Thursday Food takes great pleasure in sharing festive season recipes courtesy of one of The Rock’s premiere culinarians.

“I would like to see Thursday Food readers use a lot more local proteins and produce in non-traditional ways this festive season. For example, whet appetites with a Jerk Chicken Breadfruit Bisque followed by a Spinach Sorrel Salad and of course enjoy my new line of condiments.”

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Sorrel Bellini

Freshly made sorrel, sweetened and spiked with white rum, your favourite bottle of prosecco

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Jerk Chicken Breadfruit Bisque

Ingredients:

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4 oz roasted breadfruit (peeled, cored and diced)

1 oz celery (small diced)

2 oz onion (small diced)

3 each garlic (chopped fine)

1 whole bay leaf

1 whole Scotch bonnet

8 oz whole milk

4 oz heavy cream

2 oz butter

Salt to taste

Method:

In a heavy saucepan, melt butter and sauté celery, onion, and garlic.

When onions become transluscent add Scotch bonnet, bay leaf, milk and cream and bring to a gentle simmer.

Add breadfruit and allow to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and Scotch bonnet pepper and purée.

If too thick, add more milk until a pourable consistency is achieved.

Season with salt and serve with pieces of jerk chcken and fried beadfruit.

Spinach Sorrel Salad

Ingredients:

1 bag baby spinach

4 oz goat cheese

2 oz raw cashew

3 oz poached sorrel

1 bottle Ashebre mango-basil vinaigrette

Method:

Combine all ingredients and serve cold.

Poached Sorrel

Ingredients:

4 oz fresh sorrel petals

4 oz brown sugar

8 oz water

1 bay leaf

1 star anise

1 tsp ginger

2 oz white rum

Method:

In a heavy saucepan, combine all ingredients and simmer until a syrup consistency is achieved.

Sorrel petals will maintain their integrity.

Remove from heat and cool.

Store in refrigerator until ready for use.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Oyster Mushroom Chicken Roulade

Ingredients:

4 oz sun-dried tomato (chopped fine)

4 oz fresh oyster mushrooms (chopped)

16 oz chicken breast (boneless)

2 tbsp blackening spice

4 tbsp Ashebre peri peri sauce

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp Ashebre spicy basil pesto

Salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a heavy sauté pan and add mushroms.

Cook until mushrooms are tender.

Season with salt and remove from heat and set aside to cool on a tray.

Butterfly chicken breast and use a mallet to flatten.

Season lightly on each side with blackening spice.

In a bowl, combine sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms and pesto.

Place 2 tbsp of the mixture on the inside of the chicken breast.

Roll and fold in the ends so a cylindrical shape is acquired.

Put in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Heat oil in a heavy sauté pan and add chicken.

Turn periodically until golden-brown all around.

Remove from pan and serve with peri peri sauce.

Blackened Lobster Tails

Ingredients:

4 lobster tails (halved and removed from shell)

4 tsp blackening spice

4 tbsp Ashebre passion fruit vinaigrette

Method:

Preheat grill to 350°F.

Season lobster tails with blackening spice.

Place on grill flesh side down.

Turn periodically until fully cooked.

Remove from grill and place on a platter.

Drizzle with passion fruit vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Lemon Butter Salmon Fillet

Ingredients:

16 oz skinless salmon filet (4 equal portions)

2 whole lemons

4 oz butter

2 tbsp coconut oil

Salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a heavy sauté pan until lightly smoking.

Season salmon with salt and place flesh side down.

Sear until edges become golden-brown.

Turn and add butter.

When butter becomes slightly brown, squeeze lemon juice and remove from heat immediately and serve.

Forbidden Rice Risotto with Gungo Peas

Ingredients:

4 oz japonico rice (cooked)

1 oz onion

1 oz scallion (chopped)

0.5 tsp ginger (chopped fine)

0.5 tsp Scotch bonnet pepper (chopped fine)

4 oz gungo peas (cooked)

4 oz coconut milk

0.25 tsp all spice (ground)

0.25 tsp thyme leaves (chopped)

1 oz whole butter

Salt to taste

Method:

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan.

Add scallion, onion and ginger and sauté until onions become translucent.

Add gungo peas and sauté for another 2 minutes.

Season with salt, add rice and Scotch bonnet pepper.

Finish with coconut milk and fresh thyme.

Simmer for 2 minutes or until fully incorporated and heated through.

Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.

Red Thai Curried Vegetables

Ingredients:

4 oz cauliflower florets (blanched)

4 oz broccoli florets (blanched)

4 oz carrots (medium diced and blanched)

4 oz Ashebre peri peri sauce

4 oz coconut milk

Method:

Heat coconut milk and peri peri sauce in a heavy saucepan.

Add cauliflower, broccoli and carrots.

Simmer for 2 minutes and serve immediately.