Serving Suggestions...

Caribbean meals are traditionally served with
- a salad in order to provide a balance with the starch of the many root vegetables eaten
- Hot Pepper Sauce (standing next to the Salt and Pepper) of which there are many varieties

PATTIES - serving suggestion
Large patties are often eaten as a hand held snack on the move.
When eaten as a lunchtime snack, garnish with a handful of Cress, Sweet Pepper batons and sliced Tomato. Make up a salad dressing of well shaken Honey, Wine Vinegar, Olive Oil, Oregano, Salt and Pepper.
Cocktail patties, as a starter, two served on a semi-curled Lettuce leaf, half filled with grated Carrot make an exciting filling first course. A spoonful of Pepper Jelly, Mango Chutney or tangy condiment for dipping provides a contrast to the Salad.

TRINIDAD CHICKEN - serving suggestion
The concentrated flavours of this dish make gentler accompaniments important.
Boiled or roasted Irish Potatoes (King Edward or similarly robust type). ALTERNATIVELY boiled nearly ripe Breadfruit sprinkled with parsley.
ALTERNATIVELY boiled American long grain Rice.
Vegetable accompaniment: Salad comprised of diced Tomato, Cucumber and Pepper, Sweetcorn kernels. Pour a little well-mixed dressing of crushed Garlic, Thyme, Lime juice light Oil, Salt and Pepper.
ALTERNATIVELY shred some red or white Cabbage, sweet Onion, Carrots and add the Salad Dressing.
ALTERNATIVELY lightly boil some broccoli.

RUNDOWN CHICKEN - serving suggestion
To enrich the Rundown sauce, add a little cream during heating.
Basmati Rice compliments the coconut flavours of this dish. Add finely chopped Spring Onion in the final two minutes of boiling. Garnish the hot chicken with fresh Coriander.
Vegetable accompaniment : Roast Squash, Pepper, Courgettes, whole Garlic cloves and Shallots and sprinkle with fresh Oregano.
ALTERNATIVELY roast baby Beetroot in an orange infused light olive oil.

CREOLE (JERK) MEATBALLS - serving suggestion
This versatile dish lends itself to being both a spicy but not too hot starter, as well as a filling main course.
Serve with a rich Macaroni Pie and Tamarind dip. ALTERNATIVELY mash sweet potato and add dill.
Vegetable accompaniment: Corn on the cob with melted butter, sprinkled with fresh parsley.
Mixed Green leaf salad.

CURRY MUTTON - serving suggestion
For a snack:
Fill a Roti skin with this curry.
ALTERNATIVELY fill a Pitta bread pocket or non-corn Tortilla wrap.
Eat with a Mango Chutney or similar condiment.
Main course:
If using a filled Roti skin, also fry slices of plantain (use yellow plantains with blackening skins as these are sweeter) and sprinkle with paprika.
Instead of Roti skins, boil Wild Rice and add some fried plantains.
Curried Pigeon Peas.
Salad of mixed green leaf

PIGEON PEA POURRI - serving suggestion
A filling vegetarian meal when served with;
Boiled Sweet Potato (African variety rather than US) or roasted Sweet Potato lightly sprinkled with Cinnamon or powdered Mace.
ALTERNATIVELY Boiled Basmati Rice.
Roasted Squash
Boiled Plantains or boiled Green Figs
~An excellent vegetable side dish for any meat, fish or vegetarian meal.
~Can be substituted for the meat filling in a Roti.

RICE N PEAS - serving suggestion
There are as many varieties of this as there are islands in the Caribbean. Just heat and serve with anything !

SALTFISH FRITTER - serving suggestion
Often eaten as part of a buffet or an individual snack in a bake(bread roll).
A sweet chilli sauce dip, such as Pepper Jelly, provides a pleasing contrast to the salted fish in these fritters.
ALTERNATIVELY squeeze fresh lime juice onto the Akras.
Serve with sliced Avocado & cherry tomatoes or fully ripe baked Breadfruit with mixed green leaves and tomatoes.

CALLALOO - serving suggestion
Traditionally eaten by pouring over a piece of Coocoo, it can also be spooned over rice, and served with meat or poultry. Often enjoyed alone as Cream of Callaloo soup.

COOCOO - serving suggestion
A slice, served with a generous helping of Callaloo will lend a genuinely Caribbean feel to your meal or simply eat with lots of gravy.

JERK MARINADE - serving suggestion
Traditionally, the Jamaican method of slowly cooking jerk marinated meat over a pimento wood fire-pit. Today we make do with a barbeque, or even an oven or grill.
For a BBQ - MARINATE OVERNIGHT to allow the meat to absorb the flavours. A slow-cooking fire (preferably over coals and with a cover) gives better results on larger pieces of meat. Brush the BBQ grill with oil, to prevent sticking. Cook chicken meat in its skin. Throw away the skin if necessary afterwards. Use the BBQ cover for part of the cooking time – to allow some steaming and to prevent drying out. Cook long and slow and turn the meat a couple of times. HAVE A GREAT BBQ!
Not BBQ weather? Small pieces of jerk marinated meat or fish can be baked in an oven or grill.