A Caribbean Christmas – Part II

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News Americas, BROOKLYN. NY:  Christmas is finally here and as I wrote in my last article, for Caribbean nationals, it is excitement and merriment until New Years Day in the homes of all Caribbean Nationals who celebrate the holidays! The excitement and merriment starts increasing on Christmas Eve! This is of course after the multitude of office parties and surprise get togethers, church services and Christmas cantatas and plays,

The special dishes that you will find in  homes will be the tastiest and most delicious you will find anywhere in the world! The biggest feast and merriment will begin on Christmas Eve into Christmas and New Years Day!

For Spanish and French Caribbean nationals, including those living in the Diaspora – Puerto Ricans and Dominicans mostly, they will be feasting on pickled bananas, yuca, tamales, pernill , Coquito, Plain Cakes and beers while the Haitians will partake of  Black rice, Red rice& Peas, griot, lambi (stewed Conch), Creamy potato and red beets salad, baked ham with pineapple and cherries, Lasagna, Creme, Haitian Rum and Haitian Cake.

It should be noted, because of the fact that there are so many Caribbean nationals that have intermarried in the Diaspora, each major meal will reflect the mixed influences. For example, you will find influences of Haitian cuisine in my menus.

Among the English-speaking Caribbean for the most part, the large feastings will include Christmas Souse, Black pudding, honey Baked ham with Pineapple and cherries,  escoveitched fish, special Breads like sweet breads and of course black cake, eggnog and rum punch. Parties and every get together will undoubtedly continue into Christmas morning , which will be greeted with a large breakfast  consisting of Johnny cakes,  bakes, liver with onions, kidney with bacon , scrambled eggs, bacon, corn flakes and milk, slices of ham, steak and onions,  calaloo and cod fish, hard dough bread, hominy corn  porridge , Ackee  and Saltfish, salted mackerel with green bananas and roast breadfruit, fried sweet plantains, boiled yellow yam, boiled dumplings and Steam fish and pepper pot washed down with chocolate tea, coffee, English tea, Milo, Ovaltine or Horlicks. Breakfast menus will invariable continue into lunch.

Dinner will usually consists of the following dishes: Roast beef, potato salad, rice and peas, curried goat, stewed fowl, jerk chicken, jerk pork, pot roast pork shoulder, roast turkey, green salad, macaroni pie, yellow  Yam balls, potato au gratin.

For my personal festivities on Christmas Eve, my Dinner menu is as follows:

Spicy Fish Tea
Cubed honey baked ham
Carrots , Cabbage and Lettuce Salad with mint dressing
Baked chicken legs stuffed with bacon and breadcrumbs
Haitian  Pork Griot
Roasted leg of Goat with Scotch Bonnet /red onions
Jelly Black Rice with cashew and baby Lima Beans

Dessert

Black Cake with creamy rum sauce
Blue mountain  Demi Tass Coffee
Rum Punch/ Port Wine/ Eggnog/Sorrell

Christmas Morning Breakfast Menu

Spicy Shad with sautéed grape tomatoes and sweet peppers
Firm young Green Bananas
Sautéed onions and goat liver
Fried dumplings
Roast Breadfruit boats stuffed with Ackee and Salfish
Fried Sweet Plantains
Steam Okra/ Pack Choy with garlic and olive oil
Steam Doctor Fish Jamaican hard dough bread
Coco tea/ mint tea/ coffee/Milo/Lemonade

Christmas Dinner Menu

Pepper Pot Soup
Five Spice Parsley, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, chickpeas salad with honey mustard dressing
Pot Roasted Pork Shoulder
Spicy Fricassee of Rooster Or (Coq au Vin)
Roast Beef and vegetables (Carrots, Celerey, Brussels sprouts)
Lambi (Stewed Conch) in tomato sauce
Green Pigeon Rice and Peas
Hot Sweet Yellow Yam Cakes/ butter
Creamy Potato with beets salad
Honey Baked Ham

Dessert

Mango Ice Cream, Pineapple Upside down Cake, Black Cake , cassava pone
Blue Mountain coffee
Sorrel, Rum punch, Port Wine, Fruit Punch
I will now share my recipe for Hot Sweet Yellow Yam Cakes and Lombi(Stewed Conch):

Hot Sweet Yellow Yam Cakes

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Hot Sweet Yellow Yam Cakes

To make yellow yam cakes, peel, boil, and mash yellow yam until creamy with melted butter, nutmeg, and cream, then let it cool. Mix in condensed milk, eggs, salt, pepper, and chopped onions, adjusting the texture with flour if needed. Shape the mixture into slightly flattened balls, brush with melted butter, and bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350°F for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot with butter for a delicious treat.
Course Main Course
Cuisine #caribbean, jamaica
Keyword Yellow yam Cakes

Ingredients

2 pounds of Fresh yellow yam3 whole Eggs beaten10 oz of melted salted butter1/2 tsp salt1/2 tsp white ground pepper3/4 cup Condensed Milk1/2 Heavy Cream1/4 Tsp nutmeg1 medium white onion chopped

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheet with butter.
Peel and boil yellow yam until cooked.
Remove from water
Heat drain and add 8oz melted butter, nutmeg  and cream.
Crush yam and ingredients until creamy.
Allow to cool at room temperature.
Add condense milk and eggs.
Mix thoroughly.
Form mixture into ball, press slightly between palm.
If mixture is too wet add a little flour to make it manageable.
Place cakes on a greased cookie baking sheet.
Brush with melted butter.
Bake for 30-40 mins. until golden brown.
Makes 8-10 cakes
Serve hot with butter!

Lamb Curry

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Lamb Curry

To make Caribbean lamb curry, start by seasoning lamb chunks with a blend of spices like curry powder, turmeric, and allspice. Sauté onions, garlic, and ginger in oil until fragrant, then add the seasoned lamb and brown it. Stir in fresh herbs like thyme and Scotch bonnet peppers for heat. Add chopped tomatoes, coconut milk, and water to create a rich sauce, and let it simmer until the lamb becomes tender. Adjust the seasoning, and garnish with fresh cilantro before serving, often with rice or roti.
Course Main Course
Cuisine #caribbean
Keyword goat curry, Lamb Curry, mutton curry
Prep Time 1 hour hour
Cook Time 1 hour hour
Servings 4 People

Ingredients

2 lbs. lamb cut into stewing pieces2 tbsp olive oil1 medium onion finely chopped1 whole garlic peeled and chopped1 tsp freshly grated ginger1 tbsp vinegar1 tbsp white rum1/2 scotch bonnet pepper finely chopped or any other hot pepper you prefer2 sprigs fresh thyme2 tbsp curry powder1/3 cup water1 tsp cumin1 tsp garam masala1 tsp turmeric2 tsp salt2 medium potatoes peeled and quartered.

Instructions

To make Caribbean lamb curry, start by seasoning lamb chunks with a blend of spices like curry powder, turmeric, and allspice. Sauté onions, garlic, and ginger in oil until fragrant, then add the seasoned lamb and brown it. Stir in fresh herbs like thyme and Scotch bonnet peppers for heat. Add chopped tomatoes, coconut milk, and water to create a rich sauce, and let it simmer until the lamb becomes tender. Adjust the seasoning, and garnish with fresh cilantro before serving, often with rice or roti.

Lambi (Stewed Conch)

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Lambi (Stewed conch)

To prepare conch (lambi), tenderize the meat with a mallet and clean it using lime or sour orange juice. Season and marinate overnight. Cook the meat in a pressure cooker with oil, tomato paste, onions, and shallots for 30-45 minutes, adding hot water as needed to maintain moisture. Then, add boiling water to cover the meat and cook for about an hour until tender. Finish by mixing in additional onions, shallots, tomato paste, and seasonings, stirring well. Add thyme shortly before serving.
Course Main Course
Cuisine #caribbean
Keyword Lambi
Servings 8 People

Ingredients

1 5lb box of conch (lambi)1 lime and sour orange juiced1 tsp of garlic powder1/2 tsp of thyme1 tsp of black pepper1 scotch bonnet pepper1 tbsp of Adobo seasoning salt1 Maggi chicken bouillon cube1 tsp of baking soda1/2 cup of olive oil1 cup tomato paste4 large onions diced6 small shallots diced1 gallon of boiling water1 sprig of thyme

Instructions

Using a meat mallet, pound the conch until tenderized.
Clean the meat thoroughly with the lime and/or sour orange juice.
Season well.
Marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Using a pressure cooker, place the meat and half of the  tomato paste, shallots, onions and  oil into the cooker and allow the conch meat and seasonings  to cook for  30-45 minutes.
Do not burn.
Add hot water to provide moisture as needed.
After 30-40 minutes, add  1 gallon boiling water, covering meat and close cover securely with regulator in place.
Cook for an hour until the meat is tender.
Lower the fire and add the rest of the onions and shallots, tomato paste and pepper to taste. Stir the meat and combine all ingredients.
Add thyme minutes before it is finished.

Eat, Drink, Pray, together and have a Merry, Merry Caribbean Christmas and  a Happy Kwanza!

By Minna LaFortune

EDITOR’S NOTE: Minna LaFortune is a trained Caribbean caterer and also president, Society for the Advancement of the Caribbean Diaspora (SACD). Check out her food group on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/bestfoodscaribbean/