Hot Caribbean Cuisine on a Shoestring
There may have been an autumn chill in the air, but things got hot on the "Early Show on Saturday Morning" plaza when chef Cindy Hutson accepted our "Chef on a Shoestring" challenge and brought a little of the Carribean to New York.
She made a succulent three-course dinner for four, and tried to bring it home for under $40 - all that our meager budget provided for her.
Cindy is no stranger to the tropics - she's the chef and owner of Ortanique, Cuisine of the Sun<>/link> in Miami, and opening soon on Grand Cayman Island in the Bahamas.
Her cuisine has been described as an eclectic fusion of different nations and their natural bounties.
Saturday's main course was the one our viewers voted for last week - Chicken Fricassee.
The full menu: Red Stripe Beer-Steamed Mussels, followed by Jamaican Fricassee Chicken and, for dessert, a cheesecake sabayon served over fresh fruit.
FOOD FACTS
Mussels: There are dozens of mussel species, all of which have an extremely thin, oblong shell that can range in color from indigo blue to bright green to yellowish-brown. Depending on the species, the shell can be from 1 1/2 to 6 inches in length. The creamy-tan meat is tougher than that of either the oyster or clam but it has a delicious, slightly sweet flavor. Avoid those with broken shells, that feel heavy (meaning they are full of sand) or that fell light and loose when shaken (signaling that the mussel is dead). Fresh mussels, live or shucked, should be stored in the refrigerator and used within a day or two. (Source: Food Lover's Companion)
Fricassee: A dish of meat (usually chicken) that has been sauteed in butter before being stewed with vegetables. The end result is a thick, chunky stew, often flavored with wine. (Source: Food Lover's Companion)
Gandule (pigeon pea): In the United States it's particularly popular in southern states where it grows in long, twisted fuzzy pods. The peas are about the size of the standard garden pea and are usually a grayish-yellow color. Pigeon peas can be eaten raw but are most often dried and split. They're available dried in many supermarkets and can often be found fresh, frozen and canned in the regions where they're grown, as well as Latin American and Indian markets. Pigeon peas are cooked like dry beans. (Source: Food Lover's Companion)
Sabayon: The French word for "zabaglione." Zabaglione is an ethereal dessert made by whisking together egg yolks, wine (usually marsala) and sugar. This beating is done over simmering water so that the egg yolks cook as they thicken into a light, foamy custard. Traditional zabaglione must be made just before serving. The warm froth can be served either as a dessert by itself or as a sauce over cake, fruit, ice cream or pastry. (The Food Lover's Companion)
RECIPES
Red Stripe Steamed Mussels
INGREDIENTS:
1 bottle Red Stripe beer
24 Mussels, washed and debearded
3 Shallots, sliced thin
1 tablespoon Thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon Scotch bonnet sauce, optional
1 cup Medium tomato, diced
2 tablespoon Herb butter
1/4 cup Scallion, sliced
1/2 cup Red and yellow bell pepper, diced small
8 ounces Clam Broth
METHOD:
Heat a sauté pan; add 1/2 tablespoon butter and sauté shallots for 2 minutes. Then add tomato, thyme, scotch bonnet sauce, peppers, mussels, clam broth and beer.
Cover until mussels open, add remaining tablespoon of butter and scallions. Simmer until butter is emulsified and season with salt to taste. Should be flavorful, but not overly spicy.
Jamaican Fricassee Chicken
4 each chicken leg quarters (cut at joint to separate)
1 bunch of scallion
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 bunch of thyme
1 scotch bonnet (optional)
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of ketchup
1/4 cup of canola oil
2 limes
Salt and pepper
METHOD:
Clean chicken, wash in fresh lime juice, cut into serving pieces, season to taste.
In a Dutch oven, Fry pieces of chicken in canola oil until golden brown. Pour off excess fat leaving a small amount in bottom of pan.
Add remaining ingredients to the chicken and add some water to slightly cover the ingredients.
Cover the pot and cook slowly until chicken is tender, but not overdone.
For more recipes, go to Page 2.
Jamaican Rice and Peas
INGREDIENTS:
1 Can of gandules (pigeon peas)
3 Tablespoons salted butter
4 Cloves chopped garlic
1 Cup onion, small dice
1/4 Cup of picked thyme
8 Bruised allspice berries- optional
1 Whole scotch bonnet pepper
2 Cups coconut milk
2 1/2 Cups water
2 Cups white rice
1-2 Tablespoons of kosher salt to taste
METHOD:
In an 8-quart pot with tight fitting lid, sauté the onion and garlic in the butter until tender. Add the water, coconut milk, hot pepper, thyme and allspice. Bring to a boil then add the gondules, salt and rice.
Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed and then remove from heat. Keep rice covered for 10 minutes then serve.
Cheesecake Sabayon
INGREDIENTS:
6 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
Pinch of fine ground sea salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoon orange juice (fresh)
2 tablespoon rum
6 ounces mascarpone cheese
4 cups fresh assorted fruit
METHOD:
Beat cream cheese and salt in a large stainless steel bowl. Gradually add the sugar and beat until blended. Add the eggs one at a time. Mix in the mascarpone, lemon and orange zest. Add the orange juice and 2 tablespoons of rum.
On a double broiler set the stainless steel bowl over the simmering water stirring every few minutes. As the mixture heats you must continually whisk so no lumps form.
Remove from heat and chill. Top over fresh fruit
So, how did Cindy do with out $40 budget?
Red Stripe Mussels
red stripe beer $1.49
mussels $7.04
shallots $.37
thyme $1.99
scotch bonnet $.18
tomato $.75
scallion $.66
red pepper $1.00
clam broth $1.49
total $14.97
Jamaican Chicken
chicken legs $4.76
garlic $.36
scotch bonnet $.18
soy sauce $1.39
limes $.50
peas $.99
onion $.40
coconut milk $1.49
white rice $.88
total $10.95
Cheesecake Sabayon
cream cheese $1.99
orange $.33
lemon $.25
rum $2.29
mascarpone cheese $3.75
fruit $3.99
total $12.60
Grand total: $38.52
Our Leaders Board:
1. Bill Telepan $37.01
Telepan
2. Marc Murphy $37.11
Ditch Plains
3. Amanda Freitag $37.17
The Harrison
Click here to vote for the dish you'd like to have our Chef on a Shoestring make next week! You can choose from among three types of Mac and Cheese: cheese, lobster and Margarita!