Guyana @ 50 - Fried Rice

In every country, there is a dish that comes to define and challenge a home cook. The ability to make the dish is not just a mark of accomplishment, it speaks directly to the skill of the cook, creativity, and efforts to put their stamp on the dish to make it their own. In Guyana, there are many such dishes - Cook-up Rice, Pepperpot, Garlic Pork, Pound Cake, Roti... the list is long and includes Fried Rice.

Ask a home cook and he/she will tell you of their special way of cooking the rice to make fried rice. The ingredients used to season the rice becomes their signature blend and the method of combining the rice with vegetables and meat (if using) is unique to each cook. Fried Rice is also one of those dishes that we are constantly working on to perfect. We want to replicate a particular taste and texture that we've enjoyed at our favourite restaurant or at the home of family and or friends. For us, Fried Rice is more than just tossing day-old rice with veggies.

Pork Fried Rice ©Cynthia Nelson

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Guyana @ 50 - Pow, Pao, Pau

Pow(s) were always a hit and a sold-out favourite at the many Church cake/bake sales, especially the ones held by Sacred Heart Church. On Saturday mornings, in the foyer of the then Royal Bank of Canada on Water Street, there would be bake sales to raise funds for one cause or another - to fix the Church's roof, send the altar boys to camp or something. The Pows would be delivered and they never made it to the sale table because all the ladies selling bought the Pows for their family. :)

Pow ©Cynthia Nelson

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Guyana @ 50 - Cantonese Roast Pork

The influence of various world cuisines can be experienced throughout the Caribbean. In some countries, it is easy to see the direct influence of certain provinces, and regions, of large countries and continents, like Africa, India and China. In Guyana, Cantonese is the style that dominates our Chinese food. Like many Guyanese, I cannot get enough of it.

This Cantonese-style roast pork belly with its crispy skin takes time to make but it is totally worth the effort. Served as a cutter or as the meat component of a main dish, along with some hot Guyanese pepper sauce you'll be drooling, and won't want to stop eating until all is gone.

Cantonese Roast Pork Belly ©Cynthia Nelson

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Umami Pork

I swear, I am not trying to be pretentious with the name of this post, it is just that I could not think of a name for the dish. The word umami seemed to fit based on the combination of ingredients in the marinade and the final taste. There are other names I considered, but, you know… some things should just remain in your head.

This pork dish is something I threw together a couple of weeks ago. I had gone to the market on a Friday after my class and the butcher brought out some fresh pork. There was a pre-cut 2-pound slab of pork flap/pork belly sitting there saying, "take me home with you." What? You didn't know meat could talk?! (laugh).

There are no exacting measurements for this dish, it is all based on individual taste. Add the marinade ingredients to a bowl, whisk together and taste adjusting to suit your taste. Don't worry if you have more marinade than you need. Save the excess in a bottle in the refrigerator for baked chicken or pork.

I cooked the meat in a pressure cooker so by the time I was finishing dilly-dallying around the house this was done. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can make this on the stovetop in a heavy-bottomed pan or pot with a tight lid.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds pork flap/pork belly or pork shoulder/butt
• Regular soy sauce 
• Oyster sauce 
• Kecap Manis - Indonesian sweet soy sauce (the ABC brand I think is the best)
• Chinkiang vinegar (Chinese black vinegar. Substitute with balsamic or malt vinegar or dry sherry)
• Hot pepper sauce
• Salt (taste the marinade before adding salt as it my not be necessary for additional salt)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3/4 cup hot water

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut the meat into 1 to 1 1/2" cubes.
2. Mix together the rest of the ingredients to make a marinade. You want a little more than 1/2 cup of marinade.
3. Pour the marinade over the pork and let it marinate for about 20 - 30 minutes at room temperature.
4. Add the oil to your pressure pot and place on medium heat until very hot.
5. Add the meat and juices to the pot and spread in an even layer. Let it brown for about 2 - 3 minutes, do not turn it before. At the end of the 2 - 3 minutes, give it a good turn/toss and cook for another 2 minutes.
6. Pour in the hot water and using your spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck bits. Cover the cooker and let it come up to pressure. When it comes up to pressure at the first whistle, reduce the heat to low and cook for 22 - 25 minutes.
7. Remove the cooker from the heat and release the pressure. If there is any liquid other than the oil in the pot, return the pot to the heat and let cook until the liquid has dried out.
8. Remove the meat from the pot, garnish with sliced green onions and serve with rice, mashed ground provision, buttered noodles or make sandwiches or wraps.

NOTES

• Reserve the oil from the cooked meat to roast potatoes. So good!
• If using a regular pot or pan, you will need 1+ 1/2 cups of hot water. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce to low and let cook for 40 - 45 minutes until meat is tender. Remove lid, raise heat to high and let cook until all the liquid has dried out.

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Guyanese-style Homemade Chicken Chowmein

I rarely cook chowmein. It's not because I don't like it but it is one of those dishes that when you do make it, it should be for more than one person. While there are many other dishes that fall into that same category, chowmein is one of those things that I don't particularly like reheated. I prefer it made hot and fresh!

The other thing about eating chowmein is that I prefer to have it from a restaurant. Eaten right there as it comes to the table with smoke still rising from the wok hay.

A couple of weeks ago I had this craving for chowmein. If I were in Guyana I'd know exactly where to go. Though there are many Chinese restaurants here in Barbados, the food leaves a lot to be desired. I am not kidding. I know that people tend to adapt the food to suit the palates of the population, after all, it is about making money. But honestly, does it have to be dumbed-down to the extent that all it becomes is a filler and void of taste? I went to one of Barbados' newer Chinese restaurants (yes, I have visited the others) hoping to get my chowmein fix. The roast pork was tasty as was the chicken but the noodles did not even have salt! Salt! Don't bother about any other flavour. What was worse for me is that I was not interested in any of the meat, I was there for the noodles!

My dining companions pushed the food around their plates. I couldn't take it anymore and blurted out how tasteless the food was. A collective sigh erupted around the table and then one of my friends said, "Thank God you said it! We didn't want to say anything because we knew how much you really wanted to eat chowmein... we didn't want to spoil it for you by saying anything."

There is this thing about me. I don't know if it is bad. If I crave something and go out to eat it and it ends up disappointing, I get really obsessive about making it, even if it is a distant version of the original thing, just as long as it tastes good. And that is how I ended up cooking this chicken chowmein two days after that awful tasting "thing" from the restaurant.

Guyanese Homemade Chicken Chowmein

Feeds 4

INGREDIENTS

For Chicken:

• Boneless thighs or breasts cut into 2-inch strips (I used bone-in chicken wings)
• 2 tablespoons Green seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (lighter in colour and used for seasoning; contains more salt)
• 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce (thick, darker in colour; sweet)
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons grated garlic
• If you have - add some oyster sauce too

For Chowmein

• 1 lb of your favourite brand of dried chowmein noodles
• Water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 5 tablespoons oil, divided (2 and 3 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoon chopped root ginger
• Minced hot pepper to taste
• 2 cups of bora (snake beans)
• 2 cups julienned carrots
• 1 heaped teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder
• 3 - 4 whole green onions, cut into 2-inch length pieces

DIRECTIONS

For Chicken:

• Mix all the ingredients together and let marinate for 1/2 an hour.

For Chowmein:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or large karahi or any deep wide-mouthed frying pan.
2. Add seasoned chicken, toss and let brown. Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and let cook until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid has significantly reduced and thickened. The cooking time will vary depending on the cut of meat (breasts will cook faster than thighs) and if the meat is bone-in. For the wings, I added 1 1/2 cups water. If you are using breast meat, no need to add water.
3. While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water to taste, add chowmein and cook according to package instructions. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cool tap water. Drain well.
4. Remove the chicken and whatever and thickened sauce is there from the pan and set aside. 
5. Wipe pan clean and heat remaining 3 tablespoons of oil on high heat.
6. Add ginger and pepper and fry for 1 minute.
7. Add bora & carrots along with salt and pepper to taste. Stir fry for 3 - 4 minutes.
8. Add chicken and drippings and toss to mix.
9. Add noodles, 5-spice powder and green onions and toss everything to mix. Let cook together for 3 - 4 minutes, toss again then serve hot.

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Eating at Home - The Recommendations

This week, I want to thank everyone, particularly those living in Guyana for their recommendations re: finding good pastries and Chinese good in Georgetown. Though I could not visit each place recommended, I did manage to get around to quite a few. Along the way, I also discovered some other treats.

The quest for tasty food anywhere in the world is often found not in the fancy eating establishments.

The recommended roast pork was very tasty.

THIS WEEK ON ABOUT.COM

Find out what we mean when we say, Hot Pepper, What is Caribbean Pepper Sauce and learn how to make your own.

To all my blog friends, I hope to catch up on your offerings soon!

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