dining

An Inter-American holiday feast for The Crossroads of the World

Ceviche mixto (quick recipe)

Ingredients:

·        6 ounces octopus, cooked and cooled

·        6 ounces shrimp, blanched and cooled

·        6 ounces raw scallops, whole if bay scallops, diced if ocean scallops

·        6 ounces raw squid, cut into rings

·        1 red onion, sliced very fine

·        1/2 red aji chombo pepper, minced

·        1/2 yellow aji chombo pepper, minced

·        juice from 16 limes

·        salt

Directions:

·        Cut octopus into bite-size pieces (leave whole if using baby octopus)

·        Cut squid into small rings

·        Mix seafood with onion in large bowl

·        Wash and drain thoroughly.

·        Season mixture with salt and aji chombo peppers

·        Toss preparation quickly in lime juice

·        Refresh with ice cubes, mixing well

·        Remove ice immediately before it has a chance to melt

Escoviched Red Snapper

Ingredients:

·        3 pounds red snapper filets, sliced into half-inch-wide strips

·        2 quarts water

·        4 limes

·        2 tablespoons salt

·        1 tablespoon white pepper

·        1/2 cup vegetable oil

·        2 cloves of garlic, peeled

·        2 aji chombo (scotch bonnet) peppers with seeds, pulp and stems removed and cut into thin strips --- more or likelier less, depending on your taste for the picante, knowing that with two peppers it is much spicier than most Panamanians like their food

·        2 cups white vinegar

·        2 large Spanish onions, sliced thin

·        1 tablespoon whole allspice berries

Directions:

·        Mix the juice of the limes in the water, and then thoroughly rinse the fish in the mixture

·        Dry the fish with cloth or paper towels

·        Mix the salt and white pepper together in small bowl

·        Spread the mix on a small plate, a little at a time for each piece of fish

·        Lightly coat the fish with the salt and pepper mixture one piece at a time, put on paper towels

·        Heat a skillet until very hot, and add the oil and bring it to the boiling point (if you first heat the skillet with the oil in it, you are likely to burn the oil)

·        Add the garlic cloves to the oil

·        When the garlic cloves are dark brown, remove them from the oil

·        Fry the fish, turning it once so that it is brown and crispy on each side

·        Drain the oil by using proper utensils to take the fish out of the skillet, and by putting the fish on a plate covered with paper towels and letting it sit for a few minutes

·        Transfer the fish in an ovenproof glass bowl with a cover

·        Combine the vinegar, onions, aji chombo and allspice berries in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover and simmer until the onions are clear

·        Pour the mixture from the saucepan over the fish, cover the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator overnight, gently turning the fish over once so as to fully marinate it without breaking the fish strips

REAL empanada filling recipe

Ingredients:

·        2 Tablespoons of olive oil

·        1 large Spanish onion, chopped

·        3 cloves garlic, minced

·        1 1/2 pounds ground beef

·        1 1/2 pounds ground pork

·        10 pickled cherry peppers (take your pick --- hot, mild or a mixture thereof), chopped

·        2 Tablespoons of the brine from the cherry pepper jar

·        2 Tablespoons of tomato paste

·        1/2 cup mashed potatoes

·        Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:

·        Heat a large skillet to medium high, cover the bottom of the skillet with the olive oil, add the onion and garlic, and fry until the onions and garlic are transparent and starting to brown

·        Add the beef and pork, stirring and mixing with the onion/garlic mix until they are fairly well done

·        Drain the grease from the pan, then turn the heat to low

·        Stir in the cherry peppers, pickling brine, tomato paste and mashed potatoes, and mix it well enough so that you have this gloppy concoction that sticks together

·        Turn off the heat, taste your filling, and adjust with salt and cayenne pepper to your taste, stirring things up so that the salt and pepper are evenly distributed throughout the mixture

Now you will be ready to fill your pastries and bake them

A variation on souse

Ingredients:

·        4 large fresh pork hocks

·        2 cups cider vinegar

·        Some tap water

·        4 large Persian limes

·        1 large Spanish onion, peeled and sliced thin

·        2 aji chombo (Scotch bonnet or habanero) peppers, seeds, stem and pulp removed then minced (do NOT do this with bare hands, unless you are a masochist)

·        1 Tablespoon salt

·        2 large cucumbers, peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut into quarter-inch-wide chunks

Directions:

·        Rinse the pork hocks under cold tap water

·        Put the vinegar and the pork in a glass casserole bowl with a cover, in which the pork hocks fit, exposing all sides of the meat to the vinegar

·        Add enough water to the bowl to cover the hocks with liquid, let stand for 15 minutes

·        Turn the hocks over, let stand for another 15 minutes

·        Remove the hocks from the bowl, discard the liquid

·        Put the hocks in a pot with the salt and enough water to cover them, bring the water to a boil

·        Turn the burner down low, cover the pot, simmer for one hour (adding water if it boils down to where the hocks are not completely covered)

·        Rinse the hocks under cold tap water, allow them to cool for a few minutes

·        Shred the meat in the hocks (including the skin and what fat may remain) into strips about a quarter-inch thick, extracting and discarding the bones

·        Combine the meat in a glass or porcelain bowl with the aji chombo peppers, the onions, the cucumbers and the juice of the limes. Stir so that everything is exposed to the lime juice and the peppers, cover, put in the refrigerator

·        An hour later, stir the ingredients of the bowl well, re-cover the bowl and return it to the refrigerator for at least another hour

·        Stir again before serving

Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

·        2 pounds black beans, washed

·        1 gallon water

·        1 1/2 tablespoons cumin powder

·        2 teaspoons oregano

·        2 teaspoons ground black pepper

·        2 teaspoons thyme

·        2 cups yellow onions, diced

·        2 cups celery, diced

·        2 cups carrots, diced

·        2 tablespoons garlic cloves, minced

·        1/4 cup olive oil

·        1/3 cup dry sherry

·        salt to taste

·        cheddar cheese. grated

·        sour cream

Directions:

·        Pick through beans, picking out pebbles and broken beans

·        Cover beans with cold water, let sit for 5 minutes, remove anything that floats.

·        Drain

·        Repeat to be sure all dirt and foreign matter is removed

·        Discard water

·        Add fresh cold water to cover beans and soak for 2-4 hours

·        Discard water

·        Put beans in a pot with 1 gallon cold water

·        Add cumin, oregano, black pepper and thyme

·        Bring to boil, then reduce to a low simmer

·        While beans are cooking, sauté onions, celery, carrots and garlic in olive oil until tender

·        Add vegetables, sherry and salt to beans after beans have simmered for 1 hour

·        Continue simmering for another hour, for a total cooking time of 2 hours

·        Stir gently to keep beans on bottom from sticking or burning

Sancocho de mariscos

Ingredients:

·        1 lb. corvina filets, cut into half-inch squares

·        1/2 lb. shrimp or langostinos

·        1/2 lb. squid, cleaned and cut into small pieces

·        1/2 lb. oysters

·        Salt and black pepper to taste

·        Vegetable oil for frying

·        2 limes

·        8 cups water

·        2 packages dried instant shrimp soup mix

·        1 large envelope salsa criolla

·        4 large ripe plaintains

·        2 lb. yucca, peeled and cut into quarter-inch thick slices

·        2 lb. ñame, peeled and cut into half-inch cubes

·        2 cups coconut milk

·        2 Tablespoons olive oil

·        2 leaves fresh culantro, chopped

·        2 large onions, peeled and sliced

·        8 cloves garlic, minced

·        4 large ripe tomatoes, diced

·        4 cobs of fresh corn, cut into two-inch lengths

Directions:

·        Fry the seafood in the vegetable oil until slightly brown

·        Remove from frying pan, discard oil

·        Add salt and pepper to taste, squeeze lime juice over seafood mix

·        Add the seafood and all of the other ingredients into a large pot

·        Simmer together, stirring occasionally, until the corn, yucca and ñame are tender

Jerk Turkey

Ingredients:

·        1 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

·        1 teaspoon thyme

·        2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

·        1 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

·        1 1/2 teaspoon ground sage

·        3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

·        3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

·        1 teaspoon salt

·        2 teaspoons garlic

·        1/4 cup soy sauce

·        3/4 cup vinegar

·        1/2 cup orange juice

·        1 lime, juiced

·        aji chombo sauce

·        2 chopped onions

·        4 turkey breasts

Directions:

·        In a large bowl, combine the allspice, thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and garlic

·        A little at a time, add the soy sauce, vinegar, orange juice and lime juice, stirring with a whisk

·        Add aji chombo sauce to taste

·        Add the onion, stir until mixed

·        Marinate the turkey in the refrigerator overnight

·        Grill turkey for 6 minutes on each side, using sauce to baste it

Roast Goose with Oranges and Madeira

Ingredients:

·        1 large goose

·        reserve the goose neck

·        1 tablespoon butter

·        3 shallots, sliced

·        4 more large shallots, halved

·        1 1/2 cups Madeira

·        4 oranges, quartered

·        4 cups chicken broth

·        1 cup fresh orange juice

·        1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons more Madeira

·        1 tablespoon cornstarch

·        2 tablespoons honey

For the shallots:

·        1 tablespoon butter

·        18 shallots, peeled

·        1 1/2 cups Madeira

·        3/4 cups chicken broth

·        3 tablespoons honey

Directions:

·        Two days before you are going to cook this, melt the grease out of the fat layer. It works well to do this when the goose is mostly frozen. What you do is prick the skin all over with a meat fork and blanche the goose with boiling water or steam several times, rinsing under cool tap water and patting down the bird with paper towels after every brief blanching, so as to gradually cook the grease out of the fat layer without cooking the whole goose. Doing this makes the goose skin and fat layer crispy rather than greasy when it's cooked.

·        Leave in refrigerator, uncovered for 2 days

·        Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat

·        Add goose neck; cook until brown, turning once, about 5 minutes

·        Add sliced shallots and sauté until tender

·        Add 1 1/2 cups Madeira and 1 orange, boil until reduced by 1/3, scraping up browned bits

·        Add broth and juice, boil until reduced to 2 cups liquid

·        Strain sauce into saucepan

·        Preheat oven to 325°F

·        Pierce goose skin (not meat) all over with fork

·        Place halved shallots and remaining 3 oranges in cavity of goose

·        Tie legs together to hold shape

·        Season to taste with salt and pepper

·        Place goose, breast side down, on rack in roasting pan

·        Roast 1 1/2 hours (if the goose is about 12 pounds, but more or less depending on size)

·        Transfer goose to platter

·        Pour off fat from pan

·        Place goose, breast side up, on rack in pan

·        Roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F

·        Increase oven temperature to 450°F, roast goose until golden, about 10 minutes

·        Transfer to platter

·        Pour off all fat from pan, leaving browned bits in pan

·        Pour 1/3 cup Madeira into pan. Gently heat pan while scraping up browned bits

·        Pour mixture into sauce

·        Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 2 tablespoons Madeira

·        Whisk into sauce

·        Boil until thickened to sauce consistency, about 7 minutes

·        Stir in 2 tablespoons honey

·        Season to taste with more honey, salt and pepper

To make the shallots:

·        Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat

·        Add shallots, sauté until golden

·        Stir in Madeira, broth and honey

·        Simmer until shallots are tender and liquid is reduced to glaze, about 1 hour 10 minutes

·        Carve goose

·        Arrange slices on plates

·        Top with Madeira-glazed shallots and sauce and serve

Banana Stuffed Chicken with Curry Sauce

Ingredients:

·        4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves

·        salt

·        pepper

·        2 firm-ripe bananas

·        2 tablespoons butter

·        2 garlic cloves, minced

·        1 shallot (or small onion) minced

·        1 large apple, peeled, cored, and finely diced

·        1 ripe mango, peeled and finely diced

·        3 teaspoons curry powder

·        1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

·        pinch of cinnamon

·        3 tablespoons flour, plus more for dredging

·        2 1/2 cups chicken broth

·        1 large egg beaten with 2 tbls. water

·        1/2 cup dried bread crumbs

·        3 tablespoons salad oil

·        1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk, stir well

·        2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions:

·        Unfold each chicken breast half to form a butterfly shape (slicing a little with a knife to fan it out, if necessary)

·        Pound each piece of chicken with meat mallet to about 1/3 inch thickness

·        Season with salt and pepper

·        Cut bananas in half and slice again in half lengthwise

·        Place 2 slices in center of each breast, fold in the ends, roll up the chicken to enclose the banana completely

·        Use toothpicks to hold the meat together if necessary

·        Wrap each breast in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour

·        Melt butter in large skillet and saute garlic and shallot until soft

·        Add apple, mango, curry powder, cayenne, cinnamon, and flour

·        Cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes

·        Stir in the broth and bring to a boil

·        Lower heat and simmer 20 minutes, until apples are completely cooked and sauce has thickened

·        Let cool

·        Preheat oven to 425º F

·        Unwrap breasts and lightly dredge first in flour, then beaten egg, then bread crumbs, coating all sides and ends

·        Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken on all sides

·        Place skillet in oven to finish cooking, 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked through

·        Just before the chicken is finished baking, reheat the sauce with the coconut milk added

·        Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute, stirring.

·        Season to taste

·        Serve with rice, pouring sauce over both chicken and rice

·        Sprinkle with cilantro

Stuffed Squid

Ingredients:

·        1 cup water

·        1/2 cup uncooked white rice

·        3 squid

·        1/4 cup raisins

·        1/4 cup pine nuts

·        2 tablespoons olive oil

·        1 onion, chopped

·        3 cloves crushed garlic

·        salt and pepper to taste

·        2 tablespoons olive oil

·        2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes

·        1 onion, chopped

·        4 cloves crushed garlic

·        2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

·        2 teaspoons dried oregano

·        3 teaspoons anchovy paste

·        1/2 cup white wine

·        salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

·        Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

·        Lightly grease one 7x11 inch baking dish

·        In a saucepan bring 1 cup water to a boil

·        Add rice and stir

·        Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

·        Cut the head and tentacles from the body of the squid

·        Reserve and chop the tentacles

·        Remove the quill and peel the colored skin from the body

·        Rinse under cold water and set aside

·        In small bowl combine the rice, raisins and pine nuts

·        Saute 1 chopped onion and 3 cloves garlic with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet

·        Cook until soft

·        Add the chopped squid tentacles, and the rice mixture

·        Stir well and remove from the heat

·        Season to taste with salt and pepper

·        In a large skillet saute the onion and 4 cloves garlic until soft

·        Stir in the red pepper flakes and oregano

·        Add the tomatoes with juice, anchovy paste and wine

·        Stir and cook over medium heat until slightly thickened

·        Season to taste with salt and pepper

·        Stuff the squid with the rice mixture and seal ends with wooden picks

·        Place squid in the prepared baking dish

·        Pour tomato sauce over all and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour

Corvina Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb fish filets

·        4 ounces onions, minced

·        4 ounces bell peppers, peeled, seeded, chopped

·        4 ounces tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped

·        2 ounces unsalted peanuts

·        7 ounces unsalted butter, plus additional unsalted butter, for buttering baking dish

·        2 teaspoons lard

·        1/2 teaspon powdered achiote, divided in half