Jacqui Tyson knows how to impress your palate. The ace caterer’s culinary prowess was again on show last Tuesday for her Best Dressed Foods-themed barbecue. The guest list to Tyson’s outdoor summer repast included family members, corporate clients, and staffers of her From Thought To Finish enterprise which she operates with co-director Dennis Howard. Thursday Food wraps up our summer barbecue series with scenes from Tyson’s foodie event.

(Photos: Jermaine Barnaby)

CAPTIONS

8360

Jacqui Tyson adds finishing touches to a corn salad

8366

Pedro Cay crab and chicken salad.

8370

A tasty dessert — mango sabayon

8373

‘Cool Runnings’ watermelon salad

8377

Summer Sizzle cocktail

8385

Lightning Bolt chicken and yard-style Tun Cornmeal

8388

Caterer Jacqui Tyson serves a Summer Sizzle cocktail to Racquel Rowe, brand officer for Reggae Jammin.

8398

Jacqui Tyson (right) looks as her chef Christiane Bhalai brushes sauce onto the Lightning Bolt chicken.

8411

Reggae Jammin’ Fish in Foil with beet root and carrot spaghetti.

8422

Risa Rogers, executive assistant of Dennis Howard, savours her fish meal.

8424

‘Lick u Finga’ Mango-Glazed Pig’s tail and Yardstyle Tun Cornmeal.

8425

In addition to signature cocktails, guests also enjoyed glasses of Hardy’s Merlot.

8456

Thought to Finish Director Dennis Howard enjoys the Pedro Cay crab and chicken salad, while Racquel Rowe readies to eat her chicken.

8469

Marcian Walker relishes scoops of her mango sabayon dessert.

8497

Joshua Craigie cuts the roasted yam on his plate before taking a bite of the Lightning Bolt chicken.

8506

Plate of mango glazed pig’s tail in one hand and a cocktail in the other, Nathaniel Palmer, LIME events manager, walks to his table to enjoy his meal.

RECIPES

Reggae Jammin’ Fish in Foil

Ingredients:

1 ounce butter

Foil sheets

1 pack Reggae Jammin Jerk Fish

Method:

Thaw and remove fish from vacuum pack.

Cut a piece of foil three times the size of fish, both in length and width.

Place whole fish on a sheet of foil, allowing marinade to lightly drizzle from the package over the fish.

Cut butter into small pieces and place on body of fish from head to tail.

Fold and turn in the edges of foil to create packages.

This should resemble a completely sealed pouch with fish inside.

Place foil with fish on open Barbeque grill or jerk pan turning on each side for 5 minutes.

If the grill is not an option, place in oven at 350ºF turning each side for five minutes.

Once the package blows up like a balloon, the fish is done and to be removed.

Place fish on a plate, peel back foil and serve immediately with festival or bammy, roast sweet potato and yam a great meal in a flash.

Lightning Bolt Chicken

Ingredients:

1 Whole Best Dressed Chicken, cut in pieces

1 cup dark rum

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup soy sauce

4 tblsp honey

1 tblsp wet jerk seasoning

1 tblsp fresh garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp dried thyme leaves

Method:

In small bowl combine all ingredients except chicken.

In large resealable plastic food bag, place 2/3 cup marinade; add chicken.

Tightly seal bag.

Turn bag several times to coat chicken well.

Refrigerate, turning occasionally, for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Refrigerate remaining marinade in separate covered container.

Prepare grill and heat until hot.

Make aluminium foil drip pan; place opposite coals. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade.

Place chicken on grill over drip pan. Grill, turning once, until chicken is no longer pink (15 to 20 minutes). Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, cook remaining marinade over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil (2 or 3 minutes).

Continue cooking until slightly reduced (7 to 8 minutes).

Drizzle over chicken.

Broiling Method:

When using your home stove, prepare chicken as directed above. Place in broiler section and broil 4 to 6 inches from heat until chicken is no longer pink (12 to 14 minutes). Continue as directed above.

Tun Up (Yardstyle Tun cornmeal)

Ingredients:

1/4 lb Anchor butter

2 stalks escallion, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 sprig thyme, chopped

1/2 Scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded and chopped

3 cups coconut milk

5 1/2 cups water

1 packet cornmeal

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

4 oz of your favourite cheese, grated

Method:

Melt 1/2 of the butter in a medium dutch pot.

Add chopped escallion, onion, garlic, thyme, and Scotch bonnet pepper.

Sauté for 2 minutes.

Add coconut milk and 3 cups water and allow to come to a boil.

Combine cornmeal with salt and thyme, mix well.

Add 2 1/2 cups water to cornmeal mixture and mix to soften.

Scrape cornmeal mixture into boiling coconut milk mixture and stir constantly to avoid lumping.

Cook for 10 minutes on a low flame, stirring constantly with long-handle spoon and adding the remaining butter, until mixture is smooth and shiny.

Scrape into a greased 2-litre casserole dish and top with shredded cheese.

For crisp cheesy crust, bake at 180ºC (350ºF) for 5 minutes (optional).

Summer Sizzle Cocktail

Ingredients:

A dash of cranberry juice

1/2 cup Ting

1 oz of Smirnoff Green Apple Vodka

Method:

Mix with ice

Shake and serve in a martini glass and garnish with summer melon ball.

‘Lick u Finga’ Mango Glazed Pig’s tail

Ingredients:

1 lb Content Quality Pigstail (1 pack)

2 cups hot water

3/4 cup mango chutney

Juice of lemon

1/4 tsp Scotch bonnet pepper, chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp ginger, crushed

1/2 cup of raisins

1/4 cup water

Method:

Wash pig’s tail, chop joints but do not separate.

Place tails in a pot with two cups of boiling water.

Cover pot and steam cook for one hour or until tender over a medium flame, and then drain.

In a blender, combine all ingredients for sauce and blend until smooth.

On a medium open flame, place sauce and pig’s tail in pot and roast for 15 minutes.

For final flavour booster (optional), baste with sauce and finish on open char grill in toaster oven for 5 minutes to seal the flavour.

Serve with white rice and remaining sauce or slice into miniature pieces and serve as hors d’oeuvres.

‘Cool Runnings’ Watermelon Salad

Ingredients:

1 5-pound watermelon (red and yellow)

1 Vidalia sweet onion

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbls fresh mint, chopped — optional

1/2 cup feta cheese

Method:

Cut the flesh from the melon and cut into bite-sized pieces, removing and discarding the seeds, and set aside.

Peel and slice the onion into rings.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, salt, pepper, and whisk until salt is dissolved.

Slowly whisk in the olive oil, a few drops at a time.

Add in the chopped mint, taste, and adjust seasonings.

In a large bowl, combine the melon, onion, and feta. Pour the dressing over the melon mixture and toss gently until everything is coated and evenly mixed.

Garnish with mint sprigs.

To serve, divide salad among individual plates and garnish.

Pedro Cay Crab and Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups freshly caught Pedro Cay cooked cooled crab meat, flaked

1 cup diced celery

1/4 cup chopped green or red bell pepper

1 Chicken breast, cooked and finely chopped

1 tsp salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tblsp fresh lemon juice

3 tblsp mayonnaise

Method:

Mix crab meat with diced celery, chopped bell pepper, chopped chicken breast, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and mayonnaise. Serve over mixed greens if desired..

Mango Sabayon

Ingredients:

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup white wine or Champagne

1/3 cup sugar

1 /12 cup mango, peeled and cubed

2 tsp lime juice

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Method:

Add the lime juice and ginger syrup, and process for another 30 seconds.

Transfer the purée to a bowl and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Place the egg yolks in the top of a double boiler (or in a heat-proof bowl) and whisk to combine.

Whisk in the wine and the sugar. Place over gently simmering water (make sure the bottom of the pan or bowl doesn’t touch the water) and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture has tripled in volume and is thickened and fluffy, about 10 minutes.

Don’t allow the mixture to get too hot or the eggs will scramble. If you have an instant read thermometer, it should register 165 to 170ºF.

Remove the bowl from the heat and continue whisking for another minute. Then refrigerate until the custard is well chilled.

When the mango purée and the custard are both cold, whip the heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks. Fold the cream into the mango, and then fold the mango cream mixture into the custard base.

Divide the sabayon among 6 martini glasses or goblets. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

To serve, garnish each glass with a sprinkling of diced mango

Beet Root and Carrot Spaghetti

Ingredients:

2 large beetroots

1 large carrot

1/4 cup olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Method: (using a spiral vegetable cutter)

Wash two large beetroots and a large carrot.

Place on spiral cutter and thread into spaghetti .

Dash with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Chill and serve.