Irie eats eats - Tantalise your taste buds with Reggae Nyammings

Authentic Jamaican foods are just what you need to end Reggae and Black History months with a bang. These real Jamaican dishes will tantalise your taste buds with mouth-watering goodness.

If you want to indulge in some unique delicious dishes, check out some of chef Noel Cunningham's favourite Jamaican dishes that are just bursting with flavour.

In photo: Hominy corn porridge-Contributed

Hominy Corn Porridge

This dish may seem like a pain to make, but it's well worth it in the end.

Ingredients

1 cup hominy corn

6 cups water

1/4tsp salt

1 cinnamon stick or 2tsp cinnamon powder

2tbs flour (to thicken)

2tbs cream of wheat (to thicken)

2tsp nutmeg, grated

2tsp vanilla flavouring

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/3 cup sugar

Sweetened condensed milk to taste

Directions

1. Rinse the corn and place in a pot of water to soak overnight (optional).

2. In the same pot, boil corn for 45 minutes to an hour (time depends on the amount of corn used) with salt and cinnamon stick until tender; lower heat.

3. In a small bowl, dissolve cream of wheat and flour by mixing it with some water. Turn stove to medium heat and add the coconut milk and the combined starch to pot. Stir porridge until thickened.

4. Add nutmeg, vanilla and milk, stirring after each addition. Add condensed milk to sweeten the porridge and/or sugar to taste, if desired.

 

In photo: Acke and red herring.-Cotnributed

Ackee and Red Herring

Ingredients

1 whole dried red herring (boil for 15-20 minutes)

2 dozen ackee, cooked

2 stalks scallion, sliced

1tsp thyme

1 medium-size onion, diced

1 garlic clove

1 green Scotch bonnet pepper, finely chopped

1 small sweet pepper, sliced

1/4 cup coconut oil

 

Directions

1. Put herring to soak in cold water for about one hour and drain. Add fresh water and boil until tender. Drain water and once cool, flake.

2. Heat oil and sautÈ onion, garlic, scallions, tomatoes, Scotch bonnet pepper and sweet pepper until vegetables are translucent. Add flaked red herring, fresh or canned ackee, black pepper and salt to taste. Adjust seasoning to taste and remove from heat.

In photo: Escoveitched fish and bammy bites.

 

Escoveitched Fish and Bammy Bites

This is a Jamaican favourite that no one can say no to.

 

Ingredients

2lb fish fillet

1/2 cup flour

1 bell pepper, thinly sliced (optional)

1 carrot, cut into thin strips

1 onion, thinly sliced

6 pimento berries

1 cup white vinegar

Oil for frying

2 Scotch bonnet pepper, seeds removed

3 Bammies cut into squares

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. To prepare fish - rinse well and cut fillet into bite-size pieces, and pat dry with paper towels. Then season with salt and pepper, dredge in flour, lightly dusting off the excess flour. Deep-fry fish over high heat until crisp.

2. Once cooked, remove from heat and place on a plate lined with paper towel to allow the oil to drain.

3. Cut bammies into four medium squares and soak in coconut milk for five minutes. While the bammies are soaking, heat a frying pan and fill it to 1/2 with vegetable oil. Once hot enough, fry the bammies until golden brown.

4. Remove from heat and place on a plate lined with paper towels to allow any excess oil to drain.

5. Make the pickle: in a frying pan, sautÈ all the vegetables with two tablespoons of oil, then add vinegar; leave to simmer, then add sugar and pimento berries.

To serve, place fish on top of bammy, then top with pickle and enjoy.

In photo: Crab rundown with double fried plantain

Double Fried Green Plantain with Crab Rundown

Here is another interesting way to serve our favourite rundown. Instead of salted mackerel, how about using some fresh crab meat to serve with fried green plantain?

Ingredients

1 green plantain

1tsp salt

Oil for frying

Directions

1. In a medium frying pan, heat oil. Cut plantain in one-inch thick slices and fry until golden. On a paper towel, press plantain until it's flat, then fry until fully cook and golden.

2. Sprinkle with salt and put a side.

 

Crab Rundown

Ingredients

1 cup crab meat

1 cup coconut milk

1 small onion

1 diced pepper and tomato

1 stalk scallion

1 sprig thyme

2tsp oil

 

Directions

 

1. In a frying pan, sautÈ all the seasoning until translucent then add coconut milk and leave to reduce.

2. When the mixture starts getting thick, season with salt and pepper to taste then add cooked crab meat and incorporate well.

3. Serve on flattened fried plantain.

In photo: Jamaican Festival

Good 'ole Jamaican Festival

Ingredients

2 cups of flour

13/4 cup of cornmeal

1tsp salt

2tbs brown sugar

2tsp baking powder

3tbs soft butter

1/2 cup cold water

1/2 cup milk

3 cups of cooking oil

1tsp vanilla

1tsp (nutmeg optional)

 

Directions

 

1. Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.

2. When they are all evenly combined, start adding the water and milk, little by little, and knead until if forms a soft dough.

3. Add the oil to a deep frying pan and heat on high.

4. When the oil is hot, divide and shape into egg-sized portions. One at a time, roll each portion to form long dumplings and flatten slightly.

5. Place them in the oil. Reduce heat to prevent them burning. Turn dumplings until all sides are golden brown.