Breakfast for Carnival

THE long Carnival weekend is here. If you have house guests why not treat them to a fully-local, made-from-scratch, Trini-style breakfast/brunch?

Whether you are at the beach, down the islands or simply at home entertaining, our local breakfast items are easy to prepare and economical too.

Pone and coconut bake can be made the evening before, to re-heat the bake, wrap in aluminium foil and heat in the oven. Fried bakes can be kneaded and fried up within an hour, and the saltfish and fruit salad can be prepped ahead of time. Most guests love to help their hosts, so enlist them and enjoy a true taste of TT this Carnival. Have a happy and safe Carnival 2020!

Cassava pone

1 lb cassava

1 dried coconut meat only

¼ lb pumpkin, grated

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tbs butter

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp allspice

¼ tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 tsp bitters

¼ cup water (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F

Peel cassava and grate finely.

Finely grate coconut

Combine cassava with coconut then add pumpkin. Combine well.

Add sugar and stir.

Rub in butter then add spices.

Stir together well.

Add bitters and stir.

If mixture seems a little dry add water, just to moisten.

Mixture should be very thick but not slack in consistency.

Press into a well-greased 9 X 9-inch baking tin.

Bake for about 30 minutes until golden.

Makes one pone.

The best currants roll

Pastry:

3 cups all- purpose flour

1 cup shortening

1 tbs brown sugar

1 tbsp vinegar

⅓ cup cold water, approx.

Place flour in a large bowl

Cut shortening into flour until it becomes like peas.

Combine vinegar with water. Sprinkle liquid evenly over flour mixture and gather together loosely. It will be very rough.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat into a rough rectangle. Roll dough into a rectangle about 10x16-long

Fold long ends of dough into centre and then fold in half, like a book.

With smooth end on your left, roll into another rectangle and fold again.

Turn dough as you did the first time, and roll and fold a third time. Refrigerate dough for about 30 minutes. Wrap until ready for use.

Filling

2 tbs melted butter

2 cups good quality seedless currants washed and dried

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup toasted bread crumbs

1 egg whole, beaten slightly

Preheat oven to 375F

Combine currants with cinnamon and sugar

Roll pastry out to ¼-inch thickness or 12 by 20-inch rectangle

Brush with melted butter.

Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, now evenly sprinkle currant mixture, distribute evenly.

Beginning at long end, roll up jelly roll style, seal ends and place on a baking tray, seam side down.

Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden.

Remove, cool slightly, then slice the log diagonally into pieces about 1½ inches in width.

Place back on baking tray and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.

Remove and cool on racks.

Makes 10 to 12 pieces.

Tropical fruit salad

2 cups cubed watermelon

2 bananas

2 oranges, segmented

2 cups seedless grapes

2 cups pineapple chunks

2 cups almost ripe papaya

2 ups almost ripe Julie mango

Mint leaves for garnish

Place fruits into a large glass bowl, pour on cooled syrup and refrigerate.

If using bananas add them just before serving

Syrup

½ cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

1 lime

Boil sugar in water until melted, cool add lime juice from lime.

Makes 10 servings.

Coconut bake

4½ cups all- purpose flour

¼ cup butter or shortening

1 tbs brown sugar

3/4 tsp salt

2 tsp quick acting yeast

1 cup coconut milk

¼ cup freshly grated coconut

Warm coconut milk to about 120F.

Place flour, yeast, salt and brown sugar into a work bowl.

Add butter and rub it into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Add shredded coconut and mix.

Pour in enough coconut milk to make a firm dough. If more liquid is needed add a little water.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Divide dough into 2 pieces and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle, prick with a fork and place onto baking trays.

Let rest for 20 minutes and bake in a preheated 400F oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Fried bakes

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbs shortening

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp brown sugar

Coconut oil for frying.

Combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a mixing bowl.

Add the shortening and rub into flour until mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Add enough water just to make a soft dough.

Knead on a floured surface for about 5 minutes.

Rest flour for 30 minutes.

Divide dough into 2 pieces and divide each piece into 12 pieces.

Rest dough for another 5 minutes, and then roll out each piece to about 3 inches in diameter.

Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan and fry bakes in hot oil making sure that they are covered in oil. Turn and fry until fully ballooned or puffed.

Remove and drain.

Serve hot.

Makes 32

Saltfish buljol

½ lb salted fish

½ fresh lime, juiced

2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced

2 large onions, chopped very fine

4 tbs olive oil

½ large bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips, or chopped fine

2 hard-boiled eggs

8 lettuce leaves, washed and dried

1 small avocado, sliced

Cut the salt fish into chunks and soak in warm water, overnight.

Drain and flake fish.

Add lime juice to saltfish and rinse, cover the fish with warm water again and let soak for 30 mins.

Rinse fish and taste for salt, if there is too much salt, let soak for another 30 minutes. (Alternatively place the fish in a sauce pan, cover with cold water, boil and remove fish, taste for salt and repeat if necessary.)

Drain fish, bone and flake.

Place fish on a serving platter.

Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a non-stick frying pan, add onion and sauté for two minutes, add tomatoes and remove from heat. If you rather your onions raw you can add them to the saltfish uncooked.

Add onion mixture to saltfish, add peppers and toss. Mound saltfish in middle of platter.

Peel the eggs, and cut into quarters.

Place lettuce around saltfish, place eggs on lettuce around saltfish and place avocado around saltfish. Drizzle on the remaining 2 tbs olive oil over the buljol.

Serves 6

Serve with fried bakes, pepper sauce and additional olive oil.