Dinner Is At Five

Preparing meals for my family is truly one of the joys of my life. We are traditional in the sense that every evening we come together around the dinner table and over a delicious meal discuss our days. It is through conversation that we bond and that will always be very special to me. Hectic days have me dreaming of places far away and I was inspired to create a Caribbean version of roasted chicken that everyone loved. The ingredients are simple and merely require time and patience and creativity in presentation. Enjoy!

Roasted Ginger Chicken

Roasted Ginger Chicken with Potatoes and Asparagus

Roasted Chicken 

Ingredients

1 whole Chicken, cleaned and cut in pieces, skin on or off

1 ginger bulb, peeled and grated

1 bunch of scallions or green onions, diced

1 Tbs fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1 Jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and diced

2 Tbs of soy sauce

1 Lime, juiced and zested

2 T of vegetable oil

Preparation 

1. Combine ginger, scallions, cilantro, jalapeno and lime zest in a bowl.

2. Mix soy sauce and lime juice together and pour over the cleaned chicken parts in a freezer bag or container. Add the ingredients from step one, mix and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

3. Remove chicken from the marinade and dry off with a paper towel. Discard marinade.

4. Heat medium pan to moderate and add oil

5. Place chicken pieces evenly, skin side down, being careful not to crowd the pan and allow to brown. Turn over and brown the other side.

6. When all of the pieces are beautifully browned, place the pan in the oven at 350 degrees and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees and all of the juices run clear. Remove, cover and allow it to rest.

Roesti Potatoes
Ingredients
1 lb of Russet potatoes, peeled and grated medium size-Do not place in water
1-2 lemons juiced to pour over potatoes to prevent browning
1 medium onion, finely diced
Salt, to taste
White pepper. to taste
1 Whole eggs
2 Tbs flour  
Oil for frying
*Cheesecloth

Preparation 
1. Place grated potatoes in a piece of cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess liquid into a bowl and set aside, allowing the starch to separate from the water.

2. In another bowl add potatoes and toss with a little lemon juice to prevent browning. Add onions, salt, pepper, egg, flour and the starch and mix until it is a slightly firm consistency. If mixture is too wet, squeeze out in cheesecloth and add a little more flour.

3. Heat pan to high heat and add oil.

4. Form potatoes in to patties and place into oil and cook for about 4-5 minutes until browned and cooked through on both sides. Drain on paper towel and cover to keep warm.

Asparagus

Ingredients
1 bunch of Asparagus, wooded ends removed by trimming
1 large pot of boiling water, generously salted
1 large bowl of ice water

Preparation
1. Place Asparagus in boiling, salted water and blanch until bright green and slightly firm, about 3 minutes.

2. Remove and immediately place in the ice bath to stop the cooking process.

3. Remove and drain.

4. Toss in a pan with a little butter or olive oil to reheat.

Cucumber Salsa

 Ingredients
1 Cucumber, peeled, seeds removed and small dice
1/4 Red bell pepper, seeds removed and small dice
1/4 Green bell pepper, seeds removed and small dice
1 Tbs of cilantro, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 lemon, juiced
1lime juiced

Preparation
 mix all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Plating
 I served my chicken on a bed of white rice, placing the asparagus tips on the side with all of the ends facing the same way. The potatoes are placed in front and the chicken is topped with the Cucumber Salsa. Enjoy!