Cornmeal comforts

Caribbean/Creole cuisine is always exciting especially when we realise the parallels our foods have with foods of other countries. For example, our coo coo, or cou cou bears an uncanny resemblance to Italy’s polenta. It is the same cornmeal concoction often eaten soft and mushy with freshly-grated Parmesan. The next day it is eaten pan fried in a little olive oil, delicious.

In TT we add ochroes to the mix, spice it up with peppers and bring it all together with or without coconut milk, delicious as well! And we can’t forget the ubiquitous cornmeal porridge made famous by Bob Marley in his No Woman No Cry reggae ballad.

If you’re feeling in the mood for a cornmeal comfort "concoction’ then here are some delightful recipes to stimulate your taste buds!

Polenta with Parmesan

1 cup yellow cornmeal

3 cups water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly-ground pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 tbs unsalted butter

1/4 cup freshly chopped basil or parsley

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt and pepper.

Turn down heat.

Whisk in cornmeal in a thin stream and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until polenta starts to come away from the pan.

Add the butter stirring briskly. Pour the polenta onto a serving platter and sprinkle with Parmesan and chopped herbs.

Serve warm and soft or when cool cut into squares.

Option:

Lightly pan fry polenta until golden brown, serve at once.

Serves 6 to 8.

Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge

1 cup yellow cornmeal

4 cups water

¼ cup milk

½ cup sweetened condensed milk (not filled condensed milk)

2 tbs sugar (optional)

¼ tsp grated nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

Add cornmeal to a bowl, and then pour enough water into the bowl to cover the cornmeal.

Mix well using a whisk or fork. The mixture will be slack and somewhat sandy.

Bring the 4 cups of water to boil in a saucepan. Turn the heat to medium.

Slowly pour the water and cornmeal into the saucepan while stirring with a fork.

You will have to stir the mix continuously for about 3 minutes.

Make figure-8 patterns if you like; this will stop the cornmeal from forming lumps. Be careful from this point on.

Turn the fire down if the corneal begins to spit and splash!

Then cover the pot and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

Turn off the fire but do not remove the pot from the stove.

Now add the rest of the ingredients, except the nutmeg.

Stir and sweeten to taste with extra sugar if needed.

Sprinkle with ground nutmeg.

Serves 4 to 6

Coo coo and Spicy Fish Roll

6 cups seasoned chicken broth

3 cups yellow cornmeal

1/2 lb fresh ochro, finely chopped

2 pimento peppers seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

salt and freshly-ground black pepper

1 tbs coconut oil

This recipe can be served cold or at room temperature.

Boil 5 cups broth in a large saucepan add ochro, peppers, garlic and salt and pepper.

Simmer for 15 minutes until ochroes are tender.

Add the remainder of broth and return to a boil.

Remove pot from heat.

Pour in the cornmeal whisking vigorously to prevent lumping, stir well and cook until the mixture becomes stiff and smooth and moves away from the sides of the pot.

Divide into 2 pieces.

Generously rub a little vegetable oil onto coo coo. Cover and set aside.

Generously oil a piece of waxed paper about 15-inches long, place coo coo on top, cover with another oiled piece of waxed paper, roll coo coo between sheets of paper to about 1/2-inch thickness.

Spread fish onto coo coo, gently roll up using the oiled paper to help.

Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Repeat with the other half of coo coo.

Before serving slice on the diagonal about 1/2-inch thick, serve with tomato salsa or on its own, serve at room temperature.

Spicy Fish

Fish:

2 lbs fresh fish fillets

1 onion sliced

2 cloves garlic

1 tbs French thyme

2 sprigs chive chopped

to finish:

1 hot pepper, seeded,

1/2 cup chives

2 pimento peppers

2 cloves garlic

6 leaves Spanish thyme

1 leaf chadon beni.

1/2 cup low fat mayo

juice of one lime

In a sauté pan, bring some water to a boil, add onion, garlic and herbs, add fish and steam for about 10 minutes until opaque and tender.

Drain and remove fish, squeeze one lime over fish, place in bowl of food processor, add one hot pepper, seeded, 1/2 cup chives, 2 pimento peppers, 2 cloves garlic, 6 leaves Spanish thyme and 1 leaf chadon beni.

Puree to a thick paste.

Add enough mayonnaise to bring it to a creamy consistency.

Spread onto coo coo and continue continue as for coo coo roll.

Serves 6