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 Panama Caribbean Cuisine

 Cooking and "Making Do" in Panama

 

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

 Poultry

Poultry, it seems, has inspired the Caribbean as far back as people remember their mother’s cooking. Everyone has a favorite marinade or basting sauce for chicken as well as turkey. The “Bajans” version below is a version of “seasoning up” as it’s called on many islands. The noted Pickled Turkey is a national dish of Puerto Rico. This preparation belongs to the same family that grew from Spanish pickling including both Mexican ceviche and Jamaican escovitched fish. As you know, chicken with rice and peas was the favorite Sunday dish in the WI homes in Panama. 

  Bajan Fried Chicken

Pickled Turkey

 Mango Turkey

Chicken Wings with Coleslaw

Ingredients:

1 (4lb.) whole chicken

Seasoning mix (see below)

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

1 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3-1/2 cups unseasoned dry bread crumbs

 

Seasoning Mix:

2 medium onions

2 parsley sprigs, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon chopped fresh

marjoram

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

½ teaspoon ground cloves

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 Scotch bonnet peppers, chopped

1 teaspoon paprika

Juice of 1 lime

Salt to taste

 

Procedure:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add chicken, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until chicken is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Prepare Seasoning Mix. Drain chicken and pat it dry. Cool completely, then cut into 8 serving pieces. Cut a long, deep pocket in meaty part of each piece, filling each pocket with about 2 tablespoons of Seasoning Mix. Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large skillet to 375F or until 1-inch bread cube turns golden brown in 50 seconds. On a large plate, combine flour, salt and pepper; coat chicken

pieces, shaking off any excess

flour. Dip pieces into beaten eggs,

then roll them in bread crumbs to

coat thoroughly. Fry in batches

(without crowding) until golden

brown, 2 to 3 minute on each side.

Drain on paper towels. Make 4 servings.

 

Seasoning Mix:

Peel and coarsely chop onions.

Place them with remaining

ingredients in a blender or food

processor fillet with the steel blade. Process 1 or 2 minutes, until fairly smooth. (This mixture can be spooned into a jar and refrigerated several weeks for use as needed.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Ingredients:

3 pounds turkey breast, sliced

¼ inch thick

All-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon dry leaf oregano

½ teaspoon dried leaf basil

½ teaspoon dried leaf thyme

Salt and freshly ground black

pepper to taste

¼ cup olive oil

3 medium onions, sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

1 teaspoon crushed black

peppercorns

6 bay leaves

2 garlic cloves, sliced

3/4 cup wine vinegar

20 pimento-stuffed

Spanish olives

 

Procedure:

Dust turkey slices with flour and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon oregano,

basil and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add onions, bell peppers, peppercorn,

bay leaves, garlic and remaining ¼ teaspoon oregano; cook about 25 minutes. Stir in ½ cup vinegar and olives. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in another heavy skillet. Add floured turkey

slices; cook until golden brown but not over-cooked. Place an initial layer of turkey in a deep dish, cover with cooked season-

ings and continue in alternating layers. Finish by pouring on any liquid remaining in skillet. Pour remaining ¼ cup vinegar into skillet and boil 2 minutes to

remove turkey drippings. Pour this into dish with turkey. Let cool, then refrigerate. Make 6 servings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Salt and freshly ground black

pepper

4 turkey breast

7oz canned mango

slices with their syrup

7oz can chopped tomatoes

1-2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

1 table spoon oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 small mango, peeled and sliced, to garnish

 

Procedure:

In a dish, mix together garlic, oregano, allspice and seasoning. Turn turkey steaks in mixture to coat. Cover and leave in a cool place for 1 hour.

 

Meanwhile, place canned mango slices with their syrup, and the tomatoes, in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into saucepan, and add hot pepper sauce and seasoning. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer gently for 3 minutes. The sauce should be quite thick, but, if necessary, add a little water.

 

Heat oil and butter in a large

skillet, and fry turkey steaks

for about 5 minutes  on each

side until cooked through. Pour mango sauce into pan and simmer for 3 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, preheat broiler.

Broil fresh mango slices until

lightly browned. Serve turkey

with mango slices. Serve with

mashed sweet potatoes.

Serve 4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Ingredients:

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup tomato catsup

¼ cup white wine vinegar

¼ cup clear honey

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Pinch chili powder

12 chicken wings

 

Coleslaw:

4oz red cabbage, finely shredded

4 oz white cabbage, finely shredded

1 carrot, grated

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

4 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

 

Procedure:

Put soy sauce, tomato catsup, vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger, and chili powder in an overproof

dish and mix well. Add chicken wings and turn to coat thorough-ly. Cover and chill overnight. To make coleslaw, place red cabbage, white cabbage, carrot, parsley, dill, olive oil, and soy sauce in a bowl and mix together. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake dish of chicken wings for 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.

 

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake dish of chicken wings for 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes. Preheat broiler to medium. Place wings on a broiler pan and reserve marinade. Broil for 5-10 minutes, turning occasionally and brushing with reserved marinade, until brown and crisp. Serve with coleslaw. Serves 4.

 

Note: These chicken wings

are ideal for cooking on a

barbecue.