Barbados @ 50 - Pickled Breadfruit

Pickled breadfruit is a favorite with many if not all Barbadians. This dish of boiled breadfruit, generously doused in a brine made of the juice of fresh local limes or lemons, cucumbers, hot peppers, parsley and onions, is mostly served with weekend Pudding & Souse. However, it can be served as a side dish just as you would potato salad.

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Giving in & Cornmeal Cou-Cou in 10 - Minutes!

Since White on Rice Couple posted about that very famous Vietnamese sandwich in February followed by Carolyn posting about Momofuku's pork bun/sandwich exactly one week later to the day, I just could not help myself, I gave in because all of a sudden I had some serious cravings for a pork sandwich.

All of a sudden and serious because:

1. Pork sandwiches are not common in my part of the world (though excellent pork is!)
2. You know how I feel about bread
3. It's no secret that eating bread for a meal such as lunch is not my kind of thing

While I was inspired by both posts, I did my own thing creating my own pork sandwich recipe. I went all out for this sandwich by first making my pickle the day before, marinating the pork overnight and baking my bread the following day.

Potted Pork

I used a pressure cooker to make quick cooking of my pork.

INGREDIENTS

1 + 1/2 lb pork belly cut into chunks
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons kecap manis
3 tablespoons chinkiang vinegar (black rice vinegar)
Minced hot pepper to taste
Salt (adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup water

DIRECTIONS

1. Add the pork, soy sauce, kecap manis, black rice vinegar, hot pepper and salt to a bowl and toss to mix and coat meat. Cover and refrigerate overnight
2. Remove pork from fridge 30 mins before cooking
3. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, when hot, add pork and spread out in a single layer. Let cook until any liquid from the meat dries out
4. When liquid has dried out, add water and stir, scrape the bottom of the pan for any bits stuck there. Cover pressure cooker and let it come up to the first whistle. After the first whistle, lower heat to medium low and let cook for 15 minutes (depending on your pressure cooker, you will not hear the whiltle during this time, just a little hissing)
5. At the end of the 15 minutes, remove pressure cooker from heat, release the value to let out steam and then open pressure cooker. Return to stove on high heat and let cook until all liquid is gone. Drain off excess oil and reserve for other use such as roasting potatoes etc

Carrot & Cabbage Pickle

INGREDIENTS

1 cup pickling liquid (recipe follows)
1 + 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 + 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
Hot peppers, de-seeded and sliced

For pickling liquid:

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt

1. Add all the ingredients to a saucepot and place on medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve sugar and salt
2. Let mixture come to a boil and boil for 1 minute
3. Remove from heat and let cool completely before using to make pickle

DIRECTIONS

1. Add carrots, cabbage and peppers to a large bowl
2. Pour pickling liquid over carrots, cabbage and peppers. Toss to coat thoroughly
3. Place pickle into a mason jar or vaccum-sealed plastic container and let sit refrigerated for 24 - 48 hours before using

The sandwich totally satisfied my craving and it was worth the effort! My neighbours were thrilled with theirs as well.

For full disclosure I have to tell you that for dinner, I sought something else, you know that there is no way I would be eating bread for lunch and dinner! (lol)

And now on to this week's column.

Cornmeal Cou-Cou is half of the dish that makes up Barbados' national dish. One of the reasons many people complain about making Cornmeal Cou-Cou is the time it takes to be cooked - 90 minutes! Well, guess what, a friend of mine who is rather adept at cooking told me how to make excellent Cornmeal Cou-Cou in 10 minutes! In the microwave! Read all about it here, where you will also find the recipe.

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Storing at Room Temperature. Cheese Scones re-done & A reminder

Room temperature is a term used often in the preparation and cooking of certain foods, but what exactly does it mean? It is not a precisely defined term. A definition familiarly used is that room temperature refers to the general level of comfort in a room in which people live. While this definition is true, what also is a fact is that this level of comfort varies, depending on the individual and various other factors such as geographical location. Therein lies the rub, when we are instructed to store and bring something to room temperature. Your level of room comfort may not be my level of room comfort. Click here to continue reading this week's column.

I've been re-testing my Cheese Scones recipe and I've managed to get it to suit my taste - light, not dry, highly risen and cheesy good. I hope that you'll give it a try too. I like to eat cheese scones as is, without the addition of butter or so. I added a tablespoon of chopped fresh dill to this recipe but generally, I make it without. Try it and let me know what you think.

CHEESE SCONES

Yield: 8 large scones

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 oz cold butter, cubed
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (preferably English, New Zealand or Australian)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (optional)
2/3 cup whole milk, cold
1 egg & 1 tablespoon water for egg wash

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
3. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a large bowl and mix thoroughly
4. Cut or rub in butter to flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs (a food processor makes quick work of this)
5. Stir in cheese (and dill, if using)
6. Make a well in the center of mixture, pour in milk and use a rubber spatula to gently bring the ingredients together. Turn the mixture (it will be loose/crumbly) on to a floured surface and with your hands, bring it together. Do not knead!
7. Pat dough into 1-inch thick round and cut into wedges (or cut with a 3-inch cookie cutter)
8. Place on baking sheet, brush with egg wash and bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until golden
9. Serve warm

Hey, it's already October and if you have not yet set your fruits, please do so now. For a true Caribbean Christmas Cake, the key to the texture and moistness lies with the blended fruits being allowed to mascerate over an extended period of time and the longer the better. I have 2 sets of blended fruits, one set has been "soaking" for 2 years and the other for 1 year. Click here for my post on blending and soaking the fruits.

Finally, my lime pickles are ready! Gosh my mouth watering at the thought of them. Click here for the recipes from Manisha's Blog - Indian Food Rocks.

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