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Panama Caribbean Cuisine 

 

Cooking and "Making Do" in Panama

 

A Tribute to the "Make Doers" of the Criollos Generation!

Appetizers   

When it comes to Caribbean appetizers, it truly seems there's no accounting for taste. From cook to cook, an appetizer can mean just about anything. In general, though, Caribbean appetizers tend to emphasize flavor and color over stuffy formality. From Patties, which require and repay a good bit of effort, to the little nibbles (fried green plantains), there's little attempt in these dishes to impress except through fresh ingredients and good ideas. Many of the islands' favorite appetizers, it turn out, are grown-up versions of "street food," things people became accostumed to munching as children and never forgot. This means your appetizers, however you choose to present it, can be both memorable and authentic. 

Patties

Fish Cake

Crabmeat Salad 

Avocado Guadelope

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil

1 red onion, finely chopped  
1 glove garlic, crushed
9oz ground lamb or beef
1 green chili, finely chopped
2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped 
1-2 teaspoons medium curry powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper
beaten egg, for glazing
 
Pastry:

3 cups all-purpose flour  

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 cup butter.

 

Procedure:

Heat oil in a skillet, add onion and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes until soft. Add lamb or beef and stir until brown. Add chili, tomatoes, curry powder, and seasoning. Stir in 1/2 cup water and simmer gently, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes until liquid has evaporated. Leave to cool.

 

To make pastry, sift flour, turmeric, and salt into a bowl. Rub in butter to resemble bread crumbs. Add about 3 tablespoon water to make a firm dough. Cover and chill for 1 hour. (Also see "Useful Information" section.)

 

Preheat oven to 400F. Divide pastry into 8 and roll into 7in circles; place a spoonful of filling on one half of each. Moisten edges with water, fold pastry over, and press together firmly.Place on a baking sheet. Brush with egg and bake for 30 minutes until brown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients: 

1 cup self-rising flour

1 egg beaten

3/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 tablespoon oil

8 ozs salt cod, soaked overnight

1 onion, freshly chopped

1 fresh red chili, deseeded and finely chopped

Salt

Vegetable oil, for frying

Lemon wedges, to garnish

 

Procedure:

Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Mix together egg, milk, and melted butter, and stir into flour. Mix well to a smooth batter; add a little more milk if necessary. Allow to stand. Meanwhile, drain and rinse salt cod. Place in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until tender. Drain and cool. Discard skin and any bones and flake flesh.

 

Heat oil in skillet, add onion, and cook for 10 minutes until soft. Allow to cool slightly.

 

Stir fish, onion and chili into the batter. Heat about 1/2 inch oil in a skillet. Drop spoonfuls of batter mixture into oil, a few at a time. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side until crisp and golden. Garnish with lemon wedges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients: 

2 pounds cooked lump crabmeat, chilled

3 large tomatoes

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup spanish-style green olives

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

6 large iceberg or butter lettuce leaves

6 lime halves

 

Procedure:

Break crabmeat into large attractive chunks. Remove any shell or cartilage.  Core and coarsely dice tomatoes, then combine them in a large bowl with lime juice, garlic, olives, green onions and crabmeat. Gently mix all ingredients together and season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, place lettuce leaf on each of 6 plates and spoon equal portions of crabmeat mixture onto each plate. Garnish with lime halves. Make 6 servings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon butter

1-1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
4 whole cloves
2 drops hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dark rum
3 ripe avocados, chilled
 
Procedure:

Combine all ingredients except rum and avocados in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then remove from heat, cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Remove whole cloves. Stir in rum and reheat, but do not boil. Cut avocados in halves in small dishes and spoon sauce into bowl-like centers. Make 6 servings.