The Sugar Mill Caribbean Cookbook (29 page)

 

Makes 6 servings

You can take the cooks out of California, but you can't take California out of the cooks. Occasionally we celebrate our roots by creating a recipe that honors the food and wine of our native state.

 

Preheat the oven to 400°. Trim four of the chicken pieces, and pound them lightly between layers of waxed paper to an even thickness. Refrigerate them.

Cut the two remaining chicken breast halves into 1-inch cubes. In a food processor, chop the cubes fine. Add the spinach, and process 30 seconds. Add the egg whites, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and process another 30 seconds. Add the cream, and process about 1 to 2 minutes, until the mousse is light yet firm in consistency. Fold in the toast ed pine nuts, and adjust the seasonings.

Place the chicken breast halves on individual pieces of buttered foil. Spread a thin layer of mousse on each breast half, and roll the meat around the mousse. Tightly wrap the rolled chicken in the foil, and crimp the ends to seal them. Bake the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes, until the center reaches 140° and the chicken is firm and not spongy to the touch.

While the chicken bakes, make the sauce. Combine the wine with the bay leaves, shallots, and peppercorns in a saucepan. Boil the mixture to reduce it by three-quarters. Add the chicken stock, and reduce the mixture to 1 cup. Whisk in the butter, strain the sauce, and season it with salt and pepper. Keep the sauce warm.

Remove the chicken from the oven, and allow it to rest 5 minutes. Remove the foil, and slice each breast half into five pieces. Spoon a small pool of pinot noir sauce onto each plate, and fan the chicken slices on top. Serve immediately.

 

Makes 4 servings

Salsamania seems to have taken over the world. Everyone loves the bright colors and flashy flavors of these sensational side dishes. This one takes its inspiration from the cold soup that is a favorite on all the Spanish islands of the Caribbean.

 

Prepare a fire for grilling.

To make the salsa, put the olive oil, garlic, vinegar, water, cumin, hot sauce, and bread, and half the chopped tomatoes, into a blender or food processor. Blend the contents until smooth, and scoop them into a bowl. Stir in the remaining tomatoes, and the cucumber, pepper, onion, and cilantro or parsley. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Cover the salsa, and refrigerate it.

Brush the chicken with olive oil, and season it with salt and pepper. Grillthe chicken about 5 minutes on each side, or until it is cooked through. Cut the chicken diagonally into 1-inch slices, and serve them hot with the gazpacho salsa.

 

Makes
4 servings

We once asked one of the Sugar Mill's kitchen staff to tell us about typical dishes from her island of Trinidad. We were amazed when one of the dishes she mentioned was chow mein. Caribbean chow mein? It was only later that we learned that on many islands the cuisine has been influenced by Chinese immigration. This dish uses island ingredients, but the stir-fry technique is strictly Chinese.

 

In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and peppers, and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, or just until the peppers and onion are tender. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon, and set them aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the chicken and all of the remaining ingredients except the papaya. Stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and lightly browned. Add the vegetables and papaya, and continue to stir-fry for 3 minutes. Serve the mixture over hot white rice.

 

Makes 6 servings

In this Puerto Rican dish, chicken is marinated with a bouquet of seasonings, then baked and fried for a deeply flavored, crisp skin.

 

In a blender or food processor, purée all the marinade ingredients to make a thin paste. Pour the marinade over the chicken, cover the chicken, and refrigerate it for 2 to 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Put the marinated chicken into a lightly greased baking pan, and bake the chicken, uncovered, for 30 minutes, turning and basting it halfway through the cooking. (At this point you can refrigerate the chicken for later use. Bring it to room temperature before proceeding.)

Heat the oil to 350° in a large, heavy pot. Deep-fry the chicken pieces, a few at a time, for about 3 minutes, or until they are golden. Serve them hot.

 

Makes 8 servings

Don't be frightened of the garlic-the poaching tames it.

 

Separate the garlic cloves, but do not peel them. Drop them into a small saucepan of boiling water, and simmer them 2 to 3 minutes. Drain them, and slip off their skins. Set the peeled garlic aside.

Preheat the oven to 425°. Melt the butter in a roasting pan. Roll the chicken pieces in the butter, and arrange them in the pan. Sprinkle them with the rosemary, salt, and pepper. Roast the chicken 15 minutes.

Turn the chicken pieces over, and scatter the garlic on top. Baste with the butter in the pan. Continue roasting the chicken until it is golden, about 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken to warm plates, reserving the garlic. Pour off the fat from the roasting pan. Add the wine to the pan, and bring it to a boil on the stove top, stirring in the reserved garlic and scraping up any browned bits. When most of the wine has evaporated, add the stock and lemon juice, and boil rapidly until the sauce thickens slightly. Season it with salt and pepper. Pour some of the sauce and distribute some of the garlic cloves over each serving of chicken.