Boiled Channa, Simple Guyanese Peasant Food

I always preach on Guyanese food being the food of poor people with limited resources. Meat was expensive. Fresh imports were not available. You had dried goods, canned foods, and whatever you could grow locally. There is fish and seafood, but again, either you catch it (effort and time) or you can buy it (again, expensive to use on a regular basis). 

One thing that is overlooked but so typically guyanese is channa, or as the rest of the world knows it, chick peas or garbanzo beans. You go to a prayers and you get channa curry. You go to a rumshop and you may get fried channa. And if you go to a wake, you may get boiled channa. It's easy and relatively cheap and quintessentially Guyanese for all races and religions. You will never find it in a restaurant, you will never have it for Christmas or Easter dinner. It is the most humble of foods.

I remember serving this when my grandparents died. I also remember eating this on a weekend while I was studying at home. I cannot pinpoint it to a specific time and place, but it is a memory of my childhood and part of my comfort now. It is both healthy and filling. As I'm writing this I wonder why I don't eat this on a regular basis? Alistair, your allergies keep me on my toes; sometimes you react to channa, sometimes you don't. If it weren't for your love of pepper, I would wonder how Guyanese you really are! I hope you can eat this as you grow older. It's one of those things that you can whip up anytime. I keep at least six cans of channa in the pantry and stock up as needed, because if I'm in a pinch, I can make something if needed.

Boiled channa is the easiest (and the only one I make) Guyanese preparations of channa. I would eat a bowl on its own. If you were to make channa curry, then you would eat it with roti, but not rice. I don't make these rules, they have evolved over time by Guyanese people who must have figured out the best combinations. 

So through social distancing before I get some free time back with having to cook every single meal at home for every single person every single day, yeah, I will likely make boiled channa before we return to me wanting to actually cook.

IMAGE COMING SOON!

Ingredients:
Channa (chick peas)		1 can or 1 cups dried and rehydrated
Onion		1 medium - large, chopped
Garlic		6 cloves, minced
Cumin		1/4 tsp, ground (optional)
Black Pepper		1 tsp, ground
Sea Salt		1 tsp
Canola Oil		2 tbsp
Water		1/4 cup
Green Onion / Bandanya		chopped to garnish (optional)

Preparation:

1. Re-hydrate the dried channa overnight with water and baking soda. If using tinned channa you need not hydrate. for both, Drain and rinse in a sieve thoroughly until the water runs clear. 
2. In a medium size pot, heat the canola oil on medium heat.
3. Saute the onions and garlic until they are translucent.
4. If you want the bite of the cumin, add it now. it should colour the onions and garlic and become aromatic very quickly. It is important that you cook it through to bring out all it's seasoning power without burning it. Keep an eye on it, because if you walk away it will burn.
5. Add the channa and black pepper and turn the heat up to medium high.
6. Quickly stir well to coat everything. As the heat comes back up to strength you will hear the change in the pot within minutes.
7. Timing is now very important. with the temperature still on medium-high, add the water and sea salt, then stir quickly. 
8. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to medium low. 
9. Let the channa simmer gently for 15 minutes. Check and stir occasionally to make sure it does not burn and the texture remains creamy. Add a little more water if it seems to get too dry, but not enough where you can see liquid. You don't want it soupy, but you don't want it dry and chalky either.
10. When the channa is soft enough to crush with little pressure it is done. I like to add a maririri pepper to the pot when I add the channa, but you kids aren't ready for that yet, so I just add peppersauce until you guys are all grown up and ready for more heat.
11. Garnish with herbs if you prefer and have any on hand.

Cook Up Rice

We don't keep a lot of parboiled rice in the house now that I'm married to a Filipino with Pinoy kids. We mostly eat long grain rice, Rooster to be exact. I have no problem with it but you cannot use it for some Guyanese dishes. Now that we are in quarantine it has been difficult to get Guyanese food I wouldn't have to make myself, because mom isn't a short drive away. So I asked Enrique to pick up a bag of Mr Goudas parboiled rice when he made these quest-worthy grocery runs so I could make a pot of cook up rice.

My grandmother and my mother made the best cook up. My mother adds pigtail. This is the absolute best. I love pigtail. It's delicious. Most people don't know how to cook it and they are missing out. If you can get the butcher to chop it up in the store then it's little work to wash and clean before you cook. If you want (as I did in the picture below) you can cook it without any meat and have it bare or with meat on the side. This dish is not picky. My mom uses kidney beans, but I prefer to leave them out. As you continue to make it, you will find the combination that best suits you.

I had no worries that you would like this, Alexis. Alistair, on the other hand, I know you are picky and your allergies give you an aversion to any beans or peas. But somehow, the flavour and texture of the rice outweighed the texture of the peas and he ate the whole bowl. I couldn't be happier. My kids have a bit of Guyanese in them still.

So through social distancing I resorted to cooking a staple that my mother always made for me and it turned out to be delicious. Now if I can only get my hands on some pigtail I'm set.

Ingredients:
Parboiled Rice		2 cups
Black Eye Peas		1 can, rinsed
Pigeon Peas		1 can, rinsed
Salt Beef / Pigtail / Chicken		1 lb, washed and cut into 1" pieces
Coconut Milk or Coconut Cream		1 can Milk or 1/2 block of cream, chopped
Onion		1 large, diced
Garlic		1 head, sliced
Marmite		2 tbsp
Chicken Bullion		1 cube / 1 tbsp
Thyme		3 sprigs fresh or 2 tbsp dried
Dried Basil		2 tbsp
Bay Leaf		2-3
Black Pepper		1 tsp, ground
Sea Salt		1 tbsp
Canola Oil		2 tbsp
Water		8 cups

Preparation:

1. Clean, wash and chop meat (salt beef, pigtail or chicken) into 1" pieces. Soak and rinse the salt beef or pigtail until they are clear of the brine.
2. Wash the rice until it the water runs clear.
3. In a large pot, heat canola oil on medium heat. 
4. Saute the onions, garlic, thyme, basil and bay leaf until they are translucent.
5. Add the washed rice and stir to coat, toasting it lightly in the oil and spices for a few minutes until the rice looses opacity.
6. Add the meat and stir until it has mixed with the rice. 
7. Add the black eye peas and pigeon peas, and stir well. Do not let the rice burn at the bottom of the pot! Slightly over medium heat should work, but lower it if needed until you are ready to add the water.
8. While making sure the contents of the pot do not burn, add the last ingredients before adding any liquid (the chicken bullion, marmite, black pepper, and sea salt). 
9. If you are using coconut cream instead of coconut milk, add it now. 
10. Turn the heat up to medium high and stir this in until the marmite has coated everything. If it seems sparse add a little more; this is where you will get the bulk of the colour and the flavour.
11. With the heat up, pour in the coconut milk (if you are not using coconut cream).
12. Pour in the water and stir well.
13. Half cover the pot so steam can escape and turn the heat down to medium. If the heat is too high and the pot is covered, the food will scorch at the bottom of the pot.
14. Let the rice simmer gently for 20-30 minutes. Check and stir occasionally to make sure the rice does not burn and the liquid is distributed. Do not stir often, or your rice will end up mushy.
15. When there is no liquid left and the texture appears coated but not dry, the rice is done. Turn off the heat, preferably take the pot of the heat, and leave the lid cracked open. Covered will steam and clump the food, and open will let too much heat out.
16. I like to add a couple whole peppers, but you kids would not eat so I add pepper to my dish alone. If you want to add peppers, I suggest adding them whole after adding the water, and breaking them up once the cook up has finished cooking.

Jerk Seasoning and Jerk Pork or Chicken, or, Why I Miss Jamaica

It is a seasoning, a way of cooking, and results in a delicious gravy, but it is not a sauce.

It is a process.When done right it is absolutely delicious. It is difficult to recreate in a kitchen, but I have done it many times and I will explain how I do it below.

First, I must credit the seasoning to a Jerk Master who works in Jamaica. The first bite I ever had of this jerk chicken, I was on the beach, with your dad, and after a day of swimming, this was the perfect thing. I just love that your father can handle his pepper.

This Jerk Master would hook us up and cover the chicken with gravy. I used to buy seasoning from him every time I went to visit, but no one knows where he is anymore. This is his recipe, and while I guard it, I share it with those who will do it justice. So to my babies, I hope one day you will enjoy the spicier side of life and try to make this for those you love. Maybe this is TMI, but jerk anything is a key to the heart. Use this to make anyone fall in love with you.

Here is the seasoning and recipe. Tread carefully. Seriously. Put on some gloves or something. You don't want to touch your eyes after making this.

I believe this is the guy who made the best jerk, and these are the barrels he cooked on.

Jerk Seasoning 

Garlic		1 head / 12 cloves
Onion		3 medium, diced
Green Onion		4 stalks
Scotch Bonnet		6-8 peppers
Ginger (fresh)		1 knob (2")
Soy Sauce		1/4 cup
Brown Sugar		1/4 cup
Thyme		10 stalks (strip the leaves)
Canola Oil		1/4 cup
Caramel/Browning (Grace)		2 tbsp
Allspice		8 berries (freshly ground)
Black Pepper		2 tbsp (freshly ground)
Cinnamon		1/2 tsp (freshly ground)
Nutmeg (allergy optional!)		1/2 tsp (freshly ground)

Jerk Seasoning Preparation:

1. Roughly chop all the ingredients for the seasoning.
2. Throw all the ingredients to a blender. If your blender is not glass, it will hold the scent and flavour of these ingredients. Also, a food processor will do just fine if that's what you prefer.
3. In a saucepan, cook down the mixture on a very low simmer for about 40 minutes to an hour. 
4. Continuously check and stir, make sure it hasn't scorched. Once scorched, you cannot recover and it will always taste 'burned'.
5. Jar the excess and keep in the fridge. You will use it up before it can ever go bad, but in the fridge it should keep for about a year.

Jerk Recipe (Pork or Chicken) Preparation:

1. Wash all your meat (I use pork shoulder, most people use chicken).
2. Pat the meat dry and take out the days aggression by stabbing it repeatedly. This is what makes jerk jerk. You are creating pockets for deliciousness.
3. In a produce bag, place the meat and the seasoning. For each pound of meat I add one cup of seasoning.
4. Remove the air and tie the bag, massaging the seasoning into the meat so that it is entirely coated.
5. Rest the meat in the fridge. Overnight is preferred, but a few hours will do. You will be happy if you give it the full day to marinate. 
6. Let the meat come to room temperature before cooking. If it is summer and you can grill outside, this is the best and most authentic way to enjoy! 
7. If it is winter, raining, or you are not in the mood for outdoor grilling, do this in the oven. Set the oven for 330 (pork shoulder) or 370 (chicken or fish).
8. Put the meat in a roasting dish and in the oven, 2 hours for the pork shoulder and 45 minutes for the chicken.
9. For the pork shoulder, after 2 hours, crank the heat up to 380 for another 20-30 minutes until the meat starts to colour nicely.
10. Take the meat out and test for doneness... let it rest to redistribute the juices. This should be about 15 minutes.
11. Slice before serving. Some like it on rice or with hard dough bread, but I eat it just so! Oh, and you can thicken the cooking liquid (be sure to drain off the fat!) to serve as the gravy.
12. I recommend a cold beer. Red Stripe if you can get it. Enjoy!

Trini Green Seasoning

Neither of you had the chance to really know your uncle Rob.

He was auntie Aviva's first boyfriend and his family was our family. He called me Sis up until his dying day. He was kind to a fault; he finished his apprenticeship to be an Electrician and was at the start of a promising career when he threw it all away to take care of his parents. Uncle Joe, his dad, had cancer. They moved back to Toronto from Trinidad and your uncle Rob gave everything up to work odd jobs and care for his parents. That's the kind of person he was.

One thing I would never forget about your uncle Rob (besides the dancing, dominoes, and drinks) was how well he could cook. Trini food was something I learned from him; not from auntie Carlen or Auntie Mel. Uncle Rob introduced me to Trini ingredients.

When we were in Trinidad it all came together; the garage on Epringham was his family's attempt to recreate the outdoor kitchen. It was there I first helped him (and learned in the process) make green seasoning.

Green seasoning is ubiquitous in Trinidad. Whether you are Indian, Black, Chinee or White, every culture uses it to marinate everything. It may vary here and there, but this is how I learned to make it, and to me this is the best.

I wish you both got to know your uncle Rob. You would have loved him.

Thanks for everything Robbie. We miss you.

From left to right: Canola oil, green onion, ginger, thyme, lime, scotch bonnet, garlic, salt, bandanya

Green Seasoning 

Bandanya/Chadon Beni		8 bunches
Green Onion		8 stalks
Thyme		6 stalks
Ginger (fresh)		1 knob (2")
Garlic		2 bulbs
Scotch Bonnet		1-3 peppers (depending on your preferences)
Lime (juice & zest)		1
Canola Oil		2 cups
Sea Salt		3 tbsp
Water		1 cup

Preparation:

1. Wash all your herbs, peel your garlic and skin your ginger.
2. Roughly chop the bandanya, green onion, garlic and ginger.
3. Strip the thyme leaves from the woody stalks.
4. Zest and juice the lime. 
5. Add all the ingredients to a blender. If your blender is not glass, it will hold the scent and flavour of these ingredients. Not great if you're making a smoothie. Rob's family had a blender set aside just for making seasoning.
6. Add the salt and the scotch bonnet peppers. One is hot enough, but if you want it super hot, add up to three. Are the kids going to eat? Maybe opt for no scotch bonnet. Even though I'm trying to introduce heat to my kids, this base seasoning can make them refuse an entire meal. Judge wisely.
7. Add the water. Just enough to help the blender along.
8. Blend all the ingredients until everything is well blended. It will not be smooth, but you should not be able to distinguish any one ingredient from the other. 
9. Remove the centre lid from the blender cover and restart the blender on slow. slowly pour in the canola oil. Continue blending until the mixture is a pale green.
10. Use this to marinate any meat or fish. Use this as a base for curry or stew. I can use a spoonful of this to make a quick mango chow in the summertime.
11. I freeze cubes for easy use and jar the rest of the mixture which stays in the fridge for immediate use. if you do this, pour a thin layer of oil on top to prevent spoilage.

Grandma's Stew Chicken

A staple of my childhood was waking up on a weekend morning to my mother's chicken stew and dumplings (or duff, as Guyanese people call them). Now Guyanese cooking is quite utilitarian, but that does not take away from it's deliciousness. People have been known to throw tantrums over there being too little gravy left. Not I. Just saying. Your aunt had very strong opinions about the correct proportions of solids to gravy. Of course, her place could 'accidentally' have more gravy. And I'm not bitter. But it flattens your dreams to have a dry piece of duff with only a trace of stew on the edge with an empty bowl that has been mopped clean.

There is something simple and delicious about this meal. It is wonderful on a cold winter day and also wonderful on a breezy summer evening. I can't think of a time of year when stew chicken isn't delicious.

Ingredients:
Chicken		1 whole bird, cut into 2-3 inch pieces (or the equivalent in thighs and breast)
Potato		8 medium Yukon potatoes, peeled, halved or quartered
Onion		4 onions, peeled and chopped
Tomato Paste		3/4 a small tin
Garlic		1 tbsp, minced
Canola Oil		2 tbsp
Water		1/2 L
Geera (cumin)		1 tsp
Marjoram		1 tbsp
Sage		1 tbsp
Thyme		1 tbsp (fresh, if possible)
Black Pepper		1 tsp, ground
Sea Salt		1 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

1. Clean and use a cleaver to chop chicken into 2-3 inch pieces.
2. In a large pot, heat canola oil on medium heat. 
3. Saute the onions. Add the garlic after the onions have cooked down. Saute until coloured.
4. Add the chicken and stir to coat. 
5. Add the geera, marjoram, sage, thyme, black pepper and sea salt. stir to incorporate.
6. The chicken will release its juices. Let this cook on medium high to evaporate.
7. After the liquid has evaporated, add the potatoes and tomato paste. Stir and let this caramelize.
8. Cover the stew with the boiled water. There should be enough to barely cover the stew.
9. Bring to a boil, stir and reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
10. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 20-30 minutes).
11. Serve with fry bakes, rice, or as we used to have it, fry dumplings. I will provide you the recipe for dumplings in a later post. Hopefully, one day, you can make them. Lord knows I've never done it on my own.

Grandma's and Big Grandma's Beef Barley Soup

If there is one dish that is trademarked to my mother, this is the dish. It is not like any other barley soup I've had. Most are oversalted, or the broth is very thin with very little barley texture. Home made is always best. If you are sick, this soup is for you. If you are cold, this soup is for you. If you need comfort, this soup is for you. If you need a cure all... you see where this is going. After a cup of this a bleak day is brighter. I have a vat of this in the fridge to dip into reheat as needed. Soup does just as great the day after. I sprinkle a little ground black pepper before eating. Yum. My babygirl, you know this is true. This is a wonderful lunch on a cold school day. My babyboy, you will learn to love soup, and this is the soup I will make you love. When you grow up you will wonder why you refused to eat this. Maybe (and I hope) you are just a picky toddler at the moment. But it will eventually remind you of grandma. And maybe, one day, me.

Ingredients:
Beef (stewing or soup cuts)		cubed (1/2" - 1")
Barley		2 cups, cooked
Yukon Potato  (or similar)		3 medium, large cubes (1x1/2")
Carrot		2 carrots, cubed or coined
Onion		3 medium bulbs,chopped
Boiled Water		5 cups
Beef Bullion		1 cube
Salt		1 tbsp
Black Pepper		1 tbsp, ground
Thyme		1 sprig
Canola Oil		4 tbsp

Barley Preparation:

1. Rinse barley in a sieve under cold water. Drain.
2. Toast barley in a pressure cooker, stirring often. 
3. When fragrant, immediately pour in water and add a pinch of salt.
4. Stir well and bring to a boil.
5. Seal pressure cooker with whistle (follow the instructions for your pressure cooker) and let it build pressure until it whistles.
6. Reduce heat to low and let it cook for approximately 15 mins.
7. Take the pot off the heat and let it cool completely.
8. When you remove the lid (make sure you release the pressure completely before you do this!) the barley should be soft all the way through.

Soup Preparation:

1. Wash and chop onions and carrots. Set aside.
2. Rinse and cube beef. Set aside.
3. Add canola oil to a large soup pot on medium heat.
4. When warmed through, saute chopped onions. Be sure you do not brown them.
5. When the onions are translucent, increase the temperature to medium high.
6. Add beef and brown on all sides until it is nicely caramelized.
7. Add potatoes, carrots and thyme. Stir until everything is mixed well.
8. Let the mixture cook until there is little moisture left in the pot.
9. Pour in the boiled water and stir to release all the fond at the bottom of the pot. What is 'fond'? You are my children and reading this, you should know. Go look it up.
10. Add the pressure cooked barley, using the water in the pot to rinse out the bowl. Remember; barley is a thickener, it is important to have all the barley for the texture of the soup.
11. Add salt and pepper.
12. Stir well to agitate the barley and mix the seasoning.
13. Half cover pot and reduce heat to medium low. 
14. Let the soup simmer for 30 minutes.
15. When the soup is nearly done, take a pot spoon and try to break a potato on the side of the pot to test for doneness. If it crushes easily, the soup is done aaand... you've thickened the soup a little, just stir it all together. If it does not crush without pressure, then the soup needs more time.
16. You will notice a greenish tinge (remember the sauteed onions?) when the soup is finished. Remove the pot from the heat and serve.

Barley Congee

I have had a difficult time throwing off the weight since I had Alistair, but it is only recently I have made a concerted effort to really take it off and keep it off. One of the changes I made was trading out simple carbs for complex carbs, such as barley.

I never considered how versatile barley could be and reserved it for my mom's legendary beef/chicken barley soup. But when Jocelyn made the last batch I asked her to pressure cook a half cup of extra barley and set it aside for me. Knowing beef and barley are a natural pairing I assumed I would make some sort of tomato based stew, but then Jocelyn made her amazing steamed fish and that changed my entire approach. When you think about barley's thickening power (see almost every recipe I have for use of barley flour), it could potentially behave like rice does in congee. And let me tell you, congee is one of the most comforting bowls of morning love you can ever eat.

I had steamed fish (seasoned with garlic, green onion and ginger), spinach, garlic paste (I make and keep a jar in the fridge) and, of course, cooked barley. So I got to assembling a dish. And it was absolutely delicious and less carb heavy than rice. It will naturally be on the thicker side of congee, but I never liked thin congee anyways. And if the barley thickens up too much, just thin it out slightly with a little bit of water.

You can substitute out ingredients as needed. My rule of thumb would be one leafy green vegetable, one protein, a strong seasoning, and optionally include green onion and century egg. For a couple options, you could do minced pork, garlic greens, black fungus (mushroom), century egg and fish sauce, or chicken, yo choi, garlic and chili. There are so many variations and I can't wait to try them all.

The recipe below serves one, but you can adjust it upwards to serve the whole family.

This is about to get in my belly.

Ingredients:
White Fish (Sole, Tilapia, Cod or similar)		6 oz fillets, steamed
Barley		1 cup, cooked (preparation shown for 1 cup uncooked)
Water		2 cups (barley), 1/4 cup (congee)
Spinach		2 cup, sliced
Garlic		1/4 tsp, minced
Siracha		1/2 tsp
Fish sauce		1 1/2 tsp
Black Pepper		1 tsp, ground
Green Onion		chopped, to garnish

Barley Preparation:

1. Rinse barley in a sieve under cold water. Drain.
2. Toast barley in a pressure cooker, stirring often. 
3. When fragrant, immediately pour in water and add a pinch of salt.
4. Stir well and bring to a boil.
5. Seal pressure cooker with whistle (follow the instructions for your pressure cooker) and let it build pressure until it whistles.
6. Reduce heat to low and let it cook for approximately 15 mins.
7. Take the pot off the heat and let it cool completely.
8. When you remove the lid (make sure you release the pressure completely before you do this!) the barley should be soft all the way through.

Congee Preparation:

1. Wash and chop spinach.
2. In a pot on medium-low heat, add spinach, minced garlic, black pepper, fish sauce and siracha. Give it a quick stir.
3. Add the cooked barley. This can be fresh from the pressure cooker or leftover from the fridge - the only difference is the amount of water needed and time stirring to reconstitute the original consistency.
4. Add water slowly while stirring. Continue adding water as needed to create a creamy congee like texture. The key is to continue stirring. Agitating the barley releases the starch to form the sauce. No stirring just leaves you with barley and strongly flavoured water.
5. Once the texture is perfect remove the pot from the heat - you do not want to dry out the congee at this point.
6. Ladle out into soup bowls and layer the steamed fish on top (assuming the fish is well seasoned during steaming - think ginger, green onion, garlic, soy sauce).
7. Garnish with green onions.

Fish and Rice Noodle Soup

[NEEDS PIC]

This is a nice, simple soup that is comforting yet light. I think the kids would like it, because it's not going to seem 'fishy', but the sweet vinegar and the tamarind will give it a sweet tang that should be delicious.

For an understanding on the 'sweet vinegar', it look like this bottle:

Ingredients:
White Fish (Sole, Tilapia, Cod or similar)		1 lbs, Fillets only
Gai Lan		8 (approx), chopped
Fried Tofu		1 cup, sliced
Chicken Stock		4 cups
Chinese Sweet Vinegar		3 tsp
Tamarind Sauce		1/4 cup
Onion		1, sliced
Green Onion		4 stalks, chopped
Ginger		1" knob, peeled
Garlic		4 cloves, finely minced
Water		2 L
Soy Sauce		3 tbsp
Canola Oil		3 tbsp
Black Pepper		1 tsp (ground)
Wide Rice Noodles		1 fistful per person

Tamarind Sauce:

1. Take a knob of tamarind paste and place it in a small dish
2. Pour boiling water over the paste. work through with a strong fork. 
3. Cover with a plate and let sit for 15 mins.
4. When the dish cools, stir and heat in the microwave for 40-60 seconds.
5. Stir again and cover to let sit for another 15 mins.
6. When cool, stir and sieve through into a clean bowl. This removes skins and pits.
7. Ta Da. Tamarind Sauce.

Soup Preparation:

1. Fill a kettle of water and leave to boil (use some of this for the tamarind sauce).
2. Clean the fish and slice fillets into 1.5" pieces. Set aside.
3. Wash and chop the Gai Lan and Fried Tofu. Set aside.
4. Slice finely the onion and ginger. Mince the garlic.
5. In a soup pot, add oil and raise heat to medium. Add onion, garlic, ginger and saute. 
6. When translucent, stir in the sweet vinegar, soy sauce and the tamarind sauce. 
7. When sizzling, pour in water to cover, about 2" high.
8. When mixture boils, pour in chicken stock and bring to a boil
9. Add salt and pepper and stir. Leave to boil for 15 minutes.
10. Add Fried Tofu, Gai Lan, and stir. Reduce heat to medium-low.
11. When heat reduces, stir once. Layer slices of fish on top of the broth. 
12. Cover and let steam for 10 minutes.

In a separate dish,

1. place rice noodles and pour hot water and cover. Leave for 10 mins. Do this prior to serving.
2. Pour off water from rice noodles and place in a dish.
3. Ladle soup over noodles.
4. Garnish with green onions..

Somethin Like a Sloppy Joe

One day I just had to cook off some ground meat and I didn't have any real recipe in mind. Nor did I have time to do anything labour intensive. So I figured out this... stew? I don't really know what to call it. But it was a pot of delicious.

My husband eats this over rice. It could also be eaten 'sloppy joe' style. I made it so you don't even really need carbs... if I have a preference I would eat this over quinoa. Whatever you prefer. It is not a fussy dish.

You can substitute out herbs and seasonings as you prefer. As long as you keep the core principle the same, you can introduce flavour changes that can pair with carbs and sides. Coming to think of it, the original principles behind this dish comes from my preparation of beef filling for tacos.

<<>>

Ingredients 

Ground Meat		2 lbs
Ginger (fresh, grated)		1 tsp
Onion (finely chopped)		1, medium
Cilantro (chopped)		1 bunch
Barley Flour		1/4 cup
Boiled Water		2-3 cups
Kafir Lime Leaves		8 leaves
Garlic (minced)		8 cloves
Canola Oil		2 tbsp
Black Pepper (ground)		1 tsp
Fish Sauce		2 tbsp

Preparation:

1. Wash and chop the cilantro
2. Mince the garlic
3. Grate the ginger
4. Chop the onion
5. Wash and bruise the lime leaves with the back of a knife
6. Heat the oil in a small pot on medium heat
7. Saute the onion, garlic, ginger and lime leaves
8. Stir and add the meat, breaking it up to brown it evenly
9. When the heat starts permeating the meat, add the black pepper and fish sauce
10. Stir occasionally for five minutes
11. Sprinkle the barley flour over the meat and stir until it is completely incorporated. It is important the flour is not lumpy.
12. Add water (to cover), stir, and bring to a simmer. Start with 2 cups and add more water if necessary.
13. Stir until mixture visibly thickens (use the 'line on the back of the spoon test' if needed).
14. Add cilantro, stir, remove from heat and cover for one minute.

This preparation would be perfect over white rice.

Office Hack: Iced Coffee

I have been made fun of today by many people. I had four coffee cups on my desk at work. Mostly because I leave them there from the prior day and rush to leave so they never get thrown out. So today there was leftover coffee in a Timmy's carafe from a meeting. It had gone cold and there was no microwave, so I thought to myself 'what is the best way to make use of this without all this good coffee going to waste?' The answer? Iced coffee.

Now I had no idea how this would turn out, but I had the theory in my head. If I had time, If I was home and tried this, I would have taken the coffee out and swirled it around every 15-20 minutes to maintain some fluidity. Like the same principles when forking through a granita. Here I would have to leave it to freeze. Why not test it out?

I mixed the coffee with milk and Splenda in a coffee cup and popped on a lid. We (I and my workmate) made four cups, his with cream and sugar. I assume that would turn out more slushee (like a icecap) and mine more icy and liquid. When I took them out the following day, this is how they appeared:

Frozen rock solid with a 'mound' in the middle. Wha......?

After a while of melting, this is how they appeared:

Yummy iced coffee with a icy ball of coffee in the middle.

Salmon with Cannellini Beans in Tomato Sauce

When I am trying to shed some unwanted weight (read: post-pregnancy pre-caribana blitz) I can't go wrong with salmon or sardines. The problem is I can't take these to work (it's really really pungent!), but on the flip side, it is the perfect low-fat low-carb dinner that is extremely satisfying. The version below is salmon, but you could substitute in sardines for a completely different texture.

Close up: notice how the cannellini have just barely split.

Now some people have an aversion to fish. Some have a prejudice against canned products. For those who hate both, this dish must bother the hell out of them. But I remind you this is born from humble roots; remove the beans and the cooking process and this is a typical Guyanese family breakfast when accompanied with roti.  A family who couldn't afford much could afford tinned fish, an onion and a pepper. All I did was remove the carbs and add back in some fiber and protein. Growing up, we ate it because it was delicious. One day, my children, I hope both of you will enjoy this as much as I do, but for now, oily fish is not what I want to give you to turn you off seafood. Simple white fish will do for now. But when you are a little older I will serve this to you. and hopefully you will be able to eat it with the pepper.

Ingredients

Salmon		2 tins, drained
Onion		1 large, finely chopped
Garlic		10 cloves, minced
Whole Tomatoes		1 tin, (tomato and juice)
Cannellini Beans		1 tin, drained and rinsed
Thai Chili		1, minced
Canola		1 tbsp
Black Pepper		1 tsp, freshly ground
Sea Salt		1/2 tsp

Preparation:

1. Open all tins
2. Drain excess liquid from salmon
3. Pour cannellini beans into a seive and rinse until water runs clear
4. Finely chop onion, set aside
5. Mince garlic set aside
6. In mid-size pot, heat oil on medium heat.
7. Saute onion and garlic
8. Add the cannellini beans and saute for five minutes, or until beans have softened
9. Add tomatoes, salmon, minced chili and black pepper
10. break up the tomatoes with the back of the spoon
11. Stir mixture together and let it come to a simmer for about five minutes
12. Add salt and stir to incorporate
13. The mixture will thicken slightly. this should take no more than 5 minutes
14. Remove from heat and serve

Green Onion Oil

Addictive.
Try this with steamed chicken or fish. Or cardboard. Anything really. This is the only oil I drizzle without pause.

When I had my first job I went to a restaurant every couple weeks at Elizabeth and Dundas called "Garden". They have a bowl of soup; Beef brisket and bok choi over rice noodles. It is delicious. But then they have an oil based condiment with green onions. And when I added that, the dish was heavenly. I've since seen it served with roast pork or roast duck. I've tried to recreate it to no avail. And then, one day, my sister did what I never did. She ASKED "what goes into this?" and they actually told her. So armed with the recipe, I made it. And it goes like this:

YUM.

Green Seasoning 

Green Onion		8 stalks
Ginger (fresh)		1 knob (2")
Garlic		8 cloves
Canola Oil		1 cup
Sea Salt		1 tbsp

Preparation:

1. Chop the green onion, mince the garlic and grate the ginger.
2. Heat the oil in a small skillet on medium heat.
3. When oil is warm enough that it is visibly viscous, add all the ingredients.
4. Stir occasionally for 10 minutes.
5. Never let the oil come to a boil. Reduce heat if necessary.
6. Remove skillet from heat and allow the mixture to cool.
7. Spoon over (as I said above) any dish of meat or fish.
8. Jar the rest of the mixture to reuse for 2-3 weeks.

Fry Shark

My darling children,

So Alexis, in true form to how we raised you, you will not say you do not like a food until you have managed one bite, and you have decided shark is not for you. You cannot understand how devastating this is to me. This is the greatest of beach side foods that I was hoping you would join me in loving. At least, as we both agreed, the shark had no chance to bite you, you bit the shark. Alistair, I'll have to feed you some flavour neutral fish before you can tackle the almighty shark. I'll prepare it again when you are old enough to form an opinion on its taste. So in the event that the flavour is something you both will grow into over time (I hope), here is the recipe for that weird fish mamma used to make.

It is not typically Guyanese, but since having bake and shark at Richards in Maracas Bay (thank you Paula/Natalie/Mikes) it is a food that evokes strong memories and elicits strong feelings that cannot be recreated elsewhere. A mix of swimming, jumping waves and general beach exhaustion under the sun generates a hunger which can only be satiated by the one perfect food. I know I cannot recreate the experience. In fact, I do not fry bake at home and will only pan fry fish. But I have no problem frying up some shark, which is a little different than Banga Mary thanks to green seasoning, making it a decisively Trini dish. I will publish the green seasoning recipe for you both, but that will come later. For now, my take on preparing shark, including the butchery, is based on the original from Caribbean Pot.  His video on the coleslaw is a great accompaniment which appears in the images below.



Green Seasoning 

Green Onion		6 stalks
Bandanya		6 bunches
Garlic		8 cloves
Scotch Bonnet		1 (optional when you have babies)
Lime		1, juiced
Canola Oil		1/4 cup
Black Pepper		1 tbsp (ground)
Sea Salt		1 tbsp (ground)

Breading Flour 

White Flour		1/2 cup
Black Pepper		1 tbsp (ground)
Sea Salt		1 tsp (ground)

Shark

Shark Fillets		6
Canola Oil		for pan frying

Preparation:

1. Buy the fillets or butcher the steaks as shown in the Caribbean Pot video
2. Wash shark in lemon and salt solution, rinse well and pat dry
3. In a food processor, add all ingredients for green seasoning and blend 
4. In a bowl, add green seasoning and shark. My rule of thumb is at least two tablespoons per steak.
5. Let shark marinate for at least two hours, covered
6. Pour breading flour ingredients into a shallow glass dish. Square will work best, because you can shake the four down easily between steaks. Stir until it is well mixed
7. Pour enough oil into a saute pan to pan fry
8. Turn heat up to medium high
9. Test oil with flour. If it fries, it is ready to cook
10. Toss steak in flour and place in pan. Do not touch it once it is down! Let it fry for at least four minutes. With a good pan and the right heat, the steak should come up easily when it is ready to flip. Never force it or you will lose the crust (and worst case, the shark) to the pan.
11. Once flipped, it should take less than the time it took on the first side. check with the tongs to test the give from the pan. It will let you know when it is ready.
12. Remove from the pan and let it drain on a paper towel covered drain rack.
13. If you are going to eat it as a sandwich, make your bakes and fixings, and don't forget the coleslaw.

Shark (peppersauce on top) with coleslaw on the side

Beefaroni

Alexis, there is nothing more heartwarming than to see you thoroughly enjoying a meal. Pointing to me and saying 'good cook!' But I get it all from your Grandma. Alistair, you'll learn this as well. In fact, I see you wolf down beefaroni just as quickly (if not faster) than your sister!

Ah, beefaroni. How many school night did I come home before my parents and found comfort in dishing out a bowl of leftover beefaroni from the fridge, my mouth watering as the smell wafted from the microwave as it heated up. Of course it is best as soon as it came from the pot (even sneaking a spoonful before dinnertime) but it didn't matter to me; it was afterschool comfort and both my sister and I enjoyed it every day.

I could make my own sauce from scratch and I could get fresh pasta for any dish, but the key to this beefaroni is in it's minimalist approach to cooking. I've tried it with everything homemade and it never turns out right. Take it from yourself Alexis - you will eat any of my pastas, but this is the version you will devour.

Beefaroni:
Ground Beef (lean)		2 lbs
Pasta Sauce		2 (680mL) cans
Pasta (Ditali or Macaroni)		750g
Garlic		1 clove, finely minced
Water		680 mL
Sea Salt		1 tsp (ground)
Black Pepper		1 tsp (ground)

Preparation:

1. In a large pot, brown the ground beef and garlic until fully cooked.
2. Add the pasta sauce and stir together.
3. Rinse the pasta sauce from the cans with the equivalent of one can of water and pour it into the pot.
4. Bring the pot to the boil and then reduce the heat to low.
5. Add salt and pepper and stir.
6. In a separate pot, bring salted water to boil and cook pasta to one minute shy of al dente.
7. Strain pasta in a colander and pour pasta into the beef sauce.
8. Stir to fully incorporate and turn off the heat.

Mashed Potatoes and Sausage

If there was a comfort food fit for a chilly fall evening then this would be it. My mother would brepare this in all it's carby buttered goodness. It doesn't have to be that way, really, so we all now use 1% milk and Becel. It's still absolutely delicious. And Alexis and Alistair, you both love them. Alexis loves the sausage coins and brother laps up spoonfuls of mashed potatoes. I'm hoping you both will love this for years to come.

The sausages are just store bought, parboiled and then roasted in the oven. It's the mashed potatoes that shine here. The recipe below makes a potful.



Mashed Potatoes 

Yukon/Yellow Potatoes		8 large
Garlic		4 cloves
Milk		2 cups
Butter/Becel		4 tbsp
Salt		1 tsp

Preparation:

1. Peel and chop potatoes into approximately 2" cubes. Set aside in a bowl of cold water.
2. Fill a tall pot three quarters full with water. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and bring to a boil.
3. Drain potatoes and add to the pot.
4. Add the garlic cloves to the pot.
5. Wait for the pot to return to a boil and then reduce the heat slightly (med - med-high)
6. When the potatoes can be pierced with a knife without resistance, they are ready.
7. Strain the potatoes and garlic in a colander and rinse the pot they were boiled in.
8. Return the same pot to the same burner on the stove. It is already hot and timing is important now.
9. Add the Becel margarine to the pot. Let it melt completely.
10. Pour in the milk. This is critical. You do not want to add cold milk to the potatoes; the liquid must be brought up to heat to guarantee fluffiness. Else you will have starchy, gluey ick.
11. Once the milk is steamed through (but not boiling), add the salt.
12. Fish the four garlic cloves from the colander and add to the pot.
13. Using a potato masher, mash the garlic cloves until they are pulverized.
14. Stir the liquid together.
15. Return the potatoes to the pot and turn the heat off. The residual heat is more than enough to finish the dish.
16. Mash the potatoes until they are all light and fluffy. Do not overmash or the texture will go from fluffy to gloopy.
17. Taste for salt - you can always add a little more salt and/or butter.
18. Dig in!

Dhal: A Guyanese Staple

When I was a baby one of the first solid meals I had likely had dhal. I loved dhal and roti growing up. Alexis grew up with dhal and rice, and sometimes she refuses to eat unless she gets dhal. That happened this weekend when my parents came to visit on a cold Saturday morning. I'm glad, because to those who have not grown up with it, it seems to be an acquired taste. It is something every Guyanese should know how to make, yet I rarely make it, since my mom makes so much of it she is always sending some for us.

Now I can have dhal alone in a cup with a heaping spoonful of achaar. That's the best. Dhal over curry and rice is still nice. And sometimes, for breakfast, dhal and roti is still a treat. I'm so glad Alexis loves it. I hope her little brother does as well.

Alexis and mom washing dhal

Alexis and mom chunkay dhal

Ingredients

Dhal (dry)		2 cups
Water		2 litres
Garlic		12 gloves, sliced
Geera		4 tbsp
Turmeric		2 tsp
Canola Oil		1/4 cup
Salt		1 tbsp
Maririri Pepper		4 whole (optional)

Preparation:

1. Rinse dhal until the water runs clean (about 2-3 times).
2. In a pressure cooker turn heat to high. Add the turmeric, half the geera and half the garlic. 
3. And rinsed dhal and add the water so it covers the dhal at least half a finger.
4. Lock the pressure cooker on high heat.  cook until the pressure sound changes (about 5 minutes) and the pressure valve pops up. Leave on burner but turn heat off. 
5. Once pressure is finished cooking (use the valve to check) check that the dhal is almost melted and crushes to the touch. If not, take the time to pressure it once more.
6. Once the pressure has released, open the lid (away from you to avoid the steam),
7. Add salt.
8. With a hand blender, blend the dhal thoroughly. 
9. (optional step) If you want it spicy, add the maririri peppers now.
10. Turn the heat to medium high.
11. On a separate burner, heat a small pan with a 1\4 cup of oil until it is pitching hot. 
12. Add two heaped tbsp of chopped garlic and two heaped tsp of geera. Do this carefully - the oil may start to spit. 
13. Stir until mixture is bubbling. Just before it gets too dark, plunge The entire pan into the dhal. Make sure the entire mixture has been incorporated into the dhal.This step is 'chunkay'ing the dhal. I've heard this reference to mean 'tempering' the dhal, but it's this step that makes dhal so tasty.
14. Stir and simmer for five more minutes and turn off the heat.

Red Wine Venison Stew with Dumplings

[NEEDS PIC]

En's friends and co workers go hunting every year, and sometimes we will get a nice hunk of venison. When this happens I love to make venison stew. For the wine, I like using Cono Sur. It is my go to cooking wine (good to drink, good to cook) and is wonderfully inexpensive. Other reds are not so forgiving in a stew.

My parents are not really big on stews that are not Guyanese (i.e. heavy on potatoes and thyme), and to them, dumplings are duff, the Guyanese torpedo shaped boil and fry bread, but they did find this yummy.

Now that I'm pregnant and going on my second maternity leave, wine based cooking isn't an option (for the next few years), but this will come back once the kids are a little older (5 seems reasonable). Then again, I haven't had any venison delivered lately. This does work just as well with boar, bison, or even beef.


Ingredients - Stew:
* 1.5 kg trimmed venison meat, cut into 3-4 cm chunks
* 750ml good red wine
* 6 cloves of garlic
* 3 juniper berries crushed
* 1tsp thyme
* 4 bay leaves
* Vegetable oil for frying
* 60g butter
* 2 onions, finely chopped
* 3 tbsp plain flour
* 1/2 tbsp tomato purée
* 1 1/2 litres dark meat stock
* Sea salt & fresh black pepper

Ingredients - Dumplings:
* 1/2 cup plain flour
* 1tsp baking powder
* 60g butter
* 1tbsp chopped parsley
* 1tbsp finely chopped celery leaves
* 1/2 tsp ground celery seeds
* Water to mix
* Sea salt & fresh black pepper


Directions:

* Marinate venison in stainless steel or ceramic bowl in the fridge for two dayswith the red wine, garlic, thyme, juniper and bay leaf.
* Drain meat , reserve marinade, and dry the pieces on some kitchen paper.
* Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy frying pan, lightly flour the meat with a tablespoon of the flour, salt and pepper and fry the meat on a high heat, a few pieces at a time, until nicely browned.
* Heat butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and sautee onions until soft.
* Add flour and tomato purée and stir over a low heat for a minute.
* Slowly add the marinade, stirring constantly to avoid lumps forming. Bring to the boil and simmer until it has reduced by half.
* Add meat stock and venison, bring back to the boil, cover with a lid and simmer gently for about 11/2 hours until the meat is tender.
* It's difficult to put an exact time on cooking braised meats: half an hour extra may be required.
* The sauce should thicken sufficiently. If not, dilute a little cornflour in some water and stir into the sauce and simmer for a few minutes.
* Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl and add half a teaspoon of salt.
* Mix in the butter, parsley and celery leaves and ground celery seeds, then add enough water to form a sticky dough.
* Flour your hands and roll the dough into 12 little balls.
* Poach the dumplings directly in the stew for the final 15 minutes of cooking. They will float in the  stew when cooked..

Steamed Spare Ribs (Dim Sum!)

Sometimes I go to the Asian grocery store and they have strips of spare ribs (or precut to serving size) and the cost is very reasonable. I know this is not a healthy cut of meat, but it is a dim sum dish I can recreate with ease. I used to get this dish sometimes when going for dim sum with my parents, but because it is so fatty, my dad no longer wants to get it. To be honest, there are many other things I would prefer while at the restaurant, especially now that I can make this at home. But if you are in Scarborough and happen to be wanting to try this dish, the best restaurant by far is Very Fair Seafood restaurant. They open at 8.30am and is a true dim sum experience. I've read some reviews and to haters I say 'suck it up!' Not every restaurant is going to follow western fashion; if you pick up on social queues from those around you, the servers have a system of getting you what you want. The important thing is that the food is great and not expensive. It's rare I've had poor quality, and if something is 'old', you can tell fairly quickly.

But back to the point, the steamed spare ribs are super tasty. At home we just eat over rice. Super yummy. Super easy.

Top layer of steamed spare ribs all ready to eat

Steamer on wok: water barely touches the bottom of the steamer

Ingredients

Spare Ribs (niblets)		2 lbs
Black Fungus		1/2 cup
Garlic		10 gloves, ground
Ginger (fresh, grated)		1/2 tsp
Cooking Wine Vinegar		4 tbsp
Dark Soy Sauce		2 tbsp
Canola		1 tbsp
Sesame Oil		1 tbsp
Black Pepper		1 tbsp, freshly ground
Chili Peppers		1 pepper, sliced

Preparation:

1. If the spare ribs are in strips, cut exactly between each bone so each piece has a 'rib'
2. Wash ribs in vinegar and salt solution (sit for 5 minutes) and rinse 
3. In a marinating dish (preferably with a lid), add all other ingredients
4. Add ribs, lock dish and shake to coat every rib well
5. set in fridge (closed) to marinate, preferably overnight
6. In a bamboo steamer (or regular steamer, if you don't have bamboo) place parchment down on each level.
7. Spread marinated ribs out evenly on each level of steamer
8. In a small bowl, add the black fungus and boiling water. Let sit for 10 minutes
9. In a wok, heat enough water (just to touch the bottom of the steamer) to a boil 
10. Drain fungus and sprinkle on top of ribs
11. (optional) sprinkle on sliced chilis
12. When pot comes to a boil, place steamer on top of pot
13. Steam for 20 minutes and serve

My Favourite Yogurt

I hate fruit-cup-yogurt. It's pretty much jelly with yogurt and sickeningly sweet. I don't know how yogurt morphed into all this crap on the market; pre-prepared yogurt drinks, sweetened yogurt,fruit-jam-yogurt, I can barely stomach half of it. And that's even before I get to the texture. It has become this runny glop in a cup. It's like a black hole to the two of you in a grocery store. The closer you get, the harder it is to pull you away from the cartoon character sugared yogurt drinks, and as I pull you away with your arms outstretched, claims of 'but I like it' frustrate me to no end. There are some slightly sweetened brands that are not too bad, but I stress that those are dessert like snacks, resembling nothing of what a real yogurt should be. They use yogurt as an ingredient, while real yogurt is so incredibly versatile that it only makes sense to stock the real deal in your fridge.

Yogurt with walnuts and honey (before you were born, Alistair!)

My preferred brand.

Roast Chicken

During my maternity leave, mom would often visit (or Alexis and I would visit them) and invariably she'd prepare a dinner for En and me, most times it would be a halved chicken, rubbed with spices, ready for me to stick into the oven and let cook while I tend to Alexis. It was one of the most wonderful thing anyone could do for a new mother.

Roasting a chicken can seem intimidating, but honestly, it's a little easier than cleaning chicken breast or cutting up chicken quarters. As a general rule, whole beast is tastier and juicier than when broken down into parts, and if I can get my hands on a whole chicken, then I'm roasting it. This recipe is as simple as they come. The coating can be prepared in advanced and stored, but the closer to the grinding of the spice, the better the flavour will be, though the diminished freshness is negligible. Time does the real work, freeing you up to do whatever you need for an hour and a half.


There is one other preparation of whole chicken I would like to someday try, but it would require  experimentation and tending to, both things I cannot afford with Alexis as young as she is. It is Chicken In Milk, an Italian dish which I've seen Jamie Oliver recreate, and it seems delicious. But that is for another time.

Jev, you asked about the chicken, so this post is for you.

Ready for carving

Coating (1 3/4 cup)

Cornmeal (fine)		1/2 cup
Whole Wheat Flour		1/4 cup
Unbleached Flour		2 tbsp
Barley Flour		2 tbsp
Cornstarch		2 tbsp
Oregano (dried)		2 tbsp (ground)
Thyme (dried)		2 tbsp (ground)
Garlic Powder		3 tbsp (ground)
Chili Powder		2 tbsp (ground)
Onion Powder		1 tbsp (ground)
Black Pepper		1 tbsp (ground)
Sea Salt		1 tbsp (ground)

Chicken

Whole Grain-fed Chicken		1
Dry Coating		1 cup

Preparation:

1. Gut and trim any visible fat from chicken without removing skin
2. loosen skin from breast, again removing fat, and be careful not to tear skin
3. Wash chicken in vinegar and salt solution and rinse well
4. Allow chicken to dry
5. Truss chicken
1. cut a good length chicken twine
2. tuck wings to back and hook twine inside crook of wings
3. cross twine over spine so they form an 'X'
4. wind twine around  opposite drumstick bone
5. draw ends together under and tie off
6. I keep the wingtips untucked but close to the side of the bird. This way, the tips get crispy, but will not burn.
7. In the same spirit, I don't torture the drumsticks into position under the bird. The twine will hold them together and close to the body, that's all they need to keep from burning. If you fix them beneath the bird, the coating will bake soggy rather than crisp.
6. When bird is dry, place on roasting rack on the side and take a handful of coating, pressing it into the skin. Get into the creases of the wing and where the leg joins the body. Use your bare hands; there is no other way to get the coating into every crevice. Once they are coated, they will not absorb a great deal more coating. Just don't wash your hands until you've finished coating the chicken.
7. Repeat on the other side
8. Repeat on the top of bird, but first, push some of the coating under the skin on the actual breast meat
9. Press coating on the top (neck area) and the bottom of the bird
10. With half a handful of the coating, rub it around inside the cavity. This is more for flavour than for texture, but for it will absorb the cooking juices and fall onto the spine, which you will cut away when carving. This step is crucial for infusing the best possible flavour into the meat.
11. Some of the mixture may have fallen, so press any of the remaining mixture over top of the bird
12. Place bird uncovered into a 350C oven for (approximately) 1 hour and 30 minutes (for a medium sized bird)
13. DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR. Just look at it through the glass. If the coating isn't black, what are you worrying about?
14. Depending on the weight and size of the bird you may need to give or take 10 minutes of cooking time. I judge by colouring, but if you are really unsure, use a meat thermometer. I've used one before, but I hate poking holes into the meat. If your bird seems unusually big, give it a little more time.
15. Let rest for at least 10 minutes to allow juices to redistribute.