Recipe: Tostones, Carribean Black Beans and Rice, Johnny Cakes, Rice and Peas for Jade,M

Hi Jade :-) I found several recipes for you on the internet but have not tried any of them.

TOSTONES
Fried green plantains.
When making tostones look for unripe plantains that are a deep shade of green: The recipe will not work with ripe plantains. Ideally, the plantains should be fried the day they are purchased, but they can be kept, wrapped well in a plastic bag and chilled, for 2 to 3 days.

3 green (unripe) plantains (available at Hispanic markets and some specialty produce markets)
vegetable oil for deep-frying
sauce chien as an accompaniment
Carribean Spicy Dipping Sauce.

For the sauce chien:
1 small onion, minced
3 scallions, minced
1/3 cup minced red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Scotch bonnet or haba ero chili, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves), or 1 teaspoons Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce*
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
7/8 cup water
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander, or to or to taste, plus a coriander sprig for garnish if desired

To make the tostones:
With a small sharp knife cut the ends from each plantain and cut a lengthwise slit through the skin along the inside curve. Beginning in the center of the slit, pry the skin from the plantain and cut the flesh crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces. In a deep fryer or large deep skillet heat 1 1/2 inches of the oil to 375F. on a deep-fat thermometer, in it fry a batch of the plantain pieces for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until they are pale golden, and transfer them with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain briefly. Working quickly, using a tortilla press or the flat bottom of a glass or bottle, flatten each piece, a cut side up, between sheets of wax paper to a thickness of no less than 1/4 to 1/3 inch. Refry the flattened pieces in the 375F. oil, turning them occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are golden, transfer them with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, and season them with salt. (The tostones should be crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.) Fry the remaining plantain pieces in batches in the same manner. The tostones are best served immediately, but they may be made 1 day in advance, wrapped well in plastic bags, and reheated on a rack in a shallow baking pan in a preheated 450 F. oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they are heated through. Serve the tostones with the sauce.

To make the sauce:
In a heatproof bowl combine the onion, the scallions, the bell pepper, the garlic, the chili, the salt, and the thyme. In a small saucepan bring the water to a boil with the vinegar, pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetable mixture, and let the mixture cool. Stir in the lime juice and the oil. The sauce may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Let the sauce come to room temperature, stir in the chopped coriander, and garnish the sauce with the coriander sprigs. Makes about 2 cups.

Makes about 24 tostones.

Gourmet
February 1993

Carribean Black Beans & Rice
Serves: 4

A traditional island favorite. Good as a meal and even better on the go.

1 1/3 cups black beans
1 tablespoon lard, or olive oil
2 ounces smoked ham, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, cored and seeded
1 3/4 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups medium grain white rice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Sprigs of fresh oregano, for garnish (optional)

In a medium-size nonreactive saucepan, combine the beans and water ro cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for one hour. Drain and set aside. Wipe saucepan dry.

In the same saucepan, heat the lard or oil over medium heat. Add the ham, onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring often for 5 minutes or until the onion is softened. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 3 minutes or until juices have evaporated. Add the beans, broth and 1 cup of water, oregano, bay leaf, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the beans are just tender. drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Set the beans aside. Discard the bay leaf.

Cook the rice following for steamed rice or according to the packaged directions.

Meanwhile, return the bean cooking liquid to the saucepan and stir in the vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until reduced to about 1 cup. Stir in the beans and cook for 1 minute or until heated through.

Mound the hot rice in a large shallow serving bowl, making a well in the center, and pour the beans into the well. Serve immediately, garnished with oregano sprigs if desired.

Johnny Cakes
What are "johnny cakes"? Johnny Cakes are bagel-sized biscuits, usually fried, that are made all over the Caribbean.

Legend has it that the name derives from "journey cake", meaning a bread that could be cooked ahead when going out to work or on a journey.

In any case, there are as many recipes for Johnny Cake as there are cooks in Anguilla, ranging in style from something like hard-tack to something more like a donut. If you eat at local places in Anguilla, you will have Johnny Cakes eventually.

Rice and Peas

1 1/2 cups Dried red kidney beans,
Soaked overnight 1 Clove garlic, crushed
Salt to taste
1/2 cup Un-sweetened coconut milk
2 Scallions, chopped
2 Sprigs fresh thyme
1 Whole Scotch Bonnet Chili (Habanero peppers can be substituted)
Black pepper to taste
2 cups Long-grain white rice

Boil the beans, garlic and salt until the beans are tender. Save three cups of the liquid, discarding the garlic. Return the beans and the three cups liquid to the pot (if there's not enough of the cooking liquid use water), along with the coconut milk, scallions, thyme, chili, and black pepper and salt to taste. When it comes to a boil, add in the rice. Let it boil for 20 minutes, then remove it from the heat and let it sit for 15 minutes. Stir it with a fork.