to tail (do not let backbone of fish break).
2. Mix cock soup noodle and butter and base inside of fish. Stuff fish with garlic, escallion, onion, and thyme. On top of this place vegetables and pour a little soya sauce onto everything.
3. Make a pocket with the foil paper and lay fish inside. Sprinkle soya sauce and water on the fish to make it moist.
4. Cut the outside of scotch bonnet peppers into pieces and place in fish. Close foil and place in oven or on the grill.
5. Heat oven to 500 degrees before placing fish inside, when fish is placed inside turn oven down to 100 degrees and allow it to cook for 12 minutes. If you use a grill allow it to cook for 10 minutes.
6. When fish is cooked open the foil and place crushed
escallion and thyme on the fish, close foil and let it soak for few minutes to give nice flavour. Then it's ready to eat.
Pumpkin drink
1/2 lb. beet root
1 lb. pumpkin with seeds
1/2 cup ground peanuts
1 pack soy milk
Vanilla
METHOD
1. Remove pumpkin seeds, wash and boil pumpkin until properly cooked.
2. Blend seeds until very fine in texture.
3. Dice pumpkin, carrot, and beet root and add to pumpkin seeds. Also add soy milk and vanilla to taste.
4. Blend everything until smooth and thick. Put in refrigerator to cool for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
5. Then sweeten and it's ready to drink.
Fry Fish
Doneve Forrester, Mandeville, Manchester
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. chicken spice
2 med. sized parrot
2 carrots
1 onion
1scotch bonnet pepper
Vinegar
METHOD
1. Season fish with salt, pepper and chicken spice.
2. Place in refrigerator to soak for approximately 1/2 hour.
3. Heat frying pan with 1/2 cup cooking oil until very hot.
4. Place fish in oil and fry. After frying, mix vinegar, carrots, onions and scotch bonnet pepper to make a pickle.
5. Pour a little of on the fish and cover for 10 minutes. Then it's ready to eat.
From top, peppered shrimps, callaloo fritters and crab backs.
