A Mountain Of Crushed Ice

Here i`m placing my spicy food recipes with the newest on top. The old food posts are also still in the blog posts. I have a preference for hot and spicy food. I sample from everywhere and i like variety - but i have to say that the creole and cajun food has a special place in my belly.

I hope you will enjoy!

DARK COCOA-CHILI-HABANERO CHICKEN

This is real tasty baked chicken with a tomato and cream based sauce spiced with dark cocoa-chili powder and fresh habanero.This is served with my pulao rice. And even though the recipe looks lengthy It’s a very easy dish to make and well worth the time as its really deliscious. In this dish you may use any veggies you like and it can be varied according to season.

To this i enjoy an Aperol spritz or a ice cold beer such as Redstripe or Singha.

For 4 servings you need:

1 kg chicken fillets
3 large potatos
basmati rice
2 carrots
4-5 fresh mushrooms
fresh broad leaf parsley
1 fresh habanero or scotch bonnet pepper
St:a Maria cocoa-chili powder
St:a Maria mango-curry powder
Black pepper
Hibiscus sea salt (mix pulverized dried hibiscus flowers with coarse sea salt)
Hungarian chili flakes
Turmeric powder
1 lime
1 large yellow ognion
olive oil

Hibiscus salt

For the sauce:

1 cube chicken stock
1 dl cream
3-4 dl water
dash paprika powder (red bell pepper)
dash maggi sauce
tomato paste – about 1 dl or half the tube

For the pulao rice:

Basmati rice 4 servings
oil
Spices: Indian manpasand masala (a mix of indian spices) cannot be subbed so if you can`t fint it, omit it.
Cumin powder
Coriander powder

Procedure:

Heat the oven to 220C

Cut the fillets in bite size chunks and marinade with turmeric powder, hibiscus salt, fresh lime juice, black pepper, cocoa-chili powder, mango-curry, finely chopped parsley, and chili flakes in a large bowl for at least 30 min.

Wash the basmati rice several times and soak in water for 30 min.

Cut the potatos and carrrots in chunks and place in a bowl. Sprinkle hibiscus salt and chili flakes on and drizzle some olive oil, mix and set aside for a while.

Oil a oven proof dish and place the chicken, potatos and vegetable chunks in it. Drizzle some more olive oil over it.

Make the sauce. Add water, chicken stock, tomato paste, habanero chili, a few dashes maggi sauce and bring to a boil. Let boil for a while and gently mash the habanero a little to let the heat out. Leave to boil gently for about 4 min, then add the cream and boil a little more. Taste the strength of the pepper. When done pour the sauce over the chicken dish and place in the oven for about 30 min. I let the habanero pepper follow along into the oven.

Add the rice to a big pan and add oil and spices and fry the rice until translucent. Add water to cover the rice about 1 cm. Bring to a rolling boil and let it boil uncovered until you see small holes in it, then put the lid on and turn off the heat and leave to steam.The whole rice cooking procedure takes about 10 min.

When done, take off the lid and replace it with a ktchen towel, take off the heat and leave to steam finished for another 5 min.

Serve the baked chicken on a bed of fluffed rice and drizzle the sauce over it.

BLUE CRAB AND SHRIMPS IN A CREAMY SPICY SAUCE SERVED OVER PASTA

This is one of my made up dishes. I`m crazy about seafood..and for this dish i have choosen blue crab and large white shrimps to be cooked in a spicy cream sauce with saffron and white wine, kicked up with a teaspoon of Zatarian`s awesome liquid crab boil.

For 2 servings you need these things:

1 blue crab cut in two halves
16 large white shrimps
1 medium sized red bell pepper, finely minced
1 medium sized onion, finely minced
2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 plum tomato, finely chopped
olive oil
1 package heavy cream (about 1 cup)
a handful fresh flat leaf parsley, finely minced
freshly crushed black pepper, to taste
garlic-salt, to taste
tarragon, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
white pepper, to taste
paprika powder, to taste
3-4 tblsp white wine
pinch saffron
½ tsp Zatarian`s liquid crab boil (there`s no substitute for this, you can buy it online)
pasta of choice to serve with

Start sauteeing bellpepper, onion and garlic in olive oil. Add cream, white wine, tomato, spices and half of the parsley. Let cook together for a little while, then add the crab halves. Cook until just almost done, then add shrimps and cook for a few minutes until done. The blue crab will turn red and so will the grey shrimps.

Add more cream if needed and adjust the spices to your taste. be careful with Zatarian`s crab boil, its hot and a little goes a long way. There isn`t any substitute for this kinda liquid crab boil which is unfortunate as i think its like liquid gold..on the other hand its readily available online in cajun and creole food stores. Now let this cook together to a creamy stew and serve over hot pasta. Sprinkle some of the parsley on top if you wish.

To this either white wine or ice cold beer is very tasty. Serve with some warm french bread on the side.

A CREAMY CRABBY SOUP..

More crabs…Its seafood season here and so the prices of seafood isn`t as astronomical as they are from spring to fall, apart from crawfish which has its season here during the month of august when this whole country turns into a frenzy of crawfish eating. So i take my chance now during the holiday and prepare a few nice seafood dishes.

I have a food blogger friend who writes a Cajun and Creole food blog called RouxBDoo`s Cajun and Creole Food Blog and he invented a great crab soup which i decided i needed to try right away The original recipe for that lovely crab soup he calls Metairie Creamy Crabby Soup. You should definetily go over to his blog and check it out.

My version is slightly hotter since i added my beloved Zatarain`s crab boil into it, and then for some reason my soup turned out more yellow in color and chunkier as it looks. I guess i should have chopped the stuff more finely.

Here`s my version:

METAIRIE CREAMY CRABBY SOUP #2

Ingredients
1 lb crab meat
1 cup onion (small dice)
1 tsp garlic (minced)
1 16oz can chicken stock
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
½ stick butter
4 tbs flour
1 tbs Tony Chacere’s
Louisiana hot sauce to taste
½  tsp Zatarain`s crab boil
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp nutmeg (or a pinch)
½ tsp black pepper
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme

Directions

In a pot melt butter, and add onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and nutmeg and sauté until wilted, then add flour,Tony C’s, black pepper, and paprika. Cook and stir until the roux starts to turn a tan color. Add stock and blend into the roux. Cook for 10 mins. then add crabmeat, milk, Louisiana hot sauce, Z´s crab boil and heavy cream. Bring to a boil and turn down to low and cook for about 30 mins. Serve with french garlic bread, a cold beer and a salad.

STUFFED CREOLE SPICED & PASSION FRUIT BUTTERED LOBSTER

This recope i made up for the holiday now when there`s so much time to cook things that takes a bit more time than what you usually have during working weeks. It turned out very tasty.

2 boiled lobsters, cleaned and cut in 2 halves
1 Tbsp melted passionfruit butter
1 tablesppon all purpose flour
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
2 tablespoon finely chopped red bell peppers
4 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup shrimp tails,cooked
1 cup pre cooked pasta of choice
1 tablespoon finely chopped italian parsley
Creole seasoning to taste
Hot sauce to taste
Juice of ¼ lime
Heavy cream – enough to make a creamy sauce
1 tablespoon Old New Orleans Cajun spiced rum (or other dark rum)
olive oil and butter

Pre cook pasta and shrimps and set aside while heating the owen.If you use live lobsters, pre cook them first.

Place the lobster halves shell side down in a buttered owen dish with passionfruit butter on top and place in a 300 F oven for 15 minutes.

Sautè celery, onion, bellpepper and garlic with half butter and half olive oil until wilted, then add  the flour and stir together until it thickens, add heavy cream and stir, add shrimps and hot sauce. Cook for another minute..Pour in the rum and pasta and maybe some more cream if needed, stirring until its creamy. Add lime juice and herbs, mix Take off from heat.
Serve over lobster or in a side plate with some french garlic bread, dipping sauce of choice and salad. To drink a cold beer or glass of white wine is best.

PASSIONFRUIT BUTTER

Take a stick unsalted butter and 2-3 passionfruits. Let the butter be room temp and scoop out the passionfruits. Mix together on a baking sheet or plastic, then make a tight roll and put in the fridge. This butter is also wonderful on grilled chicken.

CRAWFISH ÈTOUFFÈE

Oh my..this is a TASTY dish! if you like crawfish this is crawfish heaven on a plate. I grew up with crawfish eating as we in Sweden just like the folks in Louisina have made crawfish eating into a whole culture with crawfish boils that here dates back to the 16th century.

We have our crawfish season during august and that`s when we can go and fish them or buy them fresh in the stores. We have frozen crawfish too the whole year as well, but they cannot compare to the fresh ones. We import a lot of frozen crawfish now due to that we have much less crawfish here than we used to due to crawfish disease, that`s sad.

We import from Louisiana, Turkey and China. (but of principle i avoid the chinese crawfish) We actually have waters here right in and around the city of Stockholm where you can fish. When i was a kid i used to follow my uncle out in the boat way out in the countryside of west sweden to set the traps in the evening, it was very exciting.

So here is my recipe for Crawfish ètouffée:

This recipe doesn`t use crawfish stock as you need whole crawfishes to make it but if you can make your own stock you should and add about 1 cup of it and cook with that instead of water.

1 lb cleaned crawfish tails
If possible- crawfish fat from the heads and water to make ¾ cup
1 large tsp tomato paste
1 stick butter
one large onion, finely chopped
one medium bell pepper, finely chopped
celery in the same proportion as the bell pepper, finely chopped
1 heaping tsp all purpose flour
1 tblsp parsley, chopped
1 tblsp green onion, chopped
a few cloves garlic, finely chopped
Creole seasoning to taste
2 very thin slices of lemon
Hot sauce to taste
A little Worchestershire sauce
½ tsp Zatarain`s shrimp and crab boil concentrate (This isn´t traditional in this dish)

Season crawfish tails with creole seasoning and set aside. Melt butter, add onion, bellpepper and celery and cook on medium heat until tender. Stir in the flour, blend well. Add water or stock, crawfish fat, lemon, tomato and garlic.Cook slowly for about 20 minutes and add more water or stock if needed.

When sauce is done, add crawfish tails and cover with lid. Cook for 8 minutes if using frozen defrosted tails, if using fresh cook for another 10-15 minutes. Season again to taste, add parsley and green onions, cook another 2 mins.

Serve over cooked rice, and with some garlic bread and crisp salad. A cold beer or a glass of white wine is tasty too.

CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE GUMBO

Gumbo is one of my comfort foods and of course, it was in New Orleans i had a real Gumbo made in place for the first time and that was tasty! Unfortunately i cannot find andouille here but there`s a lot of other nice smoked sausages to use. As for the spices i can find some, the rest i get online. Luckily i still have some left of all that i brought home from Nola this summer and that was much. This recipe is based on that you make the roux right there, but i usually make bigger batches to keep in the fridge  so it gets handy in the weeks when there´s no time for this kinda time consuming cooking. When using pre-made roux dont use the oil that sits on top.

The making of roux is something i learnt many years ago and i prefer the slower roux making because i enjoy the stirring, its relaxing - just make sure you have time, a beer or a cocktail at hand and that nothing around disturbs you. Then give all your 100% attention to the pot (iron pot is best) and stir, stir and stir - never EVER leave the pot! If it burns you`ll have to start all over again. If you are making roux to keep for later, take the roux off the heat a bit before you have the color you want as it will continue to cook afterwards, so keep stirring until the cooking is halted. Then when it sits it will get even darker. For a Gumbo i prefer a dark roux but a milk chocolate colored roux is good too, its really up to you what you prefer, the darker the more flavor but less thickening ability. But too dark and it can become bitter.

I also like to add some of Zatarian`crab boil concentrate to my Gumbo as well, this is good stuff! i love its flavor, it imparts a very special, a bit mystic and hot flavor to almost anything you put it in. Its not a common thing in Gumbo but i like it and i also like to use it in for example pasta dishes and dishes with seafood. Otherwise the boil concentrate is usually used for crawfish, crab and shrimp boils but its nice on almost everything, i don´t want to be without it.

So here is the recipe for my Gumbo which in the summer also has a handful of okra as they in the summer are fresh and readily avalable:

1/2 cup vegetable oil (and some extra oil and butter  (1:1) as well for browning the chicken)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup onions, diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
Creole seasoning after your taste, i like it spicy
1 1/2 cups smoked sausage, sliced
3 Tbsp garlic, chopped
6 cups cold chicken stock – preferably make homemade stock!
4  bay Leaves – i can only find the dried leaves, if you use fresh i thnik you can use less.
One chicken cut up and seasoned with creole seasoning
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Zatarain`s crawfish, shrimp and crab boil concentrate
Hot Sauce to taste
Kosher Salt to taste unless its enough salt already from the stock and spices
2 Tablespoons flat parsley, finely chiffonade
1/4 cup thinly sliced green 0nions
Boiled white rice
Fresh french bread, we buy fresh baguettes here from the bakery which has a nice crust and is  soft like butter on the inside. (That makes for good Po boys;-)

Brown the chicken pieces in oil and butter and set aside. Mix the trinity:  onion, celery, and bell pepper, set aside.
Heat the oil over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to make a milk chocolate or dark roux - unless you already have a roux pre-made, then you add it after you have added the stock and heated it too - because you should add either cold stock to hot roux or when the roux is premade, cold (or roomtemp) roux to hot stock. It mixes easier if you it that way.

Add 3/4 of the onion, celery and bell peppers, keep stirring here! this will stop the cooking of the roux. Cook until the vegetables soften. Add the smoked sausage and 1 Tbsp of Seasoning and cook a little more, Add the cold stock, the remaining 1/4 trinity, remaining seasoning, crab boil concentrate and garlic. Bring to a good boil and if you have pre-made roux-add it now a little by little until you get the desired thickness, then take it down to a simmer, add the chicken and let it go for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add Worcestershire, Hot Sauce, and 1/2 of the Green Onions.

If you want lesser fat, skim off the top layer of oil before serving. You can do that earlier but keeping the fat there until the end i think adds more flavor.

Serve with rice and  French bread and garnish with parsley and green onions.This is real comfort food just like red beans and rice, its so satisfying and economical as well. If you like to add some filépowder which isn`t necessary if you use roux or okra to thicken the Gumbo, but the filè also does give a bit of a herbal flavor which i like - but add it before serving and sprinkle over your plate and mix, don´t cook with it, it will get stringy.

This thing about making roux..here is a link

Now after posting this, i`m actually going to make exactly this Gumbo, the stuff is mis en place already in my kitchen and i`m getting hungry!

TAHITIAN CHICKEN FAFA

This is one of my favorite chicken dishes, its a dish from Tahiti, it combines coconut milk and fresh spinach. Traditionally its made with taro leaves which will of course give it a different flavor, but there`s no taro here..

The original recipe calls for 1 whole chicken, 1/4 litre cocnut milk, 50 g chopped ognions, 2 garlic cloves, salt&pepper, and 250 g cooked taro (spinach is the best substitute)

In my version i spice it up with some habanero, curry and lime. The sauce is so nice that i have a hard time not tasting it all the time during cooking. The habanero and if you use a scotch bonnet pepper imparts such a fruity and fresh flavor and paired with lime and coconut its really addictively tasty.

For 4 servings:

1 kg of chicken fillets
6-7 large potatoes
1-2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped in large pieces
1 ognion
2 garlic cloves
a handful of fresh spinach leaves
1 tsp curry
a dash turmeric
some fresh ground black pepper
1 cube chicken broth
1 fresh habanero
1 can coconut milk
oil to fry
1 lime

Start frying the ognions, garlic and chicken. Add water to almost cover and add the potatoes. Add the broth and the spices. Cook on medium heat until almost done, add more water if needed. Taste to see that the habanero dont give more heat than you like. Towards the end of cooking add the coconut milk, tomatoes and some more fresh spinach leaves. Sprinkle a little fresh lime juice on top. Simmer for a while.

Serve this with rice and some extra coconut milk in a small bowl topped with some lime zest

TIME FOR SATAY

A couple of years ago when i worked in a Thai restaurant i took these chicken skewers to my heart. I have since then added my own twist to the recipe and these skewers have been with me over the years and used in a Thai cooking course i had, at parties, at home and to feed a young soccer team. So i feel its time to add it to my blog as its such a nice, tasty and easy dish to make. Don`t be fooled by the lengthy recipe, its not complicated. It can be made very simple and it can be made very festive depending on the occasion.

CHICKEN SATAY

The Marinade

My advice is make more skewers than you nthink you`ll need, my experience is that they never last. Its a easy dish to make but if you cook for say 40 people it takes some time. You may do this by deepfrying in a large wok (my preference) or over charcoal grill (summertime) or grill in the oven. (they get a bit drier) This is for 2 serv:

* Cooking oil 4 tblsp
* Soy sauce 4 tblsp
* Oystersauce 4 tblsp
* Coconut milk 1 dl
* Sugar 1 tblsp
* Salt 1/2 tsp
* Mild Currypowder 4 tblsp

Mix all the ingredients for marinade and mix the chicken with the marinade, wrap a plastic bag around the skewers,and leave in the fridge overnight.

The Peanut Sauce

You can make this sauce thicker if you add more peanut butter or paste.Try to get it creamy. The currypastes can be bought readymade (easy) or you make your own (tastier,but lots of work here),check recipes on the net.

* Coconut milk 2 dl
* Red Curry paste 2 tblsp
* Sour Currypaste 2 tblsp
* Massaman currypaste 1 tblsp
* Sugar 4 tblsp * Fishsauce 4 tblsp
* salt 1/2 tsp - be careful here and add a little according to taste as there also is fish sauce in this.
* Peanuts unsalted 8 tblsp or crunchy peanut butter.
* Tamarind juice 3 tblsp

Start with roughly crush the peanuts in a mortar until you get a rough peanut paste.Or use ready made crunchy peanut butter. Pour Coconutmilk in a pot and bring to a very light boil on medium heat.

Add the currypastes, sugar, salt, fishsauce, sugar, tamarind juice. stir and mix together then add the peanuts. Stir while cooking on low heat until you get a thick sauce.Take off the heat and kep warm under cover. Important here is to not boil the sauce too hard or too long then it will curdle. If it does, try to add water and stir.

The Chicken Skewers

You may do this by deepfrying in a large wok (my preference) or over charcoal grill (summertime) or grill in the oven.(they get a bit drier) This is for 2 pers. Buy chicken fillets for 2 people. Cut them in slices lengthwise and thread lengthwise on bambooskewers with the tickest part at the base of the skewer. If using bamboo skewers soak the bottom of them in water for about 10 min before starting.

* Chicken breast fillets for 2.
* Bamboo or other skewers.
* Thai Jasmine rice for 2

Rice - Use Thai Jasmine rice and cook.You may color the rice yellow by using turmeric or egg yolk food color. Deepfry, grill or grill in the oven..all the chicken skewers. To serve:

SIMPLE: With rice and with the peanut sauce beside and a crisp salad.

PARTY: Buy a large banana leaves, wash and lightly oil them with a little oilve oil. cut out pieces to fit the serving plates. Place 2 large serving ,plates on top of the banana leaf. Put smaller pieces of banana leaves on the plates.

Add the skewers in some nice way. Add the garnish. Pour the rice (yellow rice) on either a large serving plate or in a huge coneshaped strainer, a chinois and pack it lightly.Turn the strainer upside down on the plate and take it off, now you have a rice cone.. Stick chicken skewers around it together with orchids, leaves and chili flowers for a real nice presentation.
Pour the peanut sauce in a bowl and spread a few kaffir lime leaves on top. Place some lime slices here and there. Voila! PARTY!

Garnish: There are a few very simple decorations to use, they look really pro but are easy to make.

Chiliflowers: Use large red and yellow Thai chilis. Cut lengthwise about 5-6 cuts around the chili from (almost) the top and down all the way to the bottom. Carefully cut away the membrance and the seeds. Put them in a large glass filled with water and ice and leave in the fridge for 4-6 hrs. The chilis will open up to become “flowers”

Tomato roses: Cut the top off the tomato and put aside. Cut the skin off around the tomato in a spiral manner. Roll the skin-spiral to make a “rose”, put it on top of the tomato top and secure if needed with a toothpick. Use fresh orchids and their leaves as decoration. Use lime slices and kaffir lime leaves. * Red Thai chilis * Yellow Thai chilis * Limes * Kaffir lime leaves * Orchids * Tomatoes

Enjoy!

BAKED PAPAYA WITH A DEMERARA RUM KISS

One of my favorite dessert treats is a Tahitian dish called “Papayes au four” - Oven baked Papaya. This dessert has been very appreciated everywhere i have served it and i love it. Its simple and sumptuous and a real treat.

You can use any nice dark rum in this but if you use a Demerara rum…well..i just happen to LOVE Demerara rum, those who know me knows that i`m on a life-long demerara tasting experience..call it a part of my rum research (which also includes the research for the best Mai Tai rums). In this dessert i like to use Banks XM 10 year old which is a outstanding and very yummy Demerara rum with that sort of caramel flavor that is just perfect for this.

BAKED PAPAYA

For 6 servings you need:

3 papayas
3 vanilla beans - scrape out the seeds and spread them on the papaya.
6 tblsp raw sugar
6 tblsp dark rum
a bit of butter
1 can of Coconut milk

You cut the Papayas in halves, take the seeds out (they can be used in a salad) and place on a oven proof dish and fill each papaya halve with 1/2 - 1 tsp butter, 1/2 vanilla bean, 1/2 - 1 tsp raw sugar, 1 tblsp rum and bake in the oven at 180C for 15 minutes.

When done you pour some coconut milk in each papaya and leave the vanilla beans in for garnish.

The fragrance from the newly baked papaya with warm vanilla and molasses notes wrapped in a luscuous coconut and sweet sugary notes from the bruleed cane sugar is irresistible and really teases your appetite. there hasn´t yet been anywhere that i have served this dessert and it hasn´t been a success. Another good thing is also that it´s so easy and quick to make, anyone can do this and end up with a stunning tropical dessert.

LONG LIVE THE PINEAPPLE!

Time for dessert!

BAKED PINEAPPLE BOAT WITH TROPICAL RUM SAUCE AND MARENGUÉ BRULÉE

For the boat: 1 large pineapple, 2 small papayas,marengue (whipped egg whites)

For the Sauce: 3 oz coconut milk, 1 tsp dark sugar, 1 split vanilla bean, 1 tblsp lovely demerara rum.

Oven +200C

Makes 2 servings.

Cut the pineapple in 2 halves and scoop out the contents and cut in bite size pieces, Mix and stuff the pineapple halves. Wrap in banana leaf or foil and bake for 15-20 min. In the mean time make the marengue by whipping egg whites until it gets stiff and fluffy, i use about 3-4 eggs depending on size.

Sauce:

Split the vanilla bean and scrape out all the lovely tiny little seeds and slowly simmer in the lush coconut milk and sugar for about 10-15 mins, add the rum the last 5 mins. When the baked pineapple boat is done, take it out, wrap up and let cool a bit.

Put the oven to a high grill unless you use a brulèe torch.

Drizzle the sauce over the pineapple boats and top with the marengue. Take a fork and make a pattern on the marengue. if using a torch, now brulèe the top. If not put the boat in the oven near the top and carefully brulèe the marengue. Garnish with some pineapple leaves stuck in on the side of the boats.

Serve immediately.

The demerara rum goes very well with the vanilla, cocnut milk and pineapple, these all have warm tropical flavors. A good demerara to use here is Banks XM10 which is unusually yummy with its toffee and molasses flavor. Also El Dorado would do well here adding this special demerara punch that is so incredibly yummy.

There´s definetily something very special with rum, cane sugar, coconut and vanilla.

SCORCHED ANGOSTURA & LEMON HART 151 DEMERARA RUM PINEAPPLE

Another nice little fruit treat with Angostura is with Pineapple.

The Pineapple is scorched with a mix of Angostura bitters and Lemon Hart 151 rum. Start cutting a Pineapple in two and then cut the halves again so you get four. Then cut in between the fruit and the skin so the fruit is loose and cut away the hard core in the middle. Cut bite size pieces and arrange them as in the picture. Sprinkle some Demerara sugar on top.

Now i wanted to scorch this pineapple and bruleè the demerara sugar through a flame over the fruit. To do this you pour equal parts angostura bitters and LH151 in a spray bottle and spray through the flame, be careful.

So after a quick scorching the fruit looked like this. Then for topping i used some of the coconut chips left overs from my Coconaut and chopped them. The flavor of the Angostura bitters and rum were subtle but it was there and the Pineapple was deliscious.

ANGOSTURA GRAPEFRUIT

Based on a recipe from 1934 this is my version of the Angostura grapefruit, the original recipe calls for a yellow grapefruit, a dash of Angostura bitters and a maraschino cherry. I didn`t find any other grapefruit but the pink one but on the other hand that´s the one i like the most.

Take one grapefruit and cut in half. Place the grapefruit halve on ice in a dessert glass or plate. Dash Angostura bitters on top of the fruit. Place a maraschino cherry in the middle. I don`t like those red maraschino abominations that are in the shop so i make my own, (there are different recipes out there, just google..) they are not so red but they are tasty and they are all natural. This is a nice little treat, and the Angostura bitters gives depth to the grapefruit.

FRIED RED GROUPER

Look! what a beautiful fish! almost a pity to eat it. This is a whole red grouper fried in my wok with vegetables, coconut milk and hotpepper.This spicy food goes well with a fruity tikidrink.

I first cleaned the fish and then sprinkled it with fresh lime juice, rubbed in some salt and some ginger and leaved it to rest for a while. Then i fried it with some fresh veggies, a habanero pepper and coconut milk, sprinkled some fresh lime juice over it and served with basmati pulao rice.

To make the pulao rice, wash the basmati rice and leave in water for 30 min. Then strain and add to a pan with spices, (cardamom, ginger, salt, ground coriander, cumin powder) Fry until the rice has become translucent. Then i add water (1 cm) and put to a rolling boil and leave to boil until you see small “holes” in the rice. Then i turn off the stove and put the lid on and leave to steam finish. When done i take off the lid and put a clean kitchen towel over and leave to set for another 5 min.

This treatment makes the rice to get a special consistence, very fluffy yet firm and very very fragrant.