One of the great advantages of travel is trying out new cuisines. The Spice Island Beach Hotel in Grenada has one of the island’s most prominent chefs and menus. Known as The Spice Island for good reason, Grenada produces numerous herbs and spices used in the local cooking. Below are three exotic sounding but equisitely tasting recipes. (See The Spice Island Beach Hotel under HOTELS).
Callaloo Soup
2 lb chopped Callaloo
½ pint Coconut milk
1 pint water or vegetable stock
2 onions – finely chopped
6 seasoning peppers – finely chopped
6 cloves garlic – grated
1” ginger – grated
6 blades chives – finely chopped
2 tsp. Cinnamon sugar
2 tsp finely chopped shado beni
3 tsp finely chopped big thyme
2 tbsp coconut oil
Heat oil and add onions, garlic, ginger and peppers.
Add Callaloo, coconut milk, water, sugar and chopped herbs. Bring to a boil and cook for 40-50 minutes at a simmer.
Blend and season to taste, serve hot!!
We sometimes use dumplings to garnish or flavour with crab or shrimp.
Chocolate Rum Pudding
240g Soft White Breadcrumbs – toasted
1400ml Heavy Cream
4 tsp Vanilla Essence
450g Grenadian 60% chocolate – melted
450g Sugar
450g Butter
16 Egg Yolks
240g Ground Almonds
120ml Dark Rum
Mix breadcrumbs, cream and vanilla and set aside.
Melt the chocolate, set aside but keep warm.
Cream the butter and half the sugar.
Gradually add the egg yolks and then the melted chocolate.
Add ground almonds, rum and breadcrumb/cream mixture.
Fill approx. 30 flexi pan muffin moulds and cook in a bain marie at 175oc – 350of for 35 – 40 minutes.
Set aside to cool when cooked.
If you don’t have flexi pan moulds then grease similar shaped moulds with melted butter and line with remaining sugar.
Farine Pudding
12 tbsp Farine (cassava)
1 cups Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla essence
2 tsp Lime Rind – finely grated
2 tins Evaporated Milk
820ml Milk
4tbsp Gelatine
3 tbsp Clarke’s court old grog rum
1 litre Heavy cream – whipped to a soft peak.
¼ pt Pate a-bomb*
1tsp Nutmeg
1tsp Cinnamon
Method:
Add sugar, lime and vanilla essence with evaporated milk and put to boil so sugar dissolves.
Add the farine to the milk and sugar mix and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring to ensure the farine doesn’t burn on the bottom.
Sprinkle the gelatine onto the ½ a cup of water and leave to stand for 10 minutes until the gelatine has bloomed.
Warm the gelatine mix until liquid and add to the warm farine mix. Add the rum. Put mix over a bowl of ice and stirring occasionally leave to cool.
When the farine is beginning to set, mix in the pate bombe mix and then fold in the cream.