The Sugar Mill Caribbean Cookbook (30 page)

Makes 6 servings

This is a gentle curry, suitable for those who aren't great fans of rambunctious seasoning.

 

Heat the butter in a skillet. Sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir in the curry powder and flour, and cook gently, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and coconut milk, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens (5 to 10 minutes). Strain it.

Add the chicken and apples to the curry sauce, and cook them gently until the chicken is heated through. Serve the curry on rice, accompanied by the condiments.

 

Makes 6 servings

Stuffed under the skin of this roast chicken are vegetables and herbs that flourish in Caribbean gardens, as well as goat cheese. When we saw goats roaming the hills of Tortola, our first thought was "Ah, chèvre!" No such luck. Our goats are used strictly for meat. We promised ourselves that we'd try to make our own chèvre, but so far that project remains fairly far down the list. Until we make our own, we'll just have to use imported cheese.

 

In a large skiller, sauté the onions in the oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until they are translucent. Add the grated vegetables, garlic, herbs, and pepper. Turn up the heat, and briskly toss the vegetables in the pan. Keeping the vegetables as dry as possible, cook them just until they are tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the vegetables to a strainer, and allow them to drain for about 1 hour. Press them to remove any remaining liquid.

Combine the cheeses, egg, and egg yolk in a mixing bowl, and beat them together. Add the vegetable mixture to the cheese mixture, and blend thoroughly Refrigerate the vegetable-cheese mixture 1 to 24 hours.

Remove the giblets, liver, and extra fat from the chicken's cavity, and wash the bird. Using your hands, gently separate the skin from the flesh of the breast, thighs, and legs. Put the stuffing mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tube, and insert the stuffing by placing the point under the skin. Stuff the breast, thighs, and legs, but not the wings. Place the chicken in a roasting pan skin side up. (If you like, you can refrigerate the chicken at this point for later roasting.)

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Bake the chicken for 1 hour and 10 minutes, basting often with the melted butter.

Remove the pan from the oven, and allow the chicken to rest 3 to 5 minutes before you slice it. With its crisp skin and savory stuffing, this bird needs no sauce.

 

Makes 6 servings

Don't save this sumptuous dish just for holidays; it's a tasty treat any day of the year.

 

Melt the butter, and fry the plantains, turning them once, until they are golden. Reserve the melted butter, and chop the fried plantains coarsely. Combine the orange and lime juices, and soak the bread in this mixture. Mix the butter, plantains, soaked bread, any remaining juice, walnuts, mango, and seasonings. If the mixture is too dry add more citrus juice. If the mixture seems too loose, add fresh bread crumbs or ground walnuts.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the turkey breast skin side down on your work surface, and cover the breast with the stuffing mixture. Roll up the breast, and tie it securely with string to ensure the stuffing does not escape. Stick skewers in each end of the roll for good measure. Dot the roll with butter, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Put the turkey into a baking pan, and put the pan into the hot oven.

Mix the sugar, lemon juice, and rum, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. After the meat has cooked for 1 hour, spoon on the glaze. Cook the turkey until it reaches 170°, basting with the pan juices every 15 minutes. The glaze should become thick and the roast a glossy brown. Remove the pan from the oven, and allow the meat to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing it.

As chutney aficionados know, mangoes and curry are a great combination. Spreading the mango-curry butter under the skin of the birds perfumes the flesh beautifully.

Mango-curry butter can be made several days ahead and refrigerated; return it to room temperature before you use it. Extra butter freezes well, and is delicious spread on hot grilled fish or grilled chicken breasts.

 

Put all of the ingredients for the mango-curry butter into a food processor. Whirl until the mixture is smooth. Spoon it into a container, and refrigerate it until you're ready to use it.

Preheat the oven to 450°. Put the hens breast side up on your work surface. Gently loosen the skin over the flesh of each breast, starting at the neck end; take care not to tear the skin. With your hand or a small spatula, spread 2 tablespoons of the seasoned butter under the skin of each breast, and pat the skin back into place. Truss the hens. Spread the unseasoned butter over the skins.

Put the hens on a rack in a roasting pan, and place the pan in the preheated oven. Immediately reduce the heat to 350°, and roast the hens until their internal temperature reaches 175°, about 45 minutes. Serve them hot.

 

makes 4 servings

The honey we use for this dish comes from the nearby island of Virgin Gorda, where the bees must feast on ambrosial tropical flowers. Different honeys will impart different flavors to this dish, so do a little experimenting.

 

Preheat the oven to 450°. Put the hens on a rack in a roasting pan.

In a small bowl, mix together the honey, lemon and orange zests, lemon juice, mustard, curry powder, and ginger. Brush half the mixture over the game hens. Tuck the orange slices around the birds. Put the pan in the preheated oven, and immediately reduce the heat to 350°.

After about 20 minutes, baste the hens with the remaining honey-spice mixture. Roast them until their intenal temperature reaches 175°, about 45 minutes total. Serve them hot.

 

Makes 6 servings

Deciding how many ducks to buy for a party is tricky. Will you need a quarter or half a duck for each guest? At the Sugar Mill we serve half a small duck per person. If you are using large birds (about 4½ to 5 pounds), you can cut them into quarters. If a quarter duck per person seems too little, cook an extra duck and add some slices from it to each plate.

This recipe is particularly nice because the ducks can be cooked ahead and finished at the last moment.