Forwarding the Flavor of Caribbean Cuisine to Yankeeland at Yuletide

Christmas in the Caribbean. Watching my free-wheeling friends take off for sun and surf, I decided to go them one better and bring the warmth and color of Caribbean cuisine to our own fireside.

A hand-woven tablecloth, a pottery dish painted with characteristic Haitian panache, a background of reggae supplied by my teen-age son, all helped to set the tropical scene. Within a few hours we covered several thousand miles and several styles of cuisine.

Our tour began in the Dominican Republic with a crisp little shrimp fritter, flavored in typical Spanish style with garlic and onion. I suggest serving it with cocktails as a leisurely opening to this menu, but the fritters also would make an excellent first course, served with a coulis of fresh tomato and green peppers in echo of the local sofrito sauce.

A Leap of Tastes

From there it is a 500-mile leap to Barbados, often compared to the rural English country of Surrey with its gentle hills, golf courses and country clubs. British cooking at its best is exemplified by creamy soup in which crab is left to stand on its own against a brisk background of Sherry.

On to Puerto Rico for the main course, a plump chicken stuffed with raisins and coconut and served with pan juices as gravy. You might like to try the same stuffing in the Christmas turkey; it blends well with traditional accompaniments such as sweet potato, squash and cranberry sauce.

The chicken platter is adorned with a garland of fresh tropical fruits. Though intended purely as decoration, they must tempt the frailest appetite.

A Surprising Combination

Equally refreshing are cucumbers baked with orange--a combination that surprisingly resembles the taste of melon.

Last stop for dessert is Martinique, famous for the potency of its rum and the finesse of its cuisine. The two combine in an unusual version of that old favorite, baked bananas. Here the bananas are plantains that are layered with fresh pineapple, sprinkled with brown sugar and baked until caramelized. Topped with hot rum, the dish flambes with a gusto that truly celebrates the season.

CHRISTMAS DINNER IN THE CARIBBEAN FOR 6

Bombas de Camarones y Papas (Shrimp and Potato Fritters)

Cream of Crab Soup

Pollo Relleno Con Coco (Stuffed Chicken With Coconut)

Pepinos en Salsa de Naranja (Cucumbers in Orange Sauce)

Pineapple and Plantain Flambe

Suggested drink: Planter’s punch or Cuba libres

Up to one day ahead make and bread fritters, then refrigerate. Make soup, but do not add crab meat, then refrigerate. Make stuffing for chicken, then refrigerate.

Up to three hours before serving prepare cucumbers. Keep at room temperature. Prepare fruit for flambe.

About two hours before serving stuff chicken, truss and roast. Prepare fruits for garnish.

Before dinner fry fritters. Serve with cocktails.

About 10 minutes before serving heat soup, then add crab meat. Remove chicken, keep warm and make gravy.

While serving soup reheat cucumbers in oven.

After serving soup bake fruits for flambe.

Just before dessert flame fruits.

BOMBAS DE CAMARONES Y PAPAS (Shrimp and Potato Fritters)

1/2 pound potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks

Salt

1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup butter

1 bunch green onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Pepper

1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

2 egg yolks

2 cups flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs

Oil for deep frying

Place potatoes in pan and fill with enough cold salted water to cover vegetable. Cover and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until tender when pierced with fork, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare shrimp. Melt butter in large skillet. Saute green onions and garlic in butter until tender, but not browned. Add shrimp and season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until shrimp are opaque, 1 to 2 minutes.

Drain potatoes. Mash or work through ricer into bowl. Stir in shrimp mixture. Let cool slightly. Stir in cheese and egg yolks. Taste to adjust for seasonings. Cover and chill mixture thoroughly.

Divide mixture into tablespoons. Flour hands, then roll mixture into balls. Set on wax paper. To bread, place flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs in separate bowls. Roll ball of mixture first in flour, then dip in eggs, draining off excess, then coat with bread crumbs. Refrigerate breaded fritters, uncovered, at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Fritters may also be frozen.

To finish, heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry fritters a few at time until golden brown. Serve immediately. Makes 3 dozen fritters or 6 to 8 servings.

Note: Crab meat may be substituted for shrimp.

CREAM OF CRAB SOUP

1/3 cup butter

2 green onions, chopped

1/3 cup flour

1 quart milk

2 cups half and half

1/2 cup Sherry

Salt, pepper

1 pound crab meat

Juice of 2 limes

Dash Angostura bitters

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add green onions and saute until tender but not brown. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture stops foaming. Whisk in milk. Bring sauce to boil, whisking constantly, until thickened. Add half and half, Sherry and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer soup 20 minutes. Soup may be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated.

To finish, bring soup to simmer. Add crab meat and lime juice. Heat over low heat 3 to 5 minutes until soup is hot and crab meat is heated through. Season to taste with bitters. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

POLLO RELLENO CON COCO (Stuffed Chicken With Coconut)

Butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt, pepper

1 cup water

6 ounces cooked ham, chopped

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup raisins

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

5 slices white bread, cubed

1 (6-pound) chicken

2 oranges, halved and sliced

2 lemons, halved and sliced

1 mango

1 small papaya, sliced

To make stuffing, melt 1/4 cup butter in large skillet. Add onion, garlic and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender but not brown. Stir in ham and wine. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced by half. Remove from heat. Add raisins, coconut and bread. Taste to adjust for seasoning. Let stuffing cool. Stuffing may be refrigerated up to 2 days.

Dry chicken with paper towels. Season cavity with salt and pepper. Loosely fill cavity with stuffing. Truss bird or fasten with skewers.

Place chicken breast-side up in roasting pan. Spread with 1/4 cup soft butter. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees, basting often, until skin begins to brown, about 30 minutes. Turn bird over and continue baking 30 minutes longer. Turn chicken again onto its back and continue baking 30 to 45 minutes or until skewer inserted in center of stuffing is hot to touch when withdrawn after 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, prepare serving platter by arranging orange and lemon slices overlapping around edge. With knife, cut mango in half through to pit. With tablespoon, pry flesh from pit to release one half. Use spoon to scoop pit from other half. With knife, score mango flesh in large squares without cutting through skin. Invert skin so flesh sticks resembles grenade. Set halves at each end of platter. Arrange papaya slices around mango.

Discard trussing strings from chicken. Keep bird warm. To make gravy, pour excess fat from roasting pan. If necessary, boil pan juices until reduced to glaze. Add water, then bring to boil, stirring to dissolve juices. Taste to adjust for seasonings. Strain into bowl. Serve chicken on platter with fruit and pass gravy separately. Makes 6 servings.

Note: Large chicken is easier to find than small turkey, especially in the Caribbean.

PEPINOS EN SALSA DE NARANJA (Cucumbers in Orange Sauce)

Peel of 1 orange, cut julienne

4 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut in 3/8-inch slices

Salt

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon orange juice

Pepper

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 cup butter, cut in small pieces

Few drops lemon juice, optional

Place orange peel in small pan with water to cover. Boil 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, then rinse peel under cold water. Drain thoroughly.

Boil cucumbers in salted water until just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, then place in serving bowl. Keep warm.

Bring 1 cup orange juice and salt and pepper to taste to boil in saucepan. Make paste with cornstarch and remaining orange juice. Whisk in mixture, beating until thickened and mixture coats back of spoon. Remove from heat.

Gently stir in butter until melted and sauce is lightly thickened. Stir in orange peel. Taste to adjust for seasonings, adding lemon juice if necessary. Pour over cucumbers. Makes about 3 cups.

PINEAPPLE AND PLANTAIN FLAMBE

1 pineapple

1/4 cup butter

6 medium plantains, peeled and sliced diagonally

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup rum

Peel, core and slice pineapple, reserving any juice.

Melt butter in 8-cup heat-proof baking dish, turning dish to coat with butter. Arrange pineapple and plantains in overlapping layers in dish. Add pineapple juice. Sprinkle fruit with nutmeg, allspice and brown sugar.

Cover dish with foil. Bake at 400 degrees until fruit is tender and sugar has melted, about 20 minutes. Heat rum in saucepan until hot and ignite, then pour flaming rum over fruit. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Note: Plantains are available in Latin American groceries, but green bananas may be substituted.