Caribbean Food Week - Caribbean Rice and Chicken Wings

As Caribbean food week starts tomorrow 21st – 28th August I thought it would be good to have a go at making my own food. I have never cooked Caribbean food before but I can safely say I will be cooking more. It was really simple to make and super tasty.

During Caribbean food week there is a unique event that will take place at Windrush Square in Brixton on 25th and 26th August (11am – 7pm), and its the perfect way to celebrate Caribbean Food Week 2017. Take the family and enjoy an exciting mix of cookery demonstrations, live music, Caribbean street food plus an authentic Caribbean market. You’ll also be able to pick up money-off vouchers to stock-up on your favourite products after Caribbean Food Week. Caribbean chefs will also be on hand with live cookery demonstrations, and you’ll even have the chance to pick up some handy hints about how to make great-tasting Caribbean food at home.

We have been working with Grace foods who sent us an amazing hamper of Caribbean goodies. When I first opened it I had lots of ideas buzzing round of things I could make.

Caribbean Food Week - Caribbean Rice and Chicken Wings

We decided to make Caribbean Rice with Peas and Beans and some hot and spicy Jerk Chicken wings. From our hamper we used coconut milk, peas and beans and hot and spicy jerk seasoning. We are also trying out the Jerk BBQ sauce with our BBQ pulled pork this week as well.

Ingredients

¼ cup vegetable oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
½ medium onion, diced
2 teaspoons creole spice
2 cups uncooked long grain rice
1 sprig fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
400g can of coconut milk
can peas and beans
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 cups chicken stock

Instructions

Wash rice until water runs clear. Drain water.
Heat a saucepan with oil. Then add onions, garlic, thyme, sauté for about a minute.
Stir in rice to the pan, followed by beans for about 2 minutes, then add coconut milk, bay leaf, creole spice, with 2 cups of stock, bring to a boil reduce heat, cover with a lid and simmer until rice is cooked, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally from the sides to prevent burns , add more water if needed.
Season to taste and Serve warm

To make the chicken wings

We had about 10 whole wings which we chopped in half. You then wash and dry the wings. Once prepped you use a large sandwich bag and place about 4 tablespoons of the Hot and Spicy Jerk Chicken Fry Mix to the bag. IN a bowl whisk two eggs and start tip dip each wing in and coat it fully. Place the egg coated wing in the sandwich bag. Do this process with all the wings. once all done seal your sandwich bag and shake/move them all around making sure all wings are coated.

You then need to fry the wings in some hot vegetable oil for about 15 minutes till all golden brown and crisp. Make sure you flip them and move them around occasionally to stop them sticking together.