Haitian Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 1 lb thin spaghetti
• 1/2 lb spicy pork sausage (Can also use hot dogs or Turkey sausage)
• 1 small onion sliced
• 1/2 green bell pepper diced
• 2 Tbs tomato paste
• 1/2 Scotch Bonnet Pepper minced (Optional)
• 1 Tsp all purpose seasoning
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1Tbs of Haitian Epis (or 1 Chicken bouillon Cube)
• 2 Tbs of olive oil
• 4 cups of water
• 3 tsp of salt (or to taste)

Method

Step 1

In a large pot bring 4 cups of water, 1 tbs of olive oil, and 2 tsp on to boil.

Step 2

Add 4 lbs of thin spaghetti to the water and cook (10-12 min).

Step 3

Drain the spaghetti and set aside.

Step 4

In the large post add 1 tbs of olive oil and saute' the sausage for 2-3 min.

Step 5

Add the tomato paste, peppers, thyme, Haitian Epis (or 1 Chicken bouillon Cube), scotch bonnet pepper, onions, and saute for 2-3 min.

Step 6

Add 1 cup of water and bring to boil.

Step 7

Add the cooked spaghetti and mix thoroughly.

Step 8

Reduce the heat and let simmer for 4 min and serve

Moving Haiti's rustic, rum-like clairin to market

LEOGANE, Haiti –  Haiti's most famous export is Barbancourt, a delicately flavored, carefully aged rum that's considered among the best in the world. Then there's its rustic cousin clairin, a drink that's much cheaper and relatively rare outside this struggling Caribbean country.Clairin, or kleren as it's known in Haitian Creole, is less refined than rum and typically not aged, though some artisanal varieties are subjected to an aging process to give them a more mellow and distinctive flavor. It's produced at hundreds of small distilleries scattered across Haiti.At one of them, Ti Jean, in the coastal town of Leogane west of the capital, men with their heads covered to ward off the tropical sun use machetes to cut down the towering sugar cane stalks that surround the distillery.They feed the cane into a grinder to produce the juice that is the raw material of both clairin and the type of rum associated with the French Caribbean. Most rum produced elsewhere is made from molasses.The juice that flows out the other side is a murky caramel color, though the finished product will be as clear as vodka.The clairin is fermented and filtered and then shipped in plastic jugs for sale in market stalls and by street merchants. Individual retailers add flavors with herbs or fruit.In Port-au-Prince, vendor Eddy Lecty adds cloves to spice up the clairin he sells in the capital's Cite Soleil slum. He and his father have been selling the drink for almost 20 years at the same sidewalk spot, which has become a meeting place locals call "The Citizens Club." He says even Haitian presidents have stopped by.Lecty and other vendors put the clairin into reused whiskey, vodka and soft drink bottles.In Haiti, like in other countries where unregulated liquor production flourishes, there have been unscrupulous producers who spiked their spirits with methanol, which can be deadly.Ti Jean owner Jeanty Bonnefois says his workers make sure they remove the toxic methanol byproduct that occurs during distillation, and his clairin has a good reputation among local consumers.A liter of clairin sells for about $1.36, one-eighth the price of the least expensive bottle of Barbancourt. That price tag makes all the difference in a country where about 60 percent of the people get by on less than $2 a day.Fox Business July 12, 2017

Bannann Douce (Sweet Plantain)

 

INGREDIENTS:

3 large ripe yellow plantains. Plantains must be (very) black skinned! 2/3 cup vegetable oil, or lard (to cover half the thickness of plantains in the pan)

DIRECTIONS:

Peel and bias cut (diagonal) plantains into one-inch thick slices.

Heat the oil until medium hot -- a drop of water will sizzle.

Fry the pieces briefly, about a minute or two per side. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking, turning occasionally until they are brown and caramelized.

VARIATION: Some people like to lightly roll the plantains in white or brown sugar before frying.

Labouyi Bannann (Plantain Porridge)

One of the many foods Haitians eat for breakfast is Labouyi Bannann (Plantain Porridge). If you have never had Labouyi for breakfast than you are missing out. Porridges have long been an integral part of Caribbean cuisine.

Ingredients

1 Green Plantain (Washed)

3 cups of water

1 Star Anise

1/2 cup of Evaporated Milk

1/2 cup of Coconut Milk

1/2 tsp cinnamon Powder of 1 stick

1/4 cup of sugar

1 Tbs butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt (or to taste)

 Direction

Step 1

Peel the skin of the plantain and cut into small 4-8 small pieces. It is ok to leave some of the skin for extra nutrients.

Step 2

In a blender, puree the plantain and 2 cups of water.

Step 3

In a 1 quart saucepan, add 1 cup of water, evaporated milk, coconut milk, cinnamon, star anise and bring to boil.

Step 4

Once the pot is boiling, add the plantain puree to the pot and bring to a boil while stirring continuously for 5 min. The porridge will thicken slightly.

Step 5

Add the salt, sugar, vanilla and keep stirring for 10 min.

Step 6

Reduce the heat to medium and keep stirring for another 10 min while tasting porridge to ensure the plantain is thoroughly cooked. The porridge is ready when the texture is creamy.

Step 7

Serve warm with some Haitian Bread

Dous Makos (Haitian Fudge)

Ingredients

• 2 Cups of sugar

• 1/2 Cups of Whole Milk

• 1 Can of sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)

• 8 Tbs of butter

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp of Anise star extract

• 1/4 tsp of nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp of cinnamon

• Red Food Coloring (Optional red layer)

• 1/4 tsp of cocoa powder (Optional Dark brown layer)

• wax paper

• mini loaf pans

Directions

 - In a 3 quart non-stick pot, add all ingredients (except food coloring and cocoa power) and cook on medium heat until sugar dissolves while constantly stirring.

- Once sugar dissolves, raise heat to high and continue stirring for 20 - 25 min or until mix has a lava consistency. If you have a candy thermometer it will be around 115 °C/ 239 °F

- Remove the pot off the heat and continue stirring for another 10-15 min. The mix will start to lose its shinny color as it cools.

- * OPTIONAL - If you want to make the signature stripes, take half the mix and separate the half into 2 containers. Add 2 drops of food coloring in the first and a 1/4 tsp of coca powder in the second. Mix the thoroughly. *

- Place wax paper in the mini loaf pans and fill it with the mix.

- Allow the mix to cool and harden for about an hour.

- Remove the mix from the pan and slice vertically.

- Store in a cool place.

 

Pen Patat (Sweet Potato Pudding)

INGREDIENTS: 2 lbs. white sweet potatoes (batata), peeled and cut 1 large banana, peeled and cut in 1 inch pieces 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup seedless raisins 1 tsp grated ginger 1/4 tspn salt 12 oz evaporated milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg 1 tsp ground cinnamon Rind of 1 lemon, grated 1 1/2 cups coconut cream 3 tsp butter 1/2 cup of Crisco shortening (I only used 1/4)

DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 2. Cut the sweet potatoes into 1 in cubes then grate them using a blender. 3. Place them into a mixing bowl. Peel and mash the banana into the sweet potatoes. 4. Add the remaining ingredients. Mixed all until well blended. 5. Transfer onto a pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a spoon for about 30-35 minutes until brown. 6. Place in a baking pan and bake for 1.5 hours or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean

Soup Joumou (Butternut Squash Soup)

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 1lb of beef1/2 cup of olive oilwater as needed1 large scallions, diced1 half medium cabbage, diced2 potatoes, peeled and chopped2 yanm, peeled and chopped2 malanga, peeled and chopped2 butternut squash, peeled and chopped2 turnips, peeled and chopped1 stalk of celery chopped3 medium carrots, chopped1 6 oz. package of spaghetti1 tablespoon of tomato paste1 scotch bonnet pepper4 parsley sprigsMeat seasoning spices:

1 tsp black pepper1 tsp thyme2 shallots, diced1 tsp Adobo® seasoning salt2 Maggi® chicken bouillon cubes1 tsp garlic powder1 tsp onion powder

DIRECTIONS:

Meat1. Marinate the meat overnight or for at least 1 hour.2. Place the seasoned meat in a stockpot and cover with water.3. Add oil and let boil over high heat. Keep covered until the water has evaporated.4. Uncover, stir and simmer a few drips of water occasionally to brown the meat.5. Keep stirring and simmer water occasionally until you have a nice browning color to the meat6. Stir in one tbsp of tomato paste. Remove meat and set aside pot for the vegetables.Vegetables1. In a separate bowl, cut into small pieces the large scallions and half medium cabbage.2. Peel & chop the potato, yanm, malanga, butternut squash, carrots, and turnip.3. Wash the vegetables. Add to a separate pot of boiling water.4. Cover and cook over high heat for about an hour. Reduce heat and add scotch bonnet pepper.5. Once the squash is fully cooked, remove it from the pot. Use some of the cooking water to blend the squash into a puree.6. For best flavoring, pour the cooked vegetables, the squash puree and cooking liquid into the pot that cooked the meat.7. Add parsley, thyme, and broken spaghetti (or substitute with macaroni).8. Let it all cook, until tender.9. Combine meat into soup. Serve hot.Tip: Clean the meat with lime and/or sour orange juice. Season well for a few hours. For best results, refrigerate overnight.

Diri djion djion (black mushroom rice)

 

     Ingredients

• 2 Cups of Dried Black Mushrooms (djon djon)**
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 cups long-grain rice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tsp Ground cloves
• 1 (12-ounce) can lima beans (or green peas)
• 1 to 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 green Scotch bonnet pepper

** If you don't have the dried djion djion, some super market sales the GOYA cube djion djion. Skip the first 3 steps. Boil the cubes in the water until it dissolve before adding the rice**

   Method

- In small pot, soak mushrooms in 4 cups water for 10 minutes.

- Boil mushrooms on low heat for 10 minutes.

- Strain the mushroom water into another container for later use. The mushrooms in the strainer will no longer needed.

- In a large pot, sauté the garlic and onions on medium heat for 2 minutes.

- Next, add the mushroom water, salt, cloves

- Add the rice

- Bring the water to a boil and reduce the hear when most of the water evaporates (approximately 10-15 min) then add the lima beans- Stir the rice, set the temperature to low.

- (optional) Add Scotch bonnet pepper and thyme.

- Cover the pot and steam the rice for 15 min.

Griot (Fried pork)

Ingredients

3 lbs of pork shoulder (cut into cubes/pieces)3 cloves2 garlic cloves1/4 cup of parsley1/2 cup onions2 teaspoons salt2 teaspoons black pepper1/4 cup green pepperpaprika2 lime (cut in half & juiced)1 or 2 habanero peppers3 to 4 cups of water4 to 5 cups of vegetable oildeep fryer2 sheets of paper towel

How to clean and Marinate Pork

Blend habanero pepper, parsley, onion, cloves, garlic and paprika into a paste with about 1 tablespoon of lime juice, then set aside. In the sink, rub pork with limes rinse with cold water. In a medium sized bowl, add pork, lime juice, paste of ingredients and mix with hands. Cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes to 24 hours.

Directions

In a saucer pan, add water, marinated pork and boil until tender, probably 30-45 minutes. Heat oil in deep fryer. Separate pork for liquid and set pork aside, do not discard liquid. Separate pork into batches for frying and fry until a light dark brown color. Set aside on paper towel. Once all the batches are completed you can used liquid as sauce for the rice or fried plantain.

Garnish with pikliz!

Enjoy

(Pikliz recipe is up)

Poule an sauce (Chicken and gravy)

     Ingredients:1 lbs of chicken1/2 onion (sliced)1/2 green pepper (sliced)1 tablespoon of Lowry seasoning salt1 tablespoon of butter1 habanero pepper1/2 chicken bouillon cube3 cups of chicken broth1 tablespoon of pepper2 tablespoon of epis3 limes (sliced in half and juice)3 1/2 cups of boiling hot water8x8 baking dishaluminum foil1/2 cup olive oil1 garlic (crush)1 tablespoon of tomato paste1 tablespoon of flour      Directions:Clean chicken and remove any access fat, rub each individual chicken pieces with limes. Discard limes and drown in hot water for 30 seconds. Rinse with cool water and place chicken in a medium sized bowl. Add lime juice, epis, bouillon cube, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with hands, cover with saran wrap and let marinade in refrigerator for 1 to 24 hours.Preheat oven to 415 degrees. Completely cover baking dish with aluminum foil (TIP: this makes it easier for cleaning), drizzle with 1/4 cup of oil and place chicken pieces inside dish then in pour marinade. Place in oven and turn the meat over once it has achieved a golden brown color. Once golden brown on both sides remove from oven. In a preheated saucepan on medium heat and add remaining oil and fry crushed garlic and tomato paste for 2 minutes, pour in 1/4 cup of chicken broth and add flour. Make sure flour and tomato paste has completely dissolved and then add remainder of chicken broth, habanero pepper, green pepper, chicken and remaining sauce from baking pan. Let cook for 5 minutes, add onions, pepper and stir in butter. Lower temperature and cook until onions are clear.

Diri kole ak pois rouge (Haitian brown rice and beans)

INGREDIENTS

1.5 cups dried red beans2 cups of white long grain ricesalt1 teaspoon of pepper1/2 bouillon cube1/4 cup of rough chopped onions or less2 garlic cloves, crushed5 cloves2.5 tablespoon canola oil (any oil with due)

Directions

Rinse and soak beans overnight (or a few hours) in bowl in filled with water. Be sure to discard any broken, bruised or discolored beans. In the morning, drain beans and set aside to cook.

Put beans to boil in a medium sized saucepan, 1 teaspoon of salt and allow to cook/boil for 45 minutes to an hour. Be sure to watch the water, if the water reduces and the beans are not yet edible add in more water. Once the beans are soft and edible they are ready. Strain, but do not discard the water (you will need that for later).

On medium high heat add 2 tablespoons oil and fry the onions, garlic and chicken bouillon cube for 4 minutes. Make sure the bouillon cube is completely crushed. Then add in 3/4 cup of drain beans and fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Once the beans start to get darker but not burned add in remaining beans, pepper, cloves and the water you boiled the beans in. If you need more water add in 1 cup of water. Cover the pan and allow water to come to a boil.

Taste to see if any salt is needed (This is what your rice will taste like). At this point, I like to add a pinch of salt. If it's too salty just add in more water. Add in your rinsed rice. Once the water has reduced to the point where you can see the rice, stir in 1 teaspoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. A quick stir then cover your pot and reduce temperature to medium low. After 15 mins, reduce temperature to low and rice should be ready in 10 to 15 minutes.

End result should be soft, tasty rice and beans.

Accra

Ingredients

1 lb malanga

1 c black eyed peas (not dried)

1 tsp salt to taste

1 tsp black pepper to taste

1 scallion

1 shallot or 1/2 onion

1 c love garlic

1/4 green bell pepper

1 scotch bonnet pepper (habanero pepper)

1 egg beaten

1 tsp flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 c vegetable oil

• Grate the malanga to make 2 cups.
• In a blender, mix the black eyed peas, 1/2 cup water, salt, black pepper, scallion, shallot or onion, garlic, green bell pepper, and scotch bonnet pepper until it's the same consistency as the grated malanga.
• In a bowl, mix the malanga with the black eye pea mixture. Mix in the beaten egg. Mix the flour and baking powder until you get a nice consistency.
• Heat the oil on high heat until very hot.
• Drop in a tablespoonful of the mixture in the hot oil.
• Do not turn to the other side until the fritter is very dark brown.
• While frying, scoop out any extra mix that breaks away from the batter in the hot oil, so it does not clutter or burn the oil.
• When both sides of the fritter are very dark brown. scoop out of oil and Drain on a paper towel.

Sauce Pois/ Sos pwa (bean soup)

What you will need:3 cups beans8 cups water1 teaspoon salt or 1-2 cube of maggie1 teaspoon black pepper2 cloves3-4 cloves garlic, minced5 tablespoons olive oil1 sprig fresh parsley, chopped1 shallot1 tablespoon butterInstruction:

Soak beans overnight or for at least 2 hoursClean the beans, then put them in a pot of water. Cook for about 1h30. When they are tender, turn off the heat.Remove ¾ of the beans and leave the rest in the cooking water.

Place the ¾  of beans in a blender to puree.

Add 4 cups of the boiled water to the beans in the blender (there should not be a lot of water left in the pot). Blend until well puree.

After, stir well and pass through a sieve and discard the waste.

Pour puree liquid to the cooking pot where the rest of the cooked beans are.Reignite the fire and add salt (cube of maggie), pepper, cloves, garlic, and parsley.

Bring to boil and let it shimmer for about 15 minutes or until it thickens. if it becomes to thicken, add water.

Served over white rice.

Banan Peze (Fried green plantains)

Fried Plantains, twice-fried green plantains, are a favorite snack and side dish. Haitians call them bananes pesées, or banan peze.

6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

• Green plantains, peeled and sliced diagonally into 1-inch pieces -- 2
• Oil for deep frying

METHOD

1. Heat about 1/2-inch of oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the plantain slices to the hot oil and fry, turning frequently, until they begin to brown on all sides. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining slices.
2. When all the slices have been fried, use a glass or small plate to press each slice to a thickness of about 1/3-inch.
3. Return half the flattened slices to the hot oil and fry again on each side until well browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels and repeat with the remaining flattened slices. Serve hot.

BANAN PEZE VARIATIONS

• Sometimes the plantains are soaked in salted water for about an hour and then dried well before they are fried. This is said to make them crispier and add flavor.

Pikliz Recipe (also known as Haitian Spicy Pickled Vegetables)

Pikliz (also known as Haitian Spicy Pickled Vegetables)

Every Haitian home has a jar of pikliz on hand. Cabbage, carrots, chile and other vegetables are soaked in vinegar to make a relish similar to American chow-chow or Italian giardiniera. The crunchy salad is served as a side dish at Haitian meals. Flavored vinegar from pikliz is often used in marinades or to give dishes a spicy-sour punch.

About 2 quarts

INGREDIENTS

• Cabbage, shredded -- 1/2 head
• Carrots, peeled and chopped into small pieces or grated -- 2
• Onion, thinly sliced -- 1
• Scotch bonnet peppers -- 2 to 6
• Garlic cloves -- 4 to 6
• Salt -- 2 teaspoons
• Peppercorns -- 8 to 10
• White or cane vinegar -- 3 cups

METHOD

1. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and toss well to mix. Place all of the vegetables into a clean 2-quart glass jar. Pour in enough vinegar to cover the vegetables, tamping them down to remove any air bubbles.
2. Store the pikliz in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving. It will keep in the refrigerator for a month or two.

PIKLIZ VARIATIONS

• Other Possible Additions: Sliced bell peppers, Serrano or jalapeno peppers, chopped green tomatoes, chopped cauliflower, peas.