Episode 4 Caribbean Food Made Easy

I'm Levi Roots and I have a passion for food.

Ever since I was a little boy growing up in Jamaica, I've always loved to cook.

Now I want to take you on a mouth-watering journey through my favourite flavours.

I'm travelling around Jamaica and the UK,

sharing classic Caribbean dishes guaranteed to give your taste buds the tropical treatment.

This week I'm on the Scottish island of Mull, bringing sunshine to the finest local ingredients.

-Can you feel the Caribbean wind in your hair?

-It's...fantastic.

And in Leeds, stumping up a fabulocious Caribbean afternoon tea

for two hungry teams. Yeah!

I want to spread the message about the sunshine flavours of the Caribbean to everyone.

But when I took a look at a map, it seems that there are some people who might be more in need than most!

I've been doing a bit of research and Scotland has hardly any Caribbean restaurants!

I think it's time for a change.

So I've chosen a spot right in the centre of Glasgow,

and the perfect fruit to show people what they're missing.

In the Caribbean, a pineapple is a sign of welcome and hospitality.

So what better way for me to introduce my Caribbean flavours

than to do my pineapple in lime, vanilla and rum syrup?

This mouth-watering dessert is going to persuade Glaswegians that Caribbean food is a must.

I can't wait for them to taste my hot pineapple soaked in a warm syrup of sweet vanilla, rum and allspice.

So, first thing I'm going to do,

I'm going to start making my delicious syrup.

Dissolve some dark sugar in water to give you a lovely deep-coloured mix.

And then add the zest of a lime for zing factor.

Next I'm going to add this lovely thing here, which is vanilla pods.

Vanilla is something you find in every Caribbean home.

The sweet flavour is concentrated in the seeds.

So cut along the length of the pods and scrape them out.

And for extra flavour, cut the pod in two and add it to the syrup.

Next I'm diving into what I call the sunshine kit,

for allspice berries.

This kit is the essential toolbox of herbs and spices used in Caribbean cookery.

Keep these in your cupboard and you'll always be able to taste a little sunshine.

Thyme, Scotch bonnet pepper, ginger, nutmeg, garlic

and these aromatic allspice berries.

Normally, allspice berries are used in savoury dishes,

but I think this time round it's going to give it a nice, lovely warmth.

And now it's time for the star of the show - my big golden welcome.

You need to expose the juicy flesh.

It's important to go quite deep with your knife when you're

peeling your pineapple, so you get rid of all those eyes. Like that.

And instantly,

it reminds me of the Caribbean.

Lovely.

Fantastic.

It's always good to cook with a smile on your face.

Especially if you're cooking Caribbean.

That's what it's about.

It's the fun.

Now let's put these on a skewer.

Make sure you keep your fingers well out of the way.

There's one.

I think these look ready for the barbecue.

You know, this is a really easy dish.

The reason why I chose it, because I don't want people just to taste it.

I want them to make it!

You could always use a grill for this,

but I want the aromas from this barbecue to grab people's attention!

Cook your wedges for about eight minutes, till lightly browned.

By now your syrup should have reduced and thickened,

ready for your final ingredient, the rum.

Your rum is optional.

You don't have to put it in. But you know me...

I think these are ready!

They look absolutely gorgeous.

This is warm syrup going onto warm pineapple,

smell all that lovely rum, and especially the allspice berries.

I can smell those. Fruity, spicy, it's a tropical delight, I love it!

So, here's the deal.

Shoppers not only get to taste, they also get a pineapple -

complete with the recipe. I want them to promise

they will make this Caribbean treat for themselves!

-Respect.

-Respect.

This is my pineapple in lime, vanilla and rum syrup.

-How's it tasting? Can you feel the sunshine on your face now?

-That's really good. It's lovely.

-Cool. There you go. It's even got a ribbon on it.

-Thank you very much!

-Is that good?

-It is lovely.

Would you be willing to try to make this at home? If I was to give you the recipe?

I've got one here without any rum in it for this lovely young lady here.

The recipe's on here, and everything that is in there you can pick up at your local supermarket.

-Thanks very much. Thank you.

-Bye!

It's brilliant!

Glasgow is going potty for my pineapples.

Respect, man. Here you go.

There may be no Caribbean restaurants here,

but I'm hoping in kitchens all over Glasgow, people will be cooking my Caribbean food.

The good news is that if you don't have a Caribbean restaurant or takeaway on your doorstep,

there is no need to panic.

I'm visiting a place packed to the gills with ingredients both exotic and familiar.

This is Glasgow Fruitmarket, it's a wholesaler, and I bet there's one near you too.

All over the country, places like this sell to shops, hotels

and restaurants, and you'd be amazed at what you can find.

Man, I can't believe it. I've found cassava.

You can actually use this as a replacement for potato.

You can boil it, you can roast it,

or just pop it in the oven or put it in soups.

And look, plantain.

A very close relative to the banana. You can fry it, you can boil it,

you can bake it.

It's one of the favourite snacks for Notting Hill Carnival.

And I want to see plantain in every supermarket, so come on, get your plantain out.

Now this is not the kind of place you can pop along to to fill up your fruit bowl,

but if all these ingredients have got this far, they're only one step away from you!

David Bilsland imports fruit and veg. He agrees with me - if you want this stuff, just ask!

All they have to do is go into their grocery shops or wherever they go,

tell them that this stuff is in the Fruitmarket, they can come here,

purchase this stuff and it's at their doorsteps.

-So you're saying it's as easy as people just asking?

-Easy-peasy!

-Fantastic. You're the man.

-Thank you, Levi. You're the man!

Hello there, sir.

Can I have these lovely mangoes?

'So, you heard the man. Get out there and ask your grocer to unleash the fruit and veg of the Caribbean!'

No, that's it, thank you.

'In the meantime, I'll do my bit by liberating a crateful of mangoes.

'I've got a big trip planned and these are going to come in very handy.'

Back in the Caribbean, fishing is part of many people's everyday lives.

I'm told that Scottish waters are just as rich in fish, though the weather might not be quite as good.

# Don't know why

# There's no sun up in the sky

# Stormy weather... #

The sea here is teeming with fantastic seafood

just waiting to be dubbed up with my Caribbean sunshine kit.

But first, you've got to catch it.

I've come to the Island of Mull off Scotland's west coast, to go creel fishing.

Ronan Martin and Kenny Turnbull catch around 80 to 100 tonnes of lobsters and crabs

in their pots every year.

But they've never eaten a single morsel Caribbean-style!

This trip is going to be full of surprises for everyone!

It's 520 miles from my local Brixton in south London.

And it doesn't look anything like this!

No, no.

What we have in common is a great love of seafood,

so I want to show these boys new ways to cook their catch.

Ronan, what I'm trying to do is say to people that there's great local produce here.

I'm trying to inject into it, say, "Let's spice it up a bit."

Yes? So people have a choice how they want to eat their own food.

The more people that eat local food, the better.

Beautiful Tobermory is an idyllic setting to bring sunshine flavours to seafood,

or as I say, "dub it up!"

So I'm taking shelter in the local pub for an almighty cook-up.

It's been a long time since I've had as much fun as I did today.

I'm going to repay the favour by doing something special - Caribbean with a kick.

I want to show you two classic Caribbean barbecue treatments for seafood.

A fabulously spicy lime, chilli and coriander butter

to lavish on lobster,

and a mouth-watering parsley and garlic marinade

for local langoustine.

And as a final treat, I'm going to be passing around these bite-sized bundles of bliss -

succulent local crab with a mango and avocado salad.

So let's start with the tongue-tingling spicy lobster butter.

First thing I need is a nice handful of coriander. Finely chop that.

Next, one clove of garlic.

I had a fantastic time on the boat.

The nearest thing I can think of, a joyride like that,

is at the fun fair, on the helter-skelter.

Right, let's get this in here.

Next, I'm going to add the zest of one whole lime and the juice of half the lime.

I want to "rhyme" my lime,

and what we're doing is actually getting the juice up.

Look at that.

Next, the chilli. You want this chopped up real fine.

Let's get that in there.

Finally, mash butter into your tangy, spicy mix -

the softer the better, to help you blend it.

Though I'm putting this on lobster, this works really well with salmon too.

Once you've made this butter, you can always roll it up in a bit of clingfilm, put it in the fridge

and cut bits off and have it as and when you want to.

Right, that's ready to use.

Man, I feel like bursting out into Shakespeare all over the place.

The tide in the affairs of man taken at the floods will lead to fortune.

But in this case, it's going to lead to langoustine.

I'm going to be getting these ready for the barbecue too, making a delicious garlic marinade.

If you can't hold of langoustines, try big tiger prawns.

You need olive oil, chopped garlic and parsley, and white wine vinegar.

Mix the lot together - it couldn't be easier!

Let's get these guys in there to absorb some of that lovely flavour.

Leave for an hour and you're good to go!

So let's skewer them, shall we?

I think I'm going to have to do a few of these,

because something tells me those guys are hungry.

Just like my hot pineapple dish,

you could grill these or use a hot griddle pan,

but a barbecue adds another layer to the taste.

While these are cooking, I think I'm going to add a bit more marinade.

Fantastic.

And next, I'm going to add my lobster onto my barbecue.

Your lobster needs to be cut in half.

You can get your fishmonger to do this.

And it helps to crack the claws so that the barbecue heat can penetrate and cook the flesh inside.

You don't want to hit them too hard.

Just to make a crack like that.

And what I'm doing is going to add it flesh-side down first.

Leave that to cook for about three minutes.

Turn the lobster over, and the shell becomes a perfect natural saucepan

to melt that spicy lime, chilli and coriander butter.

Oh, that smells lovely!

But let's find out what the captain and the rest of the pub think.

Come on, Ronan, man. Let's get stuck in.

You and I on the high seas, man.

The high seas.

Mm-mm-mm!

Very nice. Is it bad to use my hands?

No. Go with it, man.

-So will you have a try of my langoustine here?

-It's Scottish seafood, it's got to be good.

It's Scottish seafood. Absolutely. Fantastic, yeah.

-Beautiful.

-Thumbs up? Yeah?

-Yeah, thumbs-up!

-Yeah!

How good are they?

Mm!

-You've got it on your chin.

-Delicious.

-Gorgeous.

That seems to be going down well.

But I've got one more thing to prepare -

crab with avocado and mango salad.

Those mangoes came all the way from Glasgow Fruitmarket.

This guy here is the reason why I braved the Sound of Mull.

So what are we going to do with it?

This crab has been cooked for ten minutes.

For my recipe, I'm going to be using just the claws,

but you can use the rest of the crab to spread on toast or to stir through pasta.

It's so succulent!

And now the other ingredients for the salad - mango and avocado.

Absolutely beautiful.

Now to add the kick.

Sliced red onion, garlic and a mild chilli, chopped finely.

You never know how hot people like their food,

so with a big crowd like that, I think it's best to play safe.

And next I'm going to add a bit of thyme.

Now, thyme is one of my ingredients in my Caribbean sunshine kit, as you should know by now.

Finally, add lime, olive oil and seasoning.

And now, just to gently fold it in.

Because you've got to remember your avocado is really delicate.

You could prepare this on a bed of lettuce but because

I want everybody to taste it, this is how I'm going to do it.

Baby gem lettuce leaves make a perfect mouth-sized scoop.

Gently pile on your salad, dab on crab and pile in!

Look at that. Isn't that amazing?

It's a perfect fusion of seafood and creamy, spicy fruit.

But will the locals get their taste buds around it?

Brilliant.

-Delicious.

-Ah, I can't fit it in.

-Is that good?

-Mmm!

-Delish!

-It's not too hot, is it?

-Mm-mm.

-Fantastic.

Can you feel the Caribbean wind in your hair?

It's not OK.

-It's...fantastic.

-Ah, yeah!

It's fabulous to see Caribbean flavours going down so well.

Now, if I can just do something about the weather!

Next victim up. Come on!

With Scottish seafood thoroughly spiced, I'm heading for England for my next fixture, in Leeds.

I'm teaming up with a group of local sportsmen to show Yorkshire folk

how to bring sunshine cookery into their lives.

Yep, I'm the newest signing at the Leeds Caribbean Cricket Club.

Umpire, Glen English, helped set up the club 60 years ago

and remembers it creating a stir at the stumps and in the kitchen.

The Sunday matches were great because that's where we used to meet the local people.

And the youngsters used to run round asking us if we were members of the Caribbean team.

They used to say, "Are you Mr Sobers?"

THEY LAUGH

It's not all been about cricket. I hear that

the food in here is something that...

Well, this developed as we got older and people began...

There started to be restaurants around, selling West Indian food and all that.

And the visitors, when they came, the first thing they want is some rice and peas and chicken!

And they used to all put their orders in straight away.

THEY LAUGH

Well, I might not get mistaken for West Indian cricketing legend Gary Sobers, but I can cook

and I'm going to blow the opposing team away with a sunshine version of a traditional cricket tea.

I'm going to be cooking a fantastic Caribbean treat - my ginger, pecan and rum chocolate brownies.

It's a tropical makeover for this king of cakes.

Pecan nuts and ginger add texture and bite,

balanced by the sweet heat of Jamaican rum - optional, of course!

This is such a great cake to make.

15 minutes and it's in the oven. No worries!

First I've got plain dark chocolate.

And I'm going to mix that with 250g of butter.

I'm going to melt these two together over gently simmering water.

In this big bowl, I'm going to mix dark muscovado sugar and five eggs.

Cricket was a big thing for me in the Caribbean when I was a boy.

We used to listen to it on the radio all the time and all of my role models were cricketers.

Now I'm mixing my eggs and my sugars together, beating lots of air into it.

And at the end, it should be thick and creamy.

Put your mix to one side while you chop up the chewy bits.

The pecan nuts will bring a toffee-like taste.

And stem ginger adds crunch and heat.

It's so easy, isn't it?

Just pour that in there. And you're ready to put it all together.

Pour your melted chocolate and butter into the eggs and sugar,

and then 150g of plain flour into the lot.

It's important to fold it in.

Smell that lovely chocolate flavour coming through.

And next, my pecan and the ginger.

And now, for my final special ingredient, my rum.

Pour every last dollop into a brownie tin.

Get it all in there.

Everything. And bang in the oven to bake at 180 degrees for 25 minutes.

# I can see clearly now the rain has gone

# I can see all obstacles in my way... #

Man, that smells absolutely fantastic!

Dusted with icing sugar, the ginger, pecan and rum brownies are the trophies in my Caribbean high tea.

# ..a bright, bright.... #

And I've also got some of the treats I remember from my childhood -

a classic ginger cake transformed by the tart twist of lime icing,

and carrot cake, spiced up with aromatic cinnamon and nutmeg from the sunshine kit.

# I think I can make it now the pain has gone... #

And as a concession to New Farnley, the visiting team, I've even laid on

some good old-fashioned egg sandwiches, but with a slight twist!

Inside is some Scotch bonnet pepper.

Lord-a-mercy, here they come.

-Respect.

-Respect.

-Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

That is good cake.

-That was down there. Yours are up there.

-Respect, man.

-Absolutely.

-Mm!

-What did you have?

-I had brownie.

The brownie? What did you think?

Tickled my taste buds, yeah. Really nice.

Today was a nice change to the normal boring sandwiches that we often get.

I've really enjoyed bringing everyone together for my championship tea.

Now I think it's time someone showed them all how to play cricket!

And do you know what?

Good food, good company - it takes me right back to the Caribbean!

I'm back in Jamaica with my friends.

I come back here often to see my family.

After all, this is where I learned to cook.

I hope I've showed you how delicious, how fun and how easy Caribbean food can be.

And I told you, it's not just about what you eat - it's how you eat it.

So I'm heading for the village of Content where I grew up,

to rustle up something splendid for my niece, Janice, and her family.

And now for one of my most favourite dishes ever, my Haitian Roast Chicken with two stuffings.

This is a classic celebration meal from the island of Haiti.

Juicy chicken with a sharp lime and thyme stuffing under the skin

and a rich tomato and plantain sauce in the belly!

Alongside, golden pumpkin rice.

This is Jamaica, so I can't resist using a coal pot, but it works just like your stove at home.

So first, the stuffing for the skin.

We're gonna to start with two spring onions and two garlic cloves, chopped nicely.

Next I'm going to add half an onion.

That's fried away for about five minutes, just to get the onion softened a bit.

Next, I'm going to add the juice of two limes.

This is a really easy-peasy dish.

Another style of your Sunday roast, if you like.

I've been told, in Haiti, this is a favourite Christmas dish.

Next I'm going to add the zest of two limes.

If the limes are very big, you can use one, but in this case,

these limes are really small, so we're gonna use two.

OK, cool.

That's looking good.

Throw in a three handfuls of breadcrumbs, and from the sunshine kit,

two sprigs of thyme and a grating of nutmeg.

When it's well mixed, add two tablespoons of rum.

That is going to give it a real kick.

Finally, add two teaspoons of demerara sugar, to sweeten.

I'm going to let that cool down while I prepare the other part.

And you are ready to move on to the stuffing for the belly.

The crucial flavour here is plantain, one of my favourite ingredients.

It's savoury and firmer in texture than a banana, so it will add plenty of body.

Remember, this should be stocked in every supermarket in the country.

Now I'm going to fry these off in the frying pan.

Always make sure that you single your plantains off, so they all get a chance to get fried equally.

I know this will look painstaking, but I promise you, it is the best way to do it.

Add plum tomatoes, cut in quarters, to the pan.

We're not cooking them, just softening them so that the juices inside start to bubble.

Season and allow to cool a little, and you are ready for the fun bit. Right, OK, let's get stuffing!

Yeah, cool. Now, it's important that you raise the skin off the chicken

and work your finger in, pressing down all the time, so you don't actually break the skin.

We just add bits of stuffing.

Really make sure you get all that lovely flavour,

so that when it goes in the oven, it will be all nice and succulent.

Pack in as much as you can. That is well stuffed.

The plantain is going to give you a nice, juicy flavour,

while the plum tomatoes just act like a bit of a sauce inside your chicken.

Tie the legs together to keep the stuffing in.

Rub with butter and season with cayenne pepper for a tiny bit of kick.

Voila, as they say in Haiti.

My Haitian roast chicken with two stuffings.

-Janice!

-Yes?

-Would you mind putting this in the oven for me?

-No problem.

Thank you very much. Brilliant.

And if that isn't enough reason for your family to celebrate,

I'm serving it up with golden pumpkin rice.

I promise you, this couldn't be simpler or more delicious!

Step one, take a pan of water, add diced pumpkin and two sprigs of thyme, season and simmer till soft.

Step two, mash it up.

Now you don't want to really smash it too much,

because you still want its texture, so it's really a roughage.

I'm using a fork here, but you can use a potato smasher.

All that golden liquid is going to be soaked up by your rice. That's step three.

I've got here 450g of basmati rice, washed twice.

Got rid of all the starch in there.

And, of course, you can use long-grain rice if you choose. You can use brown rice.

Finally, add a dollop of butter for creaminess and simply leave to cook.

Easy. This is absolutely fantastic. This is what Caribbean food is about.

-It's easy, it's delicious and most of all, it's about bringing families and friends together. Janice!

-Yes?

-How is that chicken?

-Looking lovely!

Call me a show-off, but I can't resist one last piece of theatre.

-Heat four tablespoons of rum in a pan and you've got a fiery family finish!

-Wow!

Succulent chicken oozing with lime, thyme, tomato and plantain on golden pumpkin rice.

Now, if you are salivating seeing all this fabulocious Caribbean food,

why not stock up on your own sunshine kit of herbs and spices and get cooking?

I hope I've inspired you. So go on, try it!

It's easy!

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