Island Cuisine with Chef Tell
I know, I know;
no matter what I say, or how I beg or tempt or plead with you to leave that holiday
turkey in the store this season and try something different - something island,
for instance - you'll not hear me. At first you'll say 'ooooh, that sounds gooood.'
Then you'll panic and think it's some sort of bad omen not to eat turkey. Like
maybe you'll get curses from the Gods of holiday tradition. At the very least
you'll think that everyone at your holiday table will be sad, or disappointed,
or think that you've lost your mind. Quite honestly, I think they will be thrilled!
Think about it. How many turkeys have you had in your life? If you multiply two turkey holidays a year, and if you are, for instance, 40 years old, that would be 80 turkeys! Imagine all those turkeys lined up one after the other after the other...all those legs, all those wings, all those leftovers!
Now, think cool, think Caribbean, think festive and light. Picture tender, juicy, fresh Florida snapper prepared Cayman style with red and green peppers and just a touch of spice. Serve with Banana Salsa and rich, creamy sweet potatoes, and image the surprise of your guests! They'll applaud, they'll cheer, they'll lift up their glasses and love you forever; I tell you. Try this and you'll see.
Yah, sounds good? But maybe next year, you say? Well, if you insist on dressing up those turkeys and inviting them to dinner again this year, remember two things: 1) think small, and 2) cook the stuffing on the outside.
What most people seem to overdo on the holidays is the quantity of food they prepare. A family of four makes a 25-pound turkey, and then they have leftovers for six days and everyone complains about it. I don't understand why people don't make less turkey. There must be some secret contest in every neighborhood that whoever has the biggest turkey and the most leftovers is the winner. An eight-pound bird is plenty for a family of four.
What also perplexes me is that people will overcook 20 pounds of turkey in order to make four pounds of stuffing cook perfectly. To make stuffing cook perfectly inside a turkey, you must overcook the bird. The solution? Cook the stuffing in a loaf pan next to the turkey, and when the turkey is done, take the juices that settle inside and pour them over the stuffing. One of my favorites is my Apple Stuffing.
So, remember, if you don't go Caribbean this year, you can still share the holidays with Chef Tell. Try turkey my way - small and succulent with the stuffing cooked beautifully on the outside. But at least dress him in the island style - bring him to the table lounging on a bed of sea grape leaves with hibiscus flowers between his suntan legs, then, who knows, maybe next year you'll take the plunge and celebrate the holidays the island way.
I see you!