Have you ever wondered how Caribbean food gets those distinct flavor notes that you can’t put your finger on? It comes from wet seasoning blends, which were used to preserve food in the days before refrigeration. Wet seasonings play a valuable role in enhancing the flavor of sauces and soups and can also be added to tofu scrambles as a complete, all-in-one seasoning. You’ll notice that most of my wet seasoning blends include green onions, garlic, hot peppers, and salt. The other ingredients, such as vegetables, herbs, and spices, vary from island to island.
Uncooked sauces, such as pickle, are used to enhance the flavor of root vegetables. They’re mostly found in French Caribbean cooking. An example is Sauce Chien, which is popular on the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. It accompanies most meals and works well on vegetables and starches.
Chutney is a staple sauce that is made in countries with high Indo-Caribbean populations, like Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. Chutneys are made from locally grown produce such as mangoes, cucumbers, and coconuts. Chutneys range from sweet to sour, and some are savory and spicy.
Gravies and sauces are used widely on rice and other starchy dishes to provide flavor. These sauces are usually started by sautéing onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Gravies are usually not very thick like in the United States but are thin to medium-thick in consistency, and are sometimes colored with browning, or some may have a tomato base.
The reason condiments are the first recipes in the book is that many of these condiments are used in the recipes throughout the book, so you’ll want to make them first. I suggest making the Bajan Seasoning, Caribbean Caramel, and Bajan Pepper Sauce first, as these are called for in many recipes.
Bajan is the local word meaning “from Barbados,” and this seasoning blend is in every kitchen pantry on the island. It doesn’t really have a fixed recipe, so make it following this recipe the first time, then you can just use the recipe as a guideline and adjust it to suit your tastes or what you have on hand. It will turn out fine. Bajan Seasoning is great for flavoring tofu or seitan. You can also add it to soups and stews.
MAKES 1 CUP (200 G)
25 to 30 green onions
1 onion
3 or 5 garlic cloves
1 or 2 Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers (see Island Tips)
Juice of 2 limes or 4 Key limes
Handful of fresh thyme sprigs
Handful of fresh marjoram sprigs
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley
⅓ cup (80 ml) distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon mild paprika
1½ to 2 teaspoons pink or sea salt
1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cloves
ISLAND TIPS
The seeds of hot peppers pack the most heat, so if you’re sensitive to spicy foods, seed them before use, or omit the peppers altogether.
If you’re on a low-sodium diet, feel free to leave out the salt.
This can be made as spicy or as mild as you want it. Although there are many recipes circulating for jerk seasoning, I wanted to design one especially for the recipes in this book. It delivers a lot of flavor but not too much heat. If you’re very adventurous, use up to four Scotch bonnets with the seeds for a real kick. Like Bajan Seasoning, it has no fixed recipe, so use this version as a guide and feel free to improvise.
MAKES 2½ CUPS (500 G)
25 to 30 green onions
1 thick 3½ × 1-inch (9 × 2.5 cm) piece of fresh ginger
1 or 2 Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers (seeded if you prefer less spicy)
5 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
½ cup (120 ml) canola oil or another neutral-flavored oil
½ cup (120 ml) soy sauce
½ cup (120 ml) tomato sauce, preferably Spanish-style (see Island Tips)
⅓ cup (80 ml) fresh orange juice
⅓ cup (80 ml) distilled white vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons pink or sea salt
1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons ground cloves
1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons ground allspice
1½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or cassia
ISLAND TIPS
What separates jerk seasoning from the Trinidadian Green Seasoning and Bajan Seasoning are the color, the cloves, and the allspice. In some recipes, dark rum is heated and added to the seasoning blend. Jerk seasoning is traditionally made with a mortar and pestle, including the crushing of the allspice.
For the best flavor, use a Spanish-style tomato sauce. I like Goya brand. Spanish-style tomato sauce is slightly more acidic than regular tomato sauce, and also contains different spices.
Jerk seasoning can be cured outside in the sun after bottling. To cure, place seasoning in a clear sterile jar, seal, and leave outside in the sun for three days.
You can use this condiment as a substitute for Bajan Seasoning if you like, or if you don’t have all of the ingredients for Bajan Seasoning. It won’t keep for as long as the Bajan Seasoning or Jamaican Jerk Seasoning because it doesn’t contain spices that can help prevent microbial growth.
MAKES 1½ CUPS (300 G)
1 bunch cilantro
20 green onions
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper (seeded if you prefer less spicy)
3 mild chiles, such as Hungarian wax peppers
½ cup (30 g) chopped parsley
½ cup (120 ml) olive oil or canola oil (see Island Tip)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon pink or sea salt
ISLAND TIP
You can omit the oil from this recipe if you want a more vibrant color and are using the entire amount right away to season a large amount of protein.
This Caribbean Caramel is my version of browning, a natural food coloring used throughout the Caribbean to color dishes dark brown. Why would anyone want to color something dark brown? Why not? I use it to darken my lentil stews and puddings, and also in rice dishes such as Pelau, where a brown color is typical for the dish. Browning is also used to darken chocolate cakes and gingerbread. It’s available commercially, usually labeled “browning” or “coloring.” You can use this recipe to make it at home, but be forewarned: Your smoke detector may go off due to the burning of the sugar. Also note that this recipe isn’t something that you should taste; it’s just a natural food coloring.
MAKES 1½ CUPS (360 ML)
2 cups (400 g) brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
¾ cup (180 ml) cold water
2 tablespoons hot water
ISLAND TIP
A little goes a long way. Be sure not to use too much, as it can give foods a bitter flavor.
This dry spice blend transforms anything you are eating into a nutrient powerhouse in a matter of seconds. The secret in this gourmet multivitamin is dried moringa leaves, which act as a base of the seasoning. If you do not have access to a moringa tree, the leaf powder can be a great substitute. Health supplements can be bitter or difficult to integrate into your diet, but this spice blend solves the problem of getting your daily intake of nutrients; plus it tastes good, too. Packed with freshly dried herbs, spirulina, vitamin B–rich nutritional yeast flakes, and seasoned to your liking, it’s perfect to top salads, season tofu, or add to white rice. Just one shake of this spice blend should do it. Herbs can be dried in the oven or dehydrator. Drying as many herbs as possible results in a better finished product. Feel free to use this blend as a topping to any savory recipe in the book.
MAKES ¾ CUP (75 G)
1 cup (30 g) fresh moringa leaves, optional
½ cup (15 g) fresh tarragon leaves
5 blades lemongrass leaves
Four 1 × 3-inch (2.5 × 7.5 cm)pieces orange peel (white part not included)
Four 1 × 3-inch (2.5 × 7.5 cm) pieces lemon peel (white part not included)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 medium fresh thyme sprig
2 tablespoons dried cilantro
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar, stevia, coconut sugar, or date sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder or granulated garlic
1 tablespoon ground celery seed
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon spirulina
2 teaspoons pink or sea salt
2 teaspoons Moringa Leaf Powder (if not using moringa leaves)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
ISLAND TIP
Make this salt-free by omitting the pink salt. The combination of celery and cayenne create a flavor profile that mimics salt.
Note on Drying Herbs
Drying your own herbs ensures the freshest spice blends. You can dry different herbs on the same lined sheet, but because of varying water contents thyme will dry faster than tarragon.
Place like herbs together so you can remove done herbs easily. Dry herbs at around 180°F (80°C). The herbs with the lowest water content will be fully dried within 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove them and monitor the remaining herbs every 30 minutes until dry. Fully dried herbs are brittle to the touch but not burned.
Put this versatile spread on your bread, in tea, in porridge, in salad dressings, and on almost anything. I came up with this recipe when I was drying a batch of Scotch bonnet peppers and wanted to find another way to preserve the harvest. When dried pepper is added to any sweet syrup, a new compound of spicy delight is created. I’ve even stirred this in tea to fire it up a bit—just wow! Your friends will be impressed. Bottle and cure this to give as a gift for your next housewarming party.
MAKES 1 CUP (240 ML)
10 dried Scotch bonnet peppers
1 cup (240 ml) agave nectar
Mix the dried peppers and agave nectar together in a clean, dry jar. Seal and set aside for 6 months. This can cure for up to 1 year. Once opened, pepper honey will last up to 1 year.
ISLAND TIP
Dry peppers in the dehydrator following the manufacturer’s directions.
I learned this recipe in a hot industrial kitchen. After taking a job as a sous chef in an all-inclusive hotel in Sint Maarten, I had my work cut out for me because, you see, bulk cooking was not my forte. My boss, a bald-headed, strapping man with thick eyebrows and a very Dutch disposition, rushed past me with a hot chafing pan in his hand and told me to make the curry mayonnaise. A sly voice next to me said to just mix the powder in the mayo. I was determined to impress the chef, so I came up with this creamy delight that has just a hint of sweet and spicy. It’s the perfect accompaniment for fries, sandwiches, and crudités. My boss passed by but slowed down to taste the sauce before it went out to service. He looked up and held my gaze for more than five seconds—kitchen lore said he did this only if you had done a great job.
MAKES ¾ CUP (175 G)
¾ cup (175 g) vegan mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
1 heaping teaspoon sugar
1 scant teaspoon onion powder
Mix all the ingredients and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving, to allow the flavors to meld.
This style of pepper sauce is what I grew up eating in Barbados, and this recipe is my personal go-to pepper sauce. The original recipe uses fresh turmeric, but that can be hard to come by. If you can’t find it, you can substitute ground turmeric. Red Scotch bonnet peppers give this sauce its characteristic orange color with red flecks. Pepper sauce is something that some people can handle and others cannot. Start with just a bit and increase the amount gradually until you learn your limit. Because of its flavor and heat, pepper sauce used to be called a meal saver; if people found a dish unappetizing, they would add a bit of pepper sauce to make it more edible. Pepper sauce is used in sandwiches as well as in most soups and stews in Barbados, and it’s almost always offered on the table at local restaurants. In a pinch, you can use Tabasco or another hot sauce in its place, but try to make this sauce. It will give your recipes authentic Caribbean flavor.
MAKES 1 CUP (240 ML)
½ cup (120 ml) finely grated fresh turmeric, or 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
⅓ cup (80 ml) American-style prepared mustard
3 Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers (seeded if you prefer less spicy)
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1½ teaspoons pink or sea salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
ISLAND TIPS
Pepper sauce varies from island to island depending on the tastes of the inhabitants. Some use cucumber and green papaya for a base or incorporate sweet fruit.
The pepper sauce may thicken a bit in the fridge. If that happens, just add a little vinegar or water and shake it up.
If you haven’t made this Bajan Pepper Sauce and need to use it in a recipe, you can approximate it by mixing about two parts commercial pepper sauce with one part American-style mustard.
Trinidad and Tobago has a high Indo-Caribbean population, so it is no wonder that their recipes have a strong Indian influence. Trinidad is known for its amazing chutneys. A while back, I developed this recipe because I couldn’t wait for my mangoes to ripen. Little did I know that there was such a thing as green mango chutney in Trinidad and Tobago. Don’t confuse this with Western mango chutney, which is sweet; this condiment is savory with a peppery kick. This is excellent on Trinidadian Doubles.
MAKES 1 CUP (240 ML); SERVES 4
4 medium green, unripe mangoes, or 1 large, peeled and finely grated
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon pink or sea salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon minced Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, or a pinch of cayenne pepper
Mix all of the ingredients together. Transfer to a jar, seal, and refrigerate. This chutney will keep for as long as 4 days in the fridge.
This chutney, which is similar to an uncooked Caribbean pickle, is sometimes served on Trinidadian Doubles to add a crunchy, spicy kick.
MAKES ½ CUP (120 ML)
1 cucumber, with skin, finely grated
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon minced Scotch bonnet pepper
½ teaspoon pink or sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Put all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until well combined. Let the chutney stand for 20 minutes. This gives some time for the cucumber to release its juices, making the chutney saucier.
In the Caribbean, pickle is a cold, salty, acidic sauce that’s ordinarily added to meat and vegetables. It’s easy to make. Just grate everything, and in a few minutes you’re done. Pickle has no recipe per se. Adjust the seasoning to suit your own tastes, using this recipe as a guide. My favorite food to use as a base for pickle is green bananas because they suck up all the flavor; my second favorite is breadfruit. Feel free to put this pickle on any root vegetables.
MAKES 1 CUP (240 ML); SERVES 4
1 medium-large cucumber, peeled and grated or minced (see Island Tips)
1 onion, grated (see Island Tips)
Juice of 1 lime (if your lime is not juicy you will need 2)
1 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, minced
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or parsley leaves
1½ teaspoons pink or sea salt
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme, optional
1 teaspoon minced fresh dill, optional
½ teaspoon minced fresh marjoram, optional
½ cup (120 ml) water
¼ breadfruit, cooked and chopped into 2-inch (5 cm) cubes, or one 19-ounce (540 g) can of breadfruit in brine
ISLAND TIPS
To make pickle the traditional way, you must chip the onion and cucumber with a knife. Chipping results in smaller, finer pieces than traditional dicing. To chip a cucumber or an onion, cut off the top to form a new, flat top. Make close, shallow cuts across the top, first horizontally and then vertically, forming a grid of tiny cubes. Then turn the onion or cucumber sideways and slice the cubes off into a bowl. This will leave a new flat top, so continue chipping until you’ve done the whole thing. Alternatively, you can mince the cucumbers and onion finely. Chipping creates a more textured finished product for a better presentation.
Breadfruit is sold canned in brine, but in summer you may be able to find it fresh at Asian or Latin American markets. If using canned breadfruit, heat it briefly before adding the other ingredients, and reduce the amount of salt to ¼ teaspoon.
If you aren’t familiar with the French West Indies, this refers to Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Martin, and Saint Barts. These islands are still governed by France, and the inhabitants speak French exclusively except on Saint Martin, where they are bilingual and even trilingual. Most of the food on these islands is inspired by French cuisine. Sauce chien translated from French Creole means “dogfish sauce” in English. This sauce is most often used as a condiment on a fish consumed in the French West Indies called dogfish. If you have a mortar and pestle, you can use it for this recipe; try to avoid using a food processor as it will overprocess all of the ingredients and the finished product will be too smooth and not like the traditional sauce.
MAKES ½ CUP (120 ML)
4 green onions (white part only), minced
½ onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
½ to 1 teaspoon minced Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper
¼ cup (60 ml) canola oil or another neutral-flavored oil
1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
¼ cup (60 ml) hot water
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon pink or sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
ISLAND TIP
Try this sauce on cooked vegetables, fries and other potato dishes, rice dishes, and even Island Burgers. Vendors sell dehydrated dogfish sauce in the markets in Guadeloupe. You just reconstitute it with a little water, add some salt and a little oil, and it’s ready.
The coconut for this chutney is fire-roasted on a stove top before being grated. The result is a smoky condiment that is addictive and works well on Caribbean rice dishes. You need fairly large pieces of coconut so that you can easily hold them over the flame with tongs. I love this chutney with Pelau, or on any rice dish.
MAKES 2 CUPS (480 ML)
Flesh of ½ coconut, in large pieces
1½ cups (360 ml) water
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
5 large garlic cloves
1 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper
1¼ teaspoons pink or sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
ISLAND TIP
The coconut absorbs a lot of water, so if you store the chutney for a while, you may need to add a little water. You can leave the thin brown skin of the coconut on for this recipe. It won’t affect the taste or the texture.
This brown, flavorful gravy is used in some parts of the Caribbean by people who don’t eat meat. It’s great on potatoes and other root vegetables and also on plain rice dishes. You can omit the Caribbean Caramel if you don’t care about the brown color.
MAKES 1 CUP (240 ML)
1 tablespoon vegan margarine or olive oil
1 medium-large onion, thinly sliced
1 tomato, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram minced, or a scant ½ teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon fresh thyme minced, or ¼ teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
¼ teaspoon mild paprika
1 cup (240 ml) water
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon Caribbean Caramel or browning
¼ teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon American-style prepared mustard
If there is a multipurpose gravy in the Caribbean, it’s this sauce. It’s similar to Onion Gravy, but the tomato paste gives it a bright orange color. It’s terrific on Cou-Cou.
MAKES 2½ CUPS (600 ML)
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (85 g) vegan margarine
6 tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon mild paprika
1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
2 cups (480 ml) water
2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons onion powder
1½ to 2 teaspoons pink or sea salt, or to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons Bajan Pepper Sauce; see Island Tip
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
ISLAND TIP
The pepper sauce rounds out the flavor of this sauce. If you don’t have any Bajan Pepper Sauce on hand, you can use 1 teaspoon commercial pepper sauce; just mix in ½ teaspoon of American-style mustard for more authentic flavor.
I started making this version of curry sauce when I was in secondary school. It doesn’t contain either coconut milk or cream, so isn’t as rich as other recipes for curry sauce. It’s great served on hot white rice, and a slab of Tofish alongside. Because cornmeal is used to thicken this sauce, it will solidify at room temperature. So if you are reheating it, you will probably need to add as much as ¼ cup (60 ml) water.
MAKES ½ CUP (120 ML)
2 tablespoons vegan margarine
½ onion, minced
1 to 2 tablespoons minced celery
1 small bay leaf
1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
1 tablespoon fine cornmeal or corn flour
⅓ cup (80 ml) water
½ teaspoon pink or sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1½ teaspoons fresh lime juice
There are many great home cooks in the Caribbean who create their own barbecue sauce. Some of them sell their fare on the streets, and each of these vendors is known for the type of barbecue sauce they make. Many Caribbean-style barbecue sauces call for fruit flavors, like pineapple and passion fruit. In this recipe, I’ve used pineapple.
MAKES 2 CUPS (480 ML)
7 garlic cloves
½ onion, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
4 rings of canned pineapple
¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar
½ cup (120 ml) ketchup
⅓ cup (80 ml) pineapple juice (from the canned pineapple if packed in juice)
¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons pink or sea salt
1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons Jamaican Jerk Seasoning or Bajan Seasoning
1 tablespoon unsulfured blackstrap molasses
1 tablespoon Angostura bitters
1 tablespoon liquid smoke, or to taste
1 tablespoon rum, optional
2 teaspoons American-style prepared mustard
1 teaspoon Caribbean Caramel or browning
1 teaspoon Bajan Pepper Sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder, optional
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup (240 ml) water
1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon Bajan Seasoning
ISLAND TIP
This sauce is a great dip for Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Chips, or just as a replacement for regular barbecue sauce. If you like, spice it up by adding 2 Scotch bonnet peppers, including their seeds.