Start by measuring flour into large bowl. Add cold, cubed butter.
Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour. (You also use your hands or food processor.
Once the butter is incorporated set aside.
In another bowl mix the milk, eggs, nutmeg, baking powder and sugar.
Create a well in the middle of the flour.
Pour all the wet ingredients into the well
Mix until it all comes together. Batter should be thick
Allow batter rest for 5 mins.
Place a medium deep saucepan over medium heat, adding to 3-4 cups of oil. Your oil should be hot enough now, use your hands or spoon to pick up the dough in the oil (You want the scoop to be a kind of round, but not perfect).
Frying the rolls itself requires some patience and technique, because you work with a thick dough, you want to make sure the rolls are cooked all the way through.
Turn the loaves often while he is in the oil, use a strong one to drill holes in while he is in the oil. Fry until golden brown; 2-3 minutes on each side.
Ingredients to make the bread for the Chicken Shawarma?
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 oz active dry yeast (~1 tablespoon)
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon oil
some oil, for greasing the skillet
1 stick butter
How to make the bread for the Chicken Shawarma?
In a small bowl, add the sugar, warm water, and yeast together. Stir to combine well. The yeast should be activated when it becomes foamy, about 10 minutes.
Mix the flour, yeast mixture, yogurt, and oil, knead the dough until the surface becomes smooth and shiny, about 10 minutes. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place. The dough should double in size, about 1 hour.
Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll the dough to a 8” circle using a rolling spin.
Heat up a skillet (cast-iron preferred) over high heat and lightly grease the surface with some oil to avoid the dough from sticking to the skillet. Place the dough on the skillet. When it puffs up and bubbles and burnt spots appear, flip it over and cook the other side. Repeat the same until all dough are done.
Brush the naan with the melted butter, serve warm.
Ingredients the Chicken and Vegetables Shawarma
2 pounds Chicken, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/4 cup lime juice
3 large onions, one thinly sliced and one whole
1 Green bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 Orange bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 big mushroom, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
How to make the Chicken and Vegetables Shawarma ?
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, add chicken, cumin, paprika, salt, garlic powder and ginger. Pour in the lime juice. Massage onto chicken until coated. Set aside.
Cut onion in half and place one side down in the center of a rimmed baking sheet. Place a large bamboo skewer in the center of the onion. Layer the chicken up the skewer and top with remaining half of onion.
Lay out sliced mushroom, onion and peppers on the baking sheet and drizzle with salt.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cooked through.
Remove from oven and slice of meat.
Homemade Chicken Shawarma
Add meat to a warmed previously made bread. Top with peppers and onions and garnish with cilantro and fresh lime juice.
This Barbecue spare ribs in the Oven are delicious, flavorful and tender, with the meat falling right off the bone. The ribs are seasoned with aromatic spices like garlic, paprika, pepper and sweetened with brown sugar, honey and ketchup. Furthermore, the acidity in the tomato and cider vinegar balances out the sweetness and give the spare ribs slightly tart flavor. You can also use your favorite spicy chili flakes or powder to add heat and quick.
The spare ribs are steamed to breakdown the meat, and oven baked (or grilled them). In this demo, I cut the ribs to fit my Insta Pot, but you can leave it whole and cook it in the large saucepan. After steaming the ribs, I bake them to get a crispy exterior and concentrate the flavor on the ribs. I use this technic when I have big family barbecue. I steam and refrigerate the ribs and I grilled them once my guests arrive. The spare ribs cook fast. My guests can enjoy this delicious Barbecue Ribs nonstop and I am able to mangle.
Ingredients
3 lbs baby back ribs
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tomato
1/2 onion
2 teaspoon ketchup
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
How to make Barbecue spare ribs in the Oven?
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Blend all the ingredients except for the ribs.
Remove the white membrane from the back side of the ribs (the side with less meat). It should pull off easily. Rinse ribs under cold water and lemon
In a saucepan, mix the rib and the blended ingredients. Cook for 40 mins.
Remove the ribs and save the tomato mixture.
Place ribs on a foil lined tray. Bake ribs for 30 minutes.
Grill or broil over medium high heat 5-10 minutes
Serve warm with the tomato mixture Akpan, Ablo, Jollof rice, Alloco…
This recipe of One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice start
on the stove and finishes cooking in the oven. This One-pot Baked Chicken and
Jollof Rice is also a combination of west African and Indians of terrific aromatic,
spices and flavors. The little thing that makes all the difference in this
recipe is the fried anise, allspice pepper, bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves
before adding the rice and well-seasoned chicken. This recipe of One-pot Baked
Chicken and Jollof Rice is outrageously delicious!
One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice Secret: “fried anise, allspice pepper, bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves”
One-pot oven Jollof rice
This One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice starts on
the stove because frying the anise, allspice pepper, bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves
ensure the best flavors possible in the most effective way. If your oil begins
to smoke, it is too hot and should be either removed from the heat source or
the heat source should be turned down. Once they become aromatic, add the onion
and cook until the onion is softened. Then, continue to add your other
ingredients as desired. When frying spices, it is extremely important to pay
close attention to them. Even if a single spice burns, the whole batch will be
tainted with that bitter, burned flavor. Stir the spices frequently and mind
the heat.
How to perfectly season the baked chicken?
For this recipe of One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof
Rice, I use a whole chicken, but other part of the chicken can be used (like
the thigh, leg or wing). You can never go wrong with my combination of spices (1/2
teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon
ginger, 1/2 teaspoon curry, 1 teaspoon bouillon cube, Salt and pepper) because
you get maximum depth of flavor for minimum number of spices. Plus, I always
have these spices on hand.
How did I partially cook it on the stove?
By partially cooking the One-pot Baked Chicken and
Jollof Rice on the stove to first bring out the maximum flavor out of the spices
and also allows me to bring the liquid to a boil before putting it in the oven.
The flavor is so much better because of the fried onion.
One-pot oven Jollof rice
Why add the chicken over the rice?
I added the perfectly seasoned chicken over the rice
because the dripping of the chicken add so much more flavor to the rice. The
result is a mouthwatering baked chicken coated in a beautiful rub, baked on top
of fluffy soft rice. Oven Baked Chicken and Rice all cooked together in one
dish is possibly one of the MOST loved family favorite dinners on the planet. I
know in my heart of hearts this will become your new favorite.
Season the chicken with teaspoon paprika, turmeric, garlic, ginger, curry, bouillon cube, Salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat a frying pan with the oil over medium heat and add the anise, allspice pepper, bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves. Cook for a minute
Add and fry the onion for about 7 mins until soft.
Stir in the tomato purred and the tomato paste, cook for 5 minutes.
Add the water, vegetables (1 eggplant, 1 zucchini, 1 Summer squash, 2 carrots) and bring to a boil.
Mixing in the rice and mix until well.
Add a layer of aluminum foil and make small incisions. Add the chicken and cover (Make sure the cover is over safe)
Transfer the Jollof rice mixture into the oven for about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven stir and put back in the oven without the lid for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is soft and done.
When done take the rice out of the oven, fluff it and serve.
Serve hot
Tips to make perfect oven baked chicken and rice
For this recipe I recommend long jasmine rice. Basmati rice or Jasmine rice can be substituted with the same liquid ratio and cooking time. Please do not use short grain rice, medium grain rice, risotto, paella or minute rice.
If the rice cooks before the chicken, remove the rice from the oven, and transfer the chicken in an oven safe dish and put the chicken back in the oven.
For a better color on the chicken, it can be broiled for an extra 2-3 minutes just to get your chicken golden and browned with crisp edges, and an amazing buttery, crunchy crust on the top of your rice!
This milo cake is moist and tasty. Who does not love
milo? I grow up in Togo, even though most people drank hot coco made with milo,
I just enjoy eating milo right out of the can – I love it and My kids enjoy is
as well. Milo is crunchy, sweet, chocolate
and malt powder which is mixed with hot or cold milk to make a wonderful and
rich drink. Milo is made by Nestlé and here in the USA you can find it online
at Amazon.com or at your local Latin market (Extramarket, Supremo…)
Milo Cake
Why did I used Milo?
I was making my chocolate cake and I realize that most people bake home will have a hard time putting their hands on coco powder and I thought of making a cake with a more common ingredient: Milo. I was surprise on how delicious it actually turned out! Unfortunately, I used mascarpone in the icing, which may also be hard to find in Togo. Since Them I realized I should have made a condensed milk icing.
Ingredients
For the cake
3 eggs
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups milk
1 cup oil (or melted butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup spoons of Milo
1 tablespoon baking powder
For icing
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup mascarpone
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate sprinkles
1 cup milk
2 teaspoon sugar
How to make Milo Cake?
Beat the eggs and sugar in a deep bowl with a mixer until the powdered sugar is completely dissolved. The mixture will change from a bright yellow to a faded yellow.
Whisk in the oil, milk.
Add the sifted flour, milo and baking powder and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula.
To prevent the cake from sticking grease the bottom of the pan and add some flour. Tap out the excess flour. – I used a non sticking spray.
Pour the cake into the mold and smooth it with a spatula.
Bake the milo cake in a pre-heated 170 degree C or 350 degree F oven for 40 minutes. Let the cake cool.
Whisk together heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar and vanilla extract (Careful not to over whisk).
Once the cake completely cool down, add (1 cup milk and 2 teaspoon sugar), let the cake absorb it.Add the heavy cream and mascarpone and the sprinkles on top of the milo cake.
Milo Cake
Share with your loved ones.
Milo Cake
Tips on how to make the best milo cake
Beat 275g butter, softened until creamy then gradually add 625g icing sugar, sifted and 397g tin condensed milk. Once the cakes have cooled completely, add the icing at room temperature.
If you don’t have the sprinkles, you dust the iced cake with some milo. With time the Milo sprinkles on the outside of the cake will absorb moisture from the icing and become sticky so it’s best eaten on the day you make it.
Tandoori chicken is my favorite Indian food. Tandoori Chicken is named after the cylindrical clay oven in which the dish is traditionally prepared, called a tandoor, which commonly gets up to almost 500-degree F in temperature. Western chefs have had to modify the cooking method, either grilling or roasting the chicken. This recipe roasts the chicken in the oven and achieves fabulous results.
The secret to making juicy, tender and bursting Tandoori chicken are Greek yogurt and Garam Masala. The yogurt makes the chicken tender and moist while the Garam Masala gives the iconic aroma and flavors. Bake the marinated chicken in the oven at high heat (400 degrees F). The heat will seal in juice inside the chicken.
The long list of spices garlic, onion, ginger, paprika, turmeric, garam masala, cayenne pepper and juiced lemon in our tandoori chicken marinade, don’t feel intimidated! They are simply spices, no more difficult to utilize than any other common spice on your spice rack. The more Indian food you cook, the more familiar these will become to you.
The original Tandoori Chicken is usually quite spicy. Kashmiri chile powder is used to give it heat as well as give it it’s reddish hue. In my version, I used food coloring to create color, although paprika and turmeric create nice coloring as well.
2 pounds chicken legs no skin (8 legs)
2 cups greek yogurt
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon yellow food coloring
1 teaspoon red food coloring
1 lemon juiced
Clean the chicken
Add the rest of the ingredients to the chicken and mix well (I use a zipper bag and just sort of squish it all around).
Let marinade in the refrigerator for at LEAST 8 hours, preferably 24 hours.
Remove the majority of the marinade before cooking the chicken.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cook on a sheet pan for 25-30 minutes.
Authentic tandoori chicken
Serve warm
Note:
If you don’t have an oven, preheat grill to get a surface temp of about 450. For a charcoal grill, ignite a chimney starter full of lump charcoal and burn until the edges of the coals look ashy, about 15 minutes. Clean and oil. Let rest at room temperature until grill is ready.
Place chicken legs on the grill. Arrange the chicken pieces skin side up over the cooler part of the grill. You will want the meaty end towards your heat source to cook them through. Close the lid and smoke the chicken for 45 minutes. Turn the chicken every 10 -15 mins
Move the chicken to the hot side of the grill, and grill, uncovered, turning and moving the chicken regularly to manage flare-ups, until lightly charred on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes.
In Togo, we serve a delicious sandwich made fish (Akpala or Mackerel)
baked, smoked with veggies and seasonings and served with small French
baguettes (The size of hot dog bun). For this recipe of Mackerel stuffed Buns,
I have decided to combine a bun and the fish mixture. For this recipe you can use
beef, chicken, pork, lamb, goat etc. as the filling.
The bread a versatile recipe that makes soft, delicious
bread rolls for hot dog buns, hamburger buns etc. So it’s perfect for these Mackerel
stuffed Buns as well. The dough is really soft here, so if it’s too sticky, you
will need to flour your hands to make it easier to handle it and shape it.
I prefer to let the dough rise overnight in the fridge,
because the chilled dough is easier to handle and less sticky. So it’ll be
easier to portion and shape the chilled dough the following day.
I use All Purpose flour for this Mackerel stuffed buns
recipe because I prefer really soft bread. But if you’d like to use bread
flour, that’s totally fine too. You may need to add extra water or milk to get
the right consistency again, so keep an eye on the dough to get that slightly
sticky, and shiny smooth ball of dough.
Using a stand mixer makes the whole process easier. If
you’re using your hands to knead the dough, make sure it lightly dust your work
surface and hands so that the dough doesn’t stick too much.
This recipe of Mackerel stuffed Buns take a lot of time but
it’s worth it. I do the whole process takes the whole day. First I clean and
smoke the Mackerel with some spices to remove the odor of the fish. While the Mackerel
is cooking I start with the bread. Once the Mackerel is cooked and cooled, I remove
all the fish bones and crumble fish. The next step is to cook the Mackerel with
vegetables and seasoning. Finally, stuff the buns with the Mackerel mixture.
This bread dough is soft and stretchy. Use your hands to
flatten out the bread dough to a circle, with the edge thinner than in the middle.
Next, cup the bread dough piece in your palm; add 2 teaspoons of the filling in
the center. Since the dough is stretchy, you can press the filling into the
middle. Your cupped palm will help keep the filling in place.
Next, stretch the dough over the filling and pinch it
together to seal. Since the dough is sticky, it should seal easily. If not,
then use a dab of water to help seal the dough. After the edges have been
pinched together, roll the bun around in your palm a little, to smoothen out
the seams/edges. Then place the filled buns in the prepared pan with the seam
side down.
As I mentioned before, you can substitute the beef with
pork, chicken, lamb or goat meat. The cooking time may vary according to the
pan that you’re using, since you’re cooking the meat filling until the liquid
has completely evaporated. So it’ll take longer to cook in a smaller pan.
5 Mackerel, whole
3 tablespoon Gallic
2 tablespoon Ginger
5 thyme branches
Salt and pepper
First, make sure your fish have been gutted and cleaned under cold water, then dried. Your fishmonger will do this for you.
Coat your cleaned fish inside and out with the Gallic, Ginger, Salt and pepper and let marinate in the fridge for about 45 minutes.
Place in the oven at 375F (190C) and cook for about 45 minutes.
5 smoked Mackerel
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup oil
3 onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bell pepper
2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne
3 cup de frozen vegetable
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Remove the fishbones, and mash it with your fingers. Be Careful not to prick your fingers with the fishbone.
In a medium saucepan heat up the oil and cook the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Keep turning mixture with a spatula, until onion is softened and browned, about 10 minutes.
Add the fish and mix well to incorporate. (Add a little more fat in the pan if the mixture seems dry.)
Add ginger, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper and fry for another 2 minutes.
Add the frozen vegetables.
Stir in the tomato paste. Simmer, stirring well for 10 mins.
1 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
1 packet of baker’s yeast
4 tablespoons of sugar
1 cup oil
1 egg
7 cups of All purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp sesame seeds
Mix the yeast, warm the milk and sugar in a bowl and let the yeast sit for 5 minutes to activate.
Add the oil, egg and wheat flour to the yeast mixture.
Be careful when adding flour. Add it slowly, do not go too far. Knead until you reach the consistency of your hands.
Take the dough in a bowl, pull the stretch film over and let it ferment for 45 minutes. At the end of the period, the dough should have doubled.
Knead the dough. Repeat and add the salt.
Knead the dough and divide the dough into 18 balls and add the fish mixture in the middle and close.
Brush the dough with the egg yolks on them and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Leave in a warm place for another 15 minutes by heating the oven to 180 C or 356 F.
Put the baked dough in the oven and cook for about 25 minutes until golden brown.
The Macaroni and Cheese made from starch is billion times better than a box. I love Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese. It is also American favorite comfort food. The Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese is cheesy, creamy and the baked crust is everything.
Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe
I start with a classic French cheesy sauce béchamel made
from a white roux (butter and flour) and milk. Next I add part of the cheese,
and let it melt. Remember, it’s called Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese doesn’t be afraid of using cheese (Sharp
cheddar cheese, mozzarella, jack cheese…). I use cheddar cheese. It is buttery
and milky tasting, mild and salty. And finally, I add the pre-cooked macaroni,
top it with cheese and baked.
Why bake the Macaroni and Cheese in the oven?
You don’t have to bake the Macaroni and Cheese in the
oven, but how else are you going to get the glorious bubbly cheesy crust?
I
don’t know about you, but the golden brown and crunchy top my favorite part!
How to top baked Macaroni and Cheese?
Grated cheese
Buttered panko breadcrumbs with some herbs
Bacon pieces and panko breadcrumb
Ingredients
16 ounces macaroni (Precooked) – Boil a large pot of salt water and add the pasta. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain and reserve the pasta. – Don’t rinse the pasta.
⅓ cup butter
⅓ cup flour
1 tsp bouillon cube
½ tsp salt
3½ cups milk
16 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
How do You Make Macaroni and
Cheese?
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Make roux:
In a heavy-bottomed large pot over medium heat, melt the butter.
Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter, whisking until smooth. Stir constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don’t let it brown — about 2 minutes.
Make sauce bechamel:
Stir in the milk ½ cup at a time ( feel free to eyeball it ), only adding the next half cup once the previous one has been incorporated entirely. Continue to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil.
Melt in the cheese:
Add a 2/3 cheddar cheese, salt, cube, stir into the milk/flour sauce until melted. Reduce heat to low and whisk until melted.
Toss pasta with cheese sauce:
Remove saucepan from heat, stir in the macaroni. Toss the macaroni with cheese sauce
Pour into a 2 quart baking dish.
Top with cheese and bake:
Top with the remaining extra cheddar cheese. Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes.
Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe
Serve hot!
Tip to make the best Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni and Cheese can be made ahead: After transferring the Macaroni and Cheese (not baked) in the pan, top it with the cheese and covering it with some aluminum foil. Refrigerate it for a day or 2. When you’re ready to cook the Macaroni and Cheese, let it sit at room temperature for 30 mins and bake for 25-35 minutes.
What cheese can be used in the Macaroni and Cheese?
Use a blend of cheese make the Macaroni and Cheese taste better awesome. Sometimes the pre shredded cheese might make the sauce grainy.
For this recipe of pork griot and Jollof rice, I combined my West African culture and Haitian experience. Pork griot is one of Haiti’s favorite’s dishes. To make the griot, big and fatty chunks of pork shoulder are marinated with limes juice, garlic, ginger, fresh thyme, onion, bouillon powder and salt, then boiled and finally fried until golden and crisp. Traditionally, the pork griot is served with Pikliz, which is a mixture of cabbage, carrot and chili pepper pickled. The acidity of Pikliz balances out the richness of the griot, but for this recipe I chose to serve it with some Jollof rice.
Haitian pork griot
How to make the a tasty a crispy pork griot ?
Do you know that Pork is the world’s most
popular type of meat? Yes, it is. Though not exactly a health food, moderate
consumption of properly prepared pork can be an acceptable part of a healthy
diet. For the griot, I love to season the pork overnight to guarantee a tasty
and tangy taste. Once the pork has being marinated overnight, it is browned,
the chunk of pork should be separated from the broth and cooled. Lastly, the marinated
– browned – cooled pork is fried in hot oil to obtain the griot.
What is Jollof rice for the griot?
The jollof is a pot of rice loaded with tomatoes,
tomato paste, onions, scotch bonnet peppers, salt, spices and vegetable oil and
more flavor than you’ll know what to do with. Furthermore, vegetables, meat or
meats and different types of local spices can be added to personalize it. The secret
to a good jollof rice is the flavor build in the tomato broth and oil coupled
with the perfect ratio of rice. As far as I can remember, jollof rice is served
at every west African party. The jollof
rice originated from Senegal and is a popular dish served in Nigeria, Cameroon,
Ghana, Senegal, Togo, and Sierra Leone. The recipe varies lightly from one
country to the next. The two main version are Ghanaian Jollof Vs Nigerian
Jollof.
Ingredients for Griot
1.5 kg pork (shoulder Cut in bite size)
1-3 limes (juice) about 2 Tablespoons
5 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoon ginger
3 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 medium onion sliced
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
2 Teaspoons salt or more
How to make the Haitian pork griot?
Marinate the pork with lime juice, salt, chicken bouillon, garlic, ginger, onions, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper (optional).
Let it rest in the fridge for about 2 hours or preferably overnight.
In a saucepan on medium heat, bring to a boil and simmer until tender for about an hour or more.
When pork is tender remove from liquid and any bits of spices, herbs of the pork. Set aside pork.
Fry the pork at 350F (180C) until the pork is crispy.
Using a sieve drain pork liquid, reserve the liquid and discard the rest of the herbs and spices. (I use ice to cool down the mixture and remove the excess oil)
Place pork liquid in a small saucepan on medium add 1 teaspoon tomato paste, 1 cup tomato, 1/4 cup oil, sliced onion and bring to a boil.
Add the rice (2 cups water for 1 cups jasmine rice). Salt to taste. Add the cut vegetables (carrots and bell pepper).
Stir in rice and boil over medium-high heat until the water evaporates
Be sure the lid fits tightly on the pot. Turn down the heat to its lowest setting. Let the rice simmer for about 18 minutes, then remove from heat and allow the rice to steam in the pot for another 5 minutes.
Haitian pork griot with jollof
Serve the rice with the griot.
Notes:
Cleaning the pork with vinegar or lemon juice is a test to see if the meat is still good. If the pork smells “off” even after its vinegar or lemon juice bath, chances are it’s not okay to cook.
The vinegar or lemon juice tenderizes the pork, cuts down on cooking time, and lets you store pork for a little longer in the fridge if you end up not cooking it the day you prep it.
The FDA currently does recommend against rinsing meat, however, in the African/Caribbean, there’s a common practice of rinsing off the meat and fish with a mild acid like lemon or lime juice or vinegar prior to cooking.
Before everyone owned a refrigerator, cooks would apply an acidic solution because they believed it killed any bacteria on the bird and to impart a little extra flavor. Currently, many folks use this same technique to get rid of any odors and add flavor to the meat.
Sosaties, South African kebabs, are among the most popular
dishes at an braai. Lamb sosaties are the national favorite, but beef, pork and
chicken are also common. The meat or poultry is marinated in a spicy curry and
apricot sauce, and then grilled until crisp on the outside but still moist and
tender inside.
The Sosaties is spicy and fruity. The use of Garlic, ginger,
ground cinnamon, curry powder, ground allspice, paprika, red wine vinegar and apricot
jam and apricot elevates the taste of the Sosaties. The recipe looks a bit
fiddly but let me assure you it is well worth the Trouble. If you can’t face the idea of cutting up your
own leg of lamb, I’m sure a butcher can be persuaded to sell you lamb already
chopped into goulash-sized chunks.
The longer you marinade, the better – in fact, in a vintage South African recipe book of mine the recipe calls for days of marinading! The end product is deliciously tender and addictively sweet yet spicy, and the apricots call to mind some sort of lamb Tagine on a stick.
Dried Apricot and Lamb Sosaties
Dried Apricot and Lamb Sosaties
4 lbs of lamb
12 -16 dried apricots, good quality
1 onion, peeled and each onion cut crosswise into 3-4
12 -16 wooden skewers
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 cup apricot jam
Combine the jam, vinegar, curry powder, garlic, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, brown sugar and paprika .
I get m lamb from whole foods and it tastes much better. The apricot can be found at shop-rite or Walmart
The rice vinegar is made by fermenting the sugars from rice into alcohol such as wine, then further fermenting the wine into acetic acid.
Put the lamb in a large glass baking dish, add the marinade and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, tossing the meat 2 or 3 times.
In a small heatproof bowl, cover the apricots with boiling water and let plump for 1 hour; drain before using. Soak eight 8-inch bamboo skewers in water.
Dried apricots are of course way easier to store, as long as you don’t keep it under too much light, but fresh apricots need to be consumed quickly as the skin might get wrinkled, and the fruit will begin to lose its efficacy.
Thread the lamb cubes, onion and apricots onto the skewers, using 3 apricots per skewer.
Light the grill or preheat the broiler. Grill or broil the skewers for 12 to 15 minutes, basting and turning occasionally, until the lamb is still slightly pink inside. Serve at once.
Dried Apricot and Lamb Sosaties
Sosaties, South African kebabs, are among the most popular dishes at an braai. Lamb sosaties are the national favorite, but beef, pork and chicken are also common. The meat or poultry is marinated in a spicy curry and apricot sauce, and then grilled until crisp on the outside but still moist and tender inside.
4 lbs of lamb
12 -16 dried apricots (good quality)
1 onion (peeled and each onion cut crosswise into 3-4)
12 -16 wooden skewers
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 cup apricot jam
Combine the jam, vinegar, curry powder, garlic, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, brown sugar, and paprika.
Put the lamb in a large glass baking dish, add the marinade and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, tossing the meat 2 or 3 times.
In a small heatproof bowl, cover the apricots with boiling water and let plump for 1 hour; drain before using. Soak eight 8-inch bamboo skewers in water.
Thread the lamb cubes, onion and apricots onto the skewers, using 3 apricots per skewer.
Light the grill or preheat the broiler. Grill or broil the skewers for 12 to 15 minutes, basting and turning occasionally, until the lamb is still slightly pink inside. Serve at once.
