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Eating Out in Benin (with poll)

Because there is a shortage of information on Benin, I had to dig really deep to find some fun facts. In my search I happened upon a lovely blog by a young woman named Jen. Jen is an American who spent 2 years in Benin for the Peace Corps. I enjoyed reading through her experiences (although I am sad to report that they end mid-trip, suddenly and without explanation).

First, I want to share a picture I found of her cooking class in Benin. You will see the lengths Jen and the other students are going to to get the food mashed and ready to eat. Makes you appreciate blenders, food processors, immersion blenders, and power gadgets in general. AND it makes me not feel so bad for having to peel 1,000,000 beans the other day.

Food Preparation @JensBlog in the Peace Corps

Upon reading some more of Jen’s blog, I learned that food service is typically very slow (in this entry she was visiting an area called Grand Po Po). In fact, some restaurants take 1-2 hours to prepare the food. Why, you ask? Simple. They go out and buy the ingredients after you order your meal. This is due to general lack of refrigeration. In another entry she describes the typical restaurant food where she was:

…restaurants here are WAY different, there isn’t much variety…usually it’s rice, with either beans, fish, or hard boiled eggs, and a sautéed tomato, piment (hot peppers), and onion sauce

One particularly entertaining entry is about the number of people in the home she is staying in:

The house is SO CROWDED. I don’t know where everyone is sleeping! The [Peace Corps] requires that Stagiaires have their own room…thankfully. Here is a briefing of who is in the house: Grandpa, Maman, Papa, Aunt (Tante), Vince (brother), Spero (brother), Sonja (sister), Judith (cousin), Odilo (cousin), Charles (cousin), Gladis (cousin), Antoinette (cook), and myself…..13 people in a 4 bedroom house-and one of those rooms is mine. Wow.

A Special Dinner

Technique Thursday: Peeling Beans

I spent the better part of a day peeling beans for our Benin Global Table. This is partially because it takes an eternity to peel beans and partially because my husband became incapacitated by kidney stones. All day we ran around to the doctor, the lab, and the prescription house. I didn’t take my beans with me which, of course, set me back several hours – but prevented me from looking like a crazy woman.

Here’s how to peel beans:

First things first. Soak 2 cups of beans overnight. 2 cups seems like a small, petty, insignificant amount of beans. Think to yourself, “Surely this paltry pile of beans will take no time at all to peel.”

The next day wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to tackle the job.

Stare in disbelief as you realize 2 cups of beans is now 6 cups of beans. Otherwise known as 1,000,000 beans that need peeling.

Grab 2 bowls, 1 for the discarded skins, 1 for the clean beans.

Begin the work of peeling the beans. Some beans will pop out of their skins eagerly. M0st of the beans will stick in their skins and will require a little effort from your fingernails. Your thumb and forefinger will become red and inflamed from repeated pressure on beans.

If you get tired of stubborn beans that won’t release their skins, soak them in hot water for a few minutes.

Now, if you work as fast as I do, you’ll probably do a handful in 5-10 minutes. This slow pace is pretty discouraging. I would recommend watching several movies and enlisting the help of friends, neighbors, cats, dogs, and goldfish.

You can also grab handfuls of beans and rub them between your palms. This might get a few more skins loose. I had mixed luck with this approach.

Next time, invest in a food mill.

Food mills are designed to “peel” beans for you. Although I have a food mill, she is old and crochety. I really dislike using the dang thing and am considering buying a shiny new one that does not fight me with every turn. Hence why I peeled my beans by hand this week.

And now, for your winner.

The real question is who finished first? Me, with the beans, or Keith, with the kidney stone?

Apparently peeling beans isn’t as bad as kidney stones, because I won. He’s still in agony. My thumb and forefinger, on the otherhand, are healing up quite nicely.

Menu: Benin

Although Benin is an impoverished country with many people living off a simple diet of fufu, yam, rice, and beans, the cuisine also offers upscale, global flavors, most notably influenced by French flavors and techniques.  For example, this menu features crab, an commonly fished for in the south of Benin, prepared in a simplified French manner with eggs and vegetables.

Crabs from Benin [Recipe]
Lump crabmeat baked with egg, onion, garlic, tomato, and hot chili peppers

Pureed Black-eyed Peas [Recipe]
Steaming hot black-eyed peas are pureed and beaten with butter

Coconut Rice [Recipe]
White rice simmered in rich coconut milk

Green Baby Bananas in Orange Sauce [Recipe]
Bananas baked in orange juice and brown sugar. Serve hot as is, over plain cake, or with ice cream.

About the food of Benin

Tall, thin, and irregular, Benin juts deep into the African continent, resembling a smoked turkey leg (which just happens to be my favorite fair food here in Oklahoma). Thanks to this unusual geography there is a notable difference between the food in the semi-arid north and the tropical south.

Traditional Cuisine:

Corn is the starch of choice in the more fertile south, whereas yams are more popular in the dry north. In both cases, the starch is cooked down into a mush-like consistency and eaten with the fingers. This traditional preparation is called fufu. The entire country also eats white rice cooked in rich, fatty coconut milk, when affordable. This tradition spread to the Caribbean where it remains popular.

Peanuts are also traditional and are used many ways in Benin, the most prevalent of which is called kuli kuli. Kuli kuli are ground peanuts bound together to create balls which are then deep-fried. This rich treat is essentially deep-fried peanut butter. Mmm, sounds heart-stoppingly good.

Culinary Favorites:

Spicy peanut sauce is the ketchup of Benin. This simple condiment is quickly whipped up from local ingredients and poured over fufu, rice, and meats. The sauce is kicked up with some chili pepper (or cayenne), onion, and bouillon.

The ocean currents near Benin can be wild and erratic, making fishing dangerous. Still, seafood is popular amongst the southerners. Most fishing is done in lagoons by small boat. Shrimp and crab are the two most common catches. The more northern areas must rely on other sources of protein, often a special cheese called wagassi (wangash) or goat, chicken, beef, and bush meat (local game).

A celebration stew (served on holidays such as independence day or the national holiday, Vodoo) called ago glan is made from shellfish, tomatoes, onions, and hot sauce.

Preparation:

Many dishes in Benin are fried in peanut or palm oil, spicy chili peppers, tomatoes, and onion. Stewing, smoking and grilling are also common meat preparations, although meat is served only occasionally in this poor nation.

Monday Meal Review: Belize

I just did a big kitchen clean-up to get rid of the cluster of stuff I thought I had to have. One big item I got rid of was my bread machine. Although I use it all the time to mix and keep my dough warm, I have never once baked in it. Seems silly, really.  I have a beautiful standing mixer that can mix bread dough just fine (even better, actually), so I’m taking my precious counter space back and tossing the bread machine! (giving it to a friend, actually)

I’m generally a fan of the simple life. This Belizean saying underscores what happens when you try to “keep up with the Joneses” and the latest fashions:

“Falla-fashin monkey cahn buy good soup guh dung a gully go eat dutty soup”
Translation: “Follow-fashion monkey cannot buy good soup, so he goes down to the gully to eat dirty soup.”

I’d much rather have good soup than dirty soup, so I guess I’ll never be a fashion monkey!

Speaking of which, we had some mighty good stew this week!

Stew Chicken [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish

Wowzers. Stew Chicken is a winner. From the moment the chicken hits the pot, the entire house smells like “good.” The chicken pieces simmer for an hour and half in a red recado infused broth, slowly transforming into an incredibly tender delicacy (teeth are definitely optional).  I cannot believe how much flavor fits into each bite –  with very little effort on my part! I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs to keep things simple, but you can use whatever you like. Bone-in meat is traditional.  I enjoyed that this hearty Belizean stew is not blazing hot (you can add minced habenero or hot sauce to heat things up), however the red recado makes for an incredible, complex flavor reminiscent of both Mexican and Caribbean food.

Speaking of the red recado – the recipe I provided on Technique Thursday will make 2-3 batches of stew chicken.

What I liked least about this dish

I should have made more! I had no idea I would like Stew Chicken so much. After some quick math, I erroneously thought 2 pounds of chicken would be enough for dinner and the next day’s lunch. Although we (Keith, Ava, and I) all ate our fill there were no leftovers! Boo. I guess we’re a bunch of piggies. Next time I’m going to make a double batch. I also want to try this with coconut rice (rice cooked in coconut milk), or even rice and beans, since the stew swims in a lip-smacking broth that would be awesome soaked up in rice.

Johnny Cakes [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish

For starters, Johnny cakes are quick and easy to make – basically an ingredient “dump & stir.”  They taste a lot like biscuits, with a just a hint of coconut flavor. I think that Johnny Cakes come across as pretty “normal” (even for picky eaters), making them perfect for a Belizean/Caribbean themed brunch or kids party.

What I liked least about this dish

Johnny Cakes are heavy, thanks to the coconut milk. The day after our meal I had 3 for breakfast (What?!?! They were small!). Big. Mistake. I had “lead” stomach for hours… Also, the crumb is dense – definitely not as flakey as a biscuit, due to mixing the butter in melted form. Overall Johnny Cakes are good, but I don’t think they’ll be replacing my normal biscuit recipe.

Fried Plantains [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish

Sweet, pan-fried plantains are the bees knees. The contrasts – soft and crispy, sweet and salty – are entertaining and addictive. Nothing could be easier, either – just slice, fry, salt (or sugar), and eat! You can have these table in five minutes, if you are good with a knife. They go well with any food, particularly spicy food because the sweet flavor helps cut the burn.

What I liked least about this dish

Plantains are astringent and generally terrible when not ripe. I would suggest waiting at least until the plantain is yellowish with bits of black before using. Green plantains do not work for this recipe at all. In fact, I had one that was underripe and was very disappointed to have cut into it and not be able to use it.

Sweet Potato Pone [Recipe]

What I liked most about this dish

Sweet Potato Pone tastes a lot like pumpkin pie. Eating the dessert chilled was refreshing, especially since we’ve had weather in the high 90’s lately.

What I liked least about this dish

Even though I love the concept of this dish, I’m not sure that this dessert was successful. For my tastes it was too sweet. Another problem I had was that it pulls away from the sides of the dishes and looks rather unsightly. A quick beauty trick is to cover the top of the ramekins with whipped cream (plus I think the creamy fat would break up some of the sweetness).

Ava’s Corner

Ava LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the chicken. We really should have taken a video. She was cute – bouncing up and down, grinning, eating as fast as we would let her… I think the flavor was exciting and the chicken was so tender, so she had an easy time eating it! I think she ate 2 chicken thighs! That’s a LOT! 🙂 On the flip side, she wasn’t interested in the Johnny Cakes at all – again, she does not like the texture of crumbly bread.

Stew Chicken from Belize

Serves 2-4

Although there are many variations on Stew Chicken, most traditional recipes keep it simple – just chicken, red recado, onion, and water. I added bell pepper, Habanero, and lime juice because this variation seems a little more lively.

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken (I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs because I didn’t want all the work of a whole chicken this time)
1/2 cup red recado (see recipe)
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 Habanero, optional
a splash fresh lime juice or vinegar to taste

Method:

1. Marinate chicken in red recado overnight (or for at least 1 hour)

2. Heat up oil in a pot over medium. Add chicken and brown in batches as necessary.

3. Remove chicken and add bell pepper and onion and cook until soft.

4. Return chicken to the pot. Toss in optional Habanero (whole for mild spice, or cut up for an intense heat). Cover chicken with water.

5. Stew chicken until meat is falling apart (or off the bones, if you use bone-in meat).  Add a splash of lime juice or vinegar to brighten up the flavor. Adjust seasonings as necessary.

Serve hot on top of Johnny Cakes or with Rice and Beans. Fried plantains make a quick and easy side dish.

Stew Chicken from Belize
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Although there are many variations on Stew Chicken, most traditional recipes keep it simple – just chicken, red recado, onion, and water. I added bell pepper, Habanero, and lime juice because this variation seems a little more lively.
Servings Prep Time
2-4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1-2 hours 1 hour
Servings Prep Time
2-4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1-2 hours 1 hour
Stew Chicken from Belize
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Although there are many variations on Stew Chicken, most traditional recipes keep it simple – just chicken, red recado, onion, and water. I added bell pepper, Habanero, and lime juice because this variation seems a little more lively.
Servings Prep Time
2-4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1-2 hours 1 hour
Servings Prep Time
2-4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1-2 hours 1 hour
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs chicken thighs (boneless, skinless) - or other cut
  • 1/2 cup red recado
  • 1 bell pepper , chopped
  • 1 onion , chopped
  • 1 habanero (optional)
  • splash lime juice (or vinegar), to taste
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
  1. Marinate chicken in red recado overnight (or for at least 1 hour)
  2. Heat up oil in a pot over medium. Add chicken and brown in batches as necessary.
  3. Remove chicken and add bell pepper and onion and cook until soft.
  4. Return chicken to the pot. Toss in optional Habanero (whole for mild spice, or cut up for an intense heat). Cover chicken with water.
  5. Stew chicken until meat is falling apart (or off the bones, if you use bone-in meat). Add a splash of lime juice or vinegar to brighten up the flavor. Adjust seasonings as necessary.
Recipe Notes

Serve hot on top of Johnny Cakes or with Rice and Beans. Fried plantains make a quick and easy side dish.

Fried Plantains

One plantain serves 1-2

Fried plantains can be on the table in less than 5 minutes. This easy, delicious side dish goes well with any Caribbean or African food. In particular, the slightly sweet flavor helps contrast with both region’s spicy dishes.

Ingredients:

1 plantain
vegetable oil
salt or brown sugar

Method:

1. Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a frying pan. Meanwhile, cut plantains into long, oblong slices.

NOTE: Choose plantains that are yellow to black in color, not green. The green plantain in the photo was still under ripe and inedible. Green plantains behave like green bananas, after a few days the bland astringency gives way to a mildly sweet flavor.

2. Fry in the oil on both sides until browned.

NOTE: How browned you like them is a matter of taste. I like my fried plantains pretty dark 🙂

3. Sprinkle immediately with salt or brown sugar. Serve hot.

The first time I made plantains – oops crispy.

Although they are a bit charred, they are still uber tasty.

When I made them again, for Burundi, I turned the heat down a little.

Ahhhh, much better! 🙂

Fried Plantains
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Fried plantains can be on the table in less than 5 minutes. This easy, delicious side dish goes well with any Caribbean or African food. In particular, the slightly sweet flavor helps contrast with both region’s spicy dishes.
Servings Prep Time
1-2 people 5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
1-2 people 5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Fried Plantains
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Fried plantains can be on the table in less than 5 minutes. This easy, delicious side dish goes well with any Caribbean or African food. In particular, the slightly sweet flavor helps contrast with both region’s spicy dishes.
Servings Prep Time
1-2 people 5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
1-2 people 5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 plantain
  • vegetable oil
  • brown sugar (or salt)
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
  1. Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a frying pan. Meanwhile, cut plantains into long, oblong slices.
  2. Fry in the oil on both sides until browned. NOTE: How browned you like them is a matter of taste.
  3. Sprinkle immediately with salt or brown sugar. Serve hot.
Recipe Notes

NOTE: Choose plantains that are yellow to black in color, not green. The green plantain in the photo was still under ripe and inedible. Green plantains behave like green bananas, after a few days the bland astringency gives way to a mildly sweet flavor.

Johnny Cakes

Makes about 8

Johnny Cakes are like dense biscuits with a mild coconut flavor. In Belize they are often enjoyed in the morning with a slice of melted cheese, eggs, and sausage. They are also wonderful served under Stew Chicken where they wick up the delicious broth.

Ingredients:

5 Tbsp melted butter
2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut milk

Method:

1. Mix flour salt and baking powder together.

2. Add butter and milk. Mix to combine. Knead briefly to bring dough together.

3. Divide into 8 portions. Shape into balls and flatten into discs. Pardon mine looking so “homemade”… I was in a hurry. Ava wanted to play! They still baked up fine 🙂

4. Preheat oven to 400F. Prick with a fork and let rest 15 minutes.

5. Brush with milk or butter and bake for 15 minutes.


Johnny Cakes
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Johnny Cakes are like dense biscuits with a mild coconut flavor. In Belize they are often enjoyed in the morning with a slice of melted cheese, eggs, and sausage. They are also wonderful served under Stew Chicken where they wick up the delicious broth.
Servings Prep Time
8 Johnny Cakes 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15 minutes 15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 Johnny Cakes 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15 minutes 15 minutes
Johnny Cakes
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Johnny Cakes are like dense biscuits with a mild coconut flavor. In Belize they are often enjoyed in the morning with a slice of melted cheese, eggs, and sausage. They are also wonderful served under Stew Chicken where they wick up the delicious broth.
Servings Prep Time
8 Johnny Cakes 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15 minutes 15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 Johnny Cakes 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15 minutes 15 minutes
Ingredients
  • 5 Tbsp butter , melted
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
Servings: Johnny Cakes
Units:
Instructions
  1. Mix flour salt and baking powder together.
  2. Add butter and milk. Mix to combine. Knead briefly to bring dough together.
  3. Divide into 8 portions. Shape into balls and flatten into discs.
  4. Preheat oven to 400F. Prick with a fork and let rest 15 minutes.
  5. Brush with milk or butter and bake for 15 minutes.

Sweet Potato Pone

Serves 6

Sweet Potato Pone is a slightly spiced, dense custard-like dessert, reminiscent of pumpkin pie. Adjust sugar according to your tastes. This version will give you cavities on the first bite.

Ingredients:

1 lb finely grated sweet potato
1 12 ounce can evaporated milk (or coconut milk)
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
pinch salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Meanwhile grate sweet potato and combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

NOTE: You want to grate your sweet potatoes as finely as possible. I think mine were too large because the texture, instead of being smooth, was rather coarse (see finished photo at the bottom of recipe) Perhaps a food processor could help in this situation?

2. Ladle into 6 individual ramekins (be careful not to overfill them. I did and they spilled over… making a sticky, ugly mess – give yourself about 1/4 inch buffer at the top). Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for one hour. Serve chilled.

Optional serving idea: run your knife around the edge and turn over onto a plate.

Sweet Potato Pone
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
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Sweet Potato Pone is a slightly spiced, dense custard-like dessert, reminiscent of pumpkin pie. Adjust sugar according to your tastes. This version will give you cavities on the first bite.
Servings Prep Time
6 20 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Servings Prep Time
6 20 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Sweet Potato Pone
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Sweet Potato Pone is a slightly spiced, dense custard-like dessert, reminiscent of pumpkin pie. Adjust sugar according to your tastes. This version will give you cavities on the first bite.
Servings Prep Time
6 20 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Servings Prep Time
6 20 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Ingredients
  • 1 lb sweet potatoes , finely grated
  • 12 oz evaporated milk (coconut milk may be substituted)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • pinch salt
Servings:
Units:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Meanwhile grate sweet potato and combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Ladle into 6 individual ramekins (be careful not to overfill them. I did and they spilled over… making a sticky, ugly mess – give yourself about 1/4 inch buffer at the top). Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for one hour.
  3. Serve chilled.
Recipe Notes

NOTE: You want to grate your sweet potatoes as finely as possible. I think mine were too large because the texture, instead of being smooth, was rather coarse (see finished photo at the bottom of recipe) Perhaps a food processor could help in this situation?

Optional serving idea: run your knife around the edge and turn over onto a plate.

The One of a Kind Flag of Belize (with poll)

Bamboo Chicken

Locals call the native Belizean iguana “Bamboo Chicken.” Considered a delicacy, the meat is stewed and served with white rice, vegetables, and fried plantains. The iguana egg is also enjoyed as a special food.

Dügü (Feeding of the dead)

Dügü is a Garifuna feast held to appease dead spirits and bring healing to the living. Families gather together to celebrate and show respect to the spirits of their ancestors. 

Mangoes

Over 20 types of mangoes grow in Belize with such favorites as Julie, Number Eleven, Slippery, Bellyfull, Blue and Hairy mango.

The Universe

The Maya, a prevalent indigenous culture in Belize, perceived their universe to be quadripartite. They thought the earth was four-sided, like a crocodile or turtle, and floated in primordial sea.

Cow-foot Soup

Feel sick after a night of partying? Try cow-foot soup. Made with cow’s hoof that has been stewed and seasoned with local herbs and spices, this hearty soup is served hot with white rice cooked in coconut milk.

Hurricanes

The capital, Belize City, was moved to Belmopan in 1970 after being directly struck (and almost completely destroyed) by two hurricanes, the 1931 hurricane and 1961’s Hurricane Hattie.

Flag

The Belizean flag is the only national banner in the world that depicts humans. They are loggers, reflecting the history of British colonization for logging.

File:Flag of Belize.svg

Red Recado Seasoning Paste

What is Red Recado?

Red Recado is a seasoning paste used throughout Central America, particularly the Yucatan peninsula. The paste tastes strongly of annato and ancho chili powder, an earthy blend a little bit like paprika or saffron. However, because there are several other ingredients included in Red Recado, the flavor profile is much more complex and so totally different. Some say that chicken cannot be served in Belize without Red Recado. This week we’re making “Stew Chicken” with our recipe for Recado.

If you order Recado online you’ll find the seasoning comes in a pasty ball that gets dissolved into your cooking liquid.

RECADO-RED From Belize 3.5 OZ

My recipe is more like a wet mud mask. Hmm. That’s not too appealing. Let’s say it’s more like super tasty red mud. 🙂

Warnings:

Annato is used as a dye in food, cheese, and clothing. Use caution when handling or you’ll end up with stained fingers or permanently splattered clothing.

Recipe:

The three hard to obtain ingredients in Red Recado are annato seed, Mexican oregano, and ancho chili powder. I found all three of these ingredients at my local Whole Foods. You will also be able to find them at latino grocers, most likely for a better price.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp annato seeds
1/2 cup hot water
5 garlic cloves, skins on
1/2 large white onion, sliced thick
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon freshly ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup ancho chile powder (about 2 ounces)
1 Tbsp coarse salt
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 cup fresh orange juice

Method:

1. Soak annato seeds in hot water overnight.

2. Toast garlic and onion in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, or until soft and slightly browned. Move pieces around and separate onion pieces as it cooks.

3. Right before removing from heat, add Mexican oregano and toast for 2 minutes. Let cool slightly so that you can remove skins from garlic.

4. Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. It will thicken up into a paste after about a minute of blending.

Uses:

Use Red Recado as a marinade for chicken, beef, and fish. Then either stew, grill, or roast.

Here’s our Stew Chicken marinading in the Red Recado… it’s gonna be tasty!

Video

Here’s a video an example of a complex Stew Chicken, filmed on location in Belize.. the recipe is only complex in that it contains many more ingredients than a Belizean Stew Chicken requires. Many people just include onion, chicken, and red recado!

 

Red Recado Seasoning Paste
Votes: 5
Rating: 2.4
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Red Recado is a seasoning paste used throughout Central America, particularly the Yucatan peninsula. The paste tastes strongly of annato and ancho chili powder, an earthy blend a little bit like paprika or saffron. However, because there are several other ingredients included in Red Recado, the flavor profile is much more complex and so totally different. Some say that chicken cannot be served in Belize without Red Recado.
Servings Prep Time
3 cups 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
32 minutes 8 hours
Servings Prep Time
3 cups 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
32 minutes 8 hours
Red Recado Seasoning Paste
Votes: 5
Rating: 2.4
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Red Recado is a seasoning paste used throughout Central America, particularly the Yucatan peninsula. The paste tastes strongly of annato and ancho chili powder, an earthy blend a little bit like paprika or saffron. However, because there are several other ingredients included in Red Recado, the flavor profile is much more complex and so totally different. Some say that chicken cannot be served in Belize without Red Recado.
Servings Prep Time
3 cups 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
32 minutes 8 hours
Servings Prep Time
3 cups 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
32 minutes 8 hours
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp annato seeds
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 5 cloves garlic , skins on
  • 1/2 large onions , sliced thick
  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano , preferably Mexican
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 cup Ancho chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp salt , or to taste
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 cup orange juice , freshly squeezed
Servings: cups
Units:
Instructions
  1. Soak annato seeds in hot water overnight.
  2. Toast garlic and onion in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, or until soft and slightly browned. Move pieces around and separate onion pieces as it cooks.
  3. Right before removing from heat, add Mexican oregano and toast for 2 minutes. Let cool slightly so that you can remove skins from garlic.
  4. Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. It will thicken up into a paste after about a minute of blending.
Recipe Notes

Annato is used as a dye in food, cheese, and clothing. Use caution when handling or you’ll end up with stained fingers or permanently splattered clothing.

The three hard to obtain ingredients in Red Recado are annato seed, Mexican oregano, and ancho chili powder. I found all three of these ingredients at my local Whole Foods. You will also be able to find them at latino grocers, most likely for a better price.