Coquito

Serves 12-16

6 eggs

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1-1/2 cups white rum

1/3 teaspoon salt

9 fluid ounces cream of coconut

9 fluid ounces coconut milk

6 fluid ounces cream

nutmeg

Separate the eggs. In a large bowl, beat the yolks with the vanilla, sugar, cinnamon and allspice until thick and pale yellow. Add rum and combine. Beat whites with salt until stiff peaks form and fold into yolk mixture. Cover tightly and refrigerate 8-12 hours. To serve beat the egg mixture lightly just until smooth and fold in the cream of coconut and coconut milk. Beat the cream until soft peaks form and fold it in. Top with freshly grated nutmeg.

Bacalao

Fresh cod fillets

Kosher salt

Rinse the fillets under cold water and press gently between two towels to wick out excess water.

Make note of the texture of the fish to reference during desalination.

Season it with 1 1/2 T salt per pound.

Place it on a rack in a drip pan and cover. The cover should not touch the fish. If using plastic wrap, spike the fish with toothpicks to hold the plastic aloft. Refrigerate for 72 hours – 7 days. Rinse drip pan daily.

Desalinate before poaching. The fish is sufficiently desalinated when the flesh feels just slightly stiffer than when it was fresh.

Serenata

1 lb fresh wild Alaskan cod fillets

kosher salt (optional)

1 bay leaf

black peppercorns

1 clove garlic

1 medium white onion

red wine vinegar

1 lb potatoes

2 eggs

1 lemon

capers

Manzanilla olives

extra-virgin olive oil

tomato

avocado

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

cilantro or parsley, chopped (optional)

If you want the authentic taste and texture of bacalao, cure the cod first following the recipe above.

Poach fish with a bay leaf, some peppercorns and a crushed clove of garlic, cool in poaching liquid, pat dry and shred. Slice onion into thin half rings, dust with salt and pepper, drizzle with vinegar, toss and set aside. Cook the potatoes whole, uncovered in cold water, cool in cold water, peel and slice. Cook the eggs: place eggs in pan and cover with cold water, bring to a boil, cover, remove from heat. Let stand for 12 minutes. Cool in cold water, peel and slice. Slice tomatoes and avocados.

Toss shredded fish with capers olives, the juice of one lemon, pepper and salt to taste. Arrange the sliced potatoes in a layer on the serving plate. Arrange the fish mixture on top. Top with the egg slices followed by the onions, drizzle liberally with olive oil, cover tightly and refrigerate for at least two hours. Arrange the tomato slices and avocado around the platter to serve and garnish with chopped herbs, if using. Pass crusty bread to capture the juices.

Arroz con pollo

3-lb natural chicken, split and jointed

2 cloves garlic, mashed to a paste

1/2t orégano

2t sea salt

1/4t freshly ground black pepper

2T red wine or sherry vinegar

3T extra-virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded, veined and chopped

1c chopped, peeled & seeded tomatoes

1 bay leaf

4oz un-smoked bacon or fatback, diced

2T fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped

4c unsalted chicken stock or MSG-free chicken bouillon

2c organic long grain white rice

1T achiote oil*

1T capers

1/4c manzanilla olives

1/4c dry sherry

1c cooked green peas

2 jarred pimientos, sliced

*Warm 1/2c achiote (annatto) seeds in 1c extra-virgin olive oil on low heat for about 5 minutes. Do not over heat the oil. Let steep until cooled to room temperature. Strain. It will keep for months in a covered jar in the refrigerator.

Mix together the garlic paste, orégano, salt, pepper and vinegar. Rub the chicken all over with the mixture and leave to marinate for about an hour. Drain the chicken, set the marinade aside and pat the chicken pieces dry. Dust the chicken pieces lightly with flour, shaking off the excess. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the chicken pieces on both sides, working in batches. Transfer the chicken to a casserole and add to it the remaining marinade.

In the same oil sauté the ham, onion and bell pepper until the onion is lightly browned and add to the casserole along with the tomatoes, bay leaf and 1T coriander. Add 2 cups of the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a plate, strain the stock and add the solids to the chicken. Measure the cooking liquid and add enough chicken stock to bring it to 4 cups. Transfer to a saucepan, cover and bring to a boil.

Rinse and drain the rice until the water is clear. Add it to the casserole and stir in the achiote oil and stock. Add the chicken and other solids, the capers and the olives. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and cook over lowest setting until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, about 25 minutes.

To serve, remove the bay leaf and arrange the rice on a platter with the chicken pieces on top. Sprinkle with sherry and garnish with cooked peas, pimento strips and chopped coriander.

Recipe: Arepas

makes about a dozen arepas

1 cup white or yellow cornmeal, finely ground

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen sweet corn kernels

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or chicken fat

Combine:

1/4 cup chopped scallion

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco

1 small serrano or jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

For serving:

Cooked black beans (See Frijoles de olla)

Sour cream

1. Put cornmeal in a large bowl with salt. Put milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until steam rises, then add butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir into the cornmeal until a thick batter is formed. Fold in the corn kernels.

2. Let batter rest until it thickens into a soft dough, about 15 minutes. Gently form 3- to 4-inch balls from mixture and flatten with palm of your hand to a 1/2-inch-thick disk. (You can cover and refrigerate disks for a few hours if you like.)

3. Heat oil in a comal or large skillet and cook arepas, working in batches, until golden brown, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3 minutes on other side. When all arepas are cooked and cool enough to handle, carefully slice them through the middle. Fill each with the herb-cheese-chili mix. Serve with black beans and sour cream, if desired.

Adapted from a recipe by Mark Bittman of the New York Times

Recipe: Frijoles de olla/Pot of beans

2c dried beans

1-2 medium yellow onion, chopped

4-6 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped fine

2 bay leaves

Black pepper

Sea salt

This basic bean recipe is good for pinto, black, red kidney, white kidney (cannellini), great northern, navy, adzuki and small red beans. Add whatever seasonings you prefer. Cumin, oregano, smoked paprika and dried Cascabel or ancho chiles are some of my favorite flavorings. Salt to taste at the end of cooking to avoid toughening the skins.

Pick through and rinse the beans and then soak them overnight in cold water to cover by about four inches.

The next day, drain and rinse the beans and place them in a heavy-bottomed pot, cover with water by about two inches. Bring to a boil uncovered and skim off the foam. When the beans stop producing foam stir in the vegetables and seasonings. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook until beans are tender, adding water as necessary. Depending on the type and age of the dried beans this will take between one and three hours; red kidney beans sometimes take longer.

Copyright 2008 Martine Torres-Apónte de Pèlegrin

Recipe: Poulet à la Créole

Poulet à la Créole

serves six

This is an addictive hot-weather curry from Haïti. Serve it with rice, braised spinach and a simple salad of tomato and cucumber with salt, pepper, oil and vinegar.

3- to 4-lb roasting chicken, cut into serving pieces

unbleached white flour

6T extra-virgin olive oil

4 medium yellow onions

2t curry powder

1/4t powdered saffron

2 fresh hot peppers—such as cayenne, serrano or jalapeño—seeded and finely chopped

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

2c coconut milk

Season the chicken pieces and dredge them in flour, shaking off the excess. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken on both sides until golden brown. Drain the chicken and transfer the pieces to a heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven, cover and keep warm.

In the remaining oil sauté the onion until clear, add the curry, saffron and hot pepper, and cook until the onion and pepper are very soft. Deglaze with a couple of tablespoons of water. When the water has all but disappeared, add the coconut milk. Mix well and pour over the chicken.

Cover the chicken and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 45 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, boil the rice, braise the spinach and assemble the salad.

This meal is perfect for a slightly fruity wine such as Vouvray or Chenin Blanc served very cold.

Copyright 2009 Martine Torres-Apónte de Pèlegrin