I was growing tired of Melbourne's bleak and tempestuous weather, and the problem is we're not even officially in winter! Normally I thrive in the cold, but this year we didn't really have a summer and so it feels like winter has started WAY too early. So I thought I would take a week off and head north to the Gold Coast for some well needed higher temperatures, some R&R, and some catch up time with my best mate Emma. So The GGJ is going on tour!
Emma and I have known each other for over a thousand years, and even though we started out unlikely friends, we are now as thick as thieves. We have very different personalities. Emma is smarter, more compassionate, more composed, more orderly, and generally diviner than I. But one thing I win is I am HI-LARIOUS. And even though she now lives over 1700km away, our indescribable connection (and indecipherable language) makes it feel like it's only 30kms! Now she has lived in Queensland for 5 years, and I am such an awesome friend that I have visited her not even once. So I thought she had earned not just some Leo-Emma face time, but a chance to sample my wonderful cooking. It was the least I could do for someone that has brought Mimeo and Shannon Attitude Problem into my life!
Emma is not only my best mate, but also my publicist. She has sent the link of The GGJ to everyone in her office, and it has certainly helped with increasing my view count. So a BIG shout out to those at John Deere, thanks for reading guys! And it was by this act that I found The GGJ's #1 fan - Denise. Denise works with Emma and regularly keeps up with the happenings of The GGJ. So I thought since I was in the neighbourhood, I just HAD to go and cook for her and Cath. I asked them to choose a region that they would like their dish to come from, and they selected the Caribbean. Now I am always mindful of the dietary requirements of people I cook for, some from the past which include vegetarian, gluten free, fructose free, allergic to seafood etc. But was not expecting such a limiting requirement from Denise and Cath......Cath is allergic to garlic. Automatically my heart goes out to Cath, for I feel my life would be detrimentally affected without garlic in it. In fact I asked Denise, when she found out this important fact was her first response "umm...I think it's time we see other people". Of course this was not what she did, for Denise is a lovely human being (she goes for North Melbourne Kangaroos as well, so she's obviously a genius!). And by dropping the garlic and sticking with Cath, they have been blessed with the cherubic Ollie.
So with no garlic in mind I looked through recipes of national dishes throughout the Caribbean. Normally it can be difficult to choose a country, but there was only 2 out of 14 Caribbean national dishes that had no garlic, so picking was easy! Haitian Griots avec Riz et Pois is fried pork with rice and beans, which is a staple that can been found all over Haiti. Relatively inexpensive, it is a good source of energy but also provides in abundance iron, protein and amino acids. The fried pork is generally marinated in bitter orange juice with shallots and chilli, boiled in water and then finally fried until crunchy on the outside but still soft on the inside. Sounds delish yes?!
Enjoy, or as they say in Haiti, Bon Appeti!
Difficulty: 3
Appearance: 4
Taste: 3
TOTAL: 10
Note: Difficulty is scaled in reverse to the other categories, where 1 = was extremely difficult to make, and 5 = was easy to make.
Note: Difficulty is scaled in reverse to the other categories, where 1 = was extremely difficult to make, and 5 = was easy to make.
There are a few processes here, with you making 3 components of a bigger meal. This would have turned into a bit of a juggling match if I had to cook it in my miniscule kitchen. Thankfully at Chez Perks they have a massive amount of bench space. Not to mention so many burners on their stove top that you could mistake it for the fire and light show at Crown Casino Promenade. Also I had some help from some incredible sous chefs and camera crew.
The final result was a combination of textures and flavours directly from The Caribbean. The fried pork although with a deceptive taste was fantasmagorical! Crunchy on the outside, but deliciously soft and succulent on the inside. And the flavour of the marinade was still evident, with the pork having a nice citrus taste. However it would have been more apparent if you didn't add water to cook it in, thereby diluting the marinade. The rice didn't have a lot of seasonings to give it it flavour, but that doesn't mean it lacked any. The capsicum and kidney beans not only provided a great taste, but also a burst of colour to juxtapose the white of the rice. The only downside to the dish (personally, personally, personally in my opinion) was the plantains. Green bananas just don't cut it. And it doesn't help that I didn't really caramelise them properly.
The night ended on a culinary high note with home made Haitian ice cream. First of all, I was astounded that I could make ice cream without a fancy expensive ice cream maker. But then I remembered that obviously people have been doing it for hundreds if years. DER LEO!! But as I found sometimes in the kitchen, you don't always need fancy kitchen contraptions to create a masterpiece! And the chocolate and clove ice cream was a testament to that! Not a big fan of the clove, but it's mix with chocolate was beyond amazing and requires that you make a large batch to keep up with demand.
So thanks to all my Queensland fans (now friends) for allowing this crazy amateur cook into your life (and more importantly your kitchen). I appreciated your hospitality, not to mention your "yummy" noises. The GGJ may have to make another trip to your fair state real soon!
