Chicken Rundown

Feb 6, 2012 by lovelypantry

 

 

Today’s recipe came to fruition from a simple request from a friend on Facebook. “Lyn, do you have a recipe for Rundown?” I love questions like this. Really I do.

I’ve only had Rundown twice in my life. It was Mackerel Rundown. And it tasted so GOOD. I had it with boiled dumplings and boiled green bananas. It wasn’t an attractive dish, but it was very nice. Which explains why I had it a second time. Rundown always seemed to be an exotic dish in my eyes. It was not a dish that was prepared in my own home growing up, and I had not met anyone who made it until I was an adult. Furthermore, I thought there was only one type of Rundown ~ Mackerel. As I jumped into my research, I found out that Rundown itself is in fact the sauce (Coconut Milk) in which the mackerel is cooked in. It only stood to reason that you could use Chicken. Right? I did see some recipes out there on the internet but they did not seem to be exactly what I wanted to do. So I just did it how I felt comfortable. As long as the basic ingredients are present, I’m quite happy to call my dish Chicken Rundown. Thanks to “Farmgirl” for asking me and getting my creative juices flowing!

It tasted good. Yes, I’ll make it again. I’ll even make it with scotch bonnet pepper! Maybe.

I served it with rice because I felt it paired better than if I tried to serve it with boiled dumplings.

 

 

 

I think this came out quite well. I’m toying with the idea of a vegetarian version using root veggies. Hmmmmm….

 

Happy Monday! Have a splendid week 🙂

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Lyn’s Oxtails

Feb 3, 2012 by lovelypantry

 

 

Oxtail is one of my most favourite and beloved dishes – ever. It’s a popular Jamaican meal which has a deep, rich flavour that I love so much. It’s a heavy meat so I choose not to eat it too often. I think its safe to say I have it about 3-4 times per year, at most. I’ve had it at a few restaurants here in Canada as well as in Jamaica but I’ve always been concerned with the taste and how it is prepared. Oxtails taste differently every where I go. Some places are better at preparing it than others, and that’s expected.

Traditionally, the Oxtails are seasoned (often overnight) then browned in oil before being cooked down in water over a few hours, and may include dumplings or as we call them in certain dishes – “spinners” (elongated shaped dumplings). This is how my maternal grandmother used to cook it for me and it took her hours! I have fond memories of her at the stove making it, because we both loved it so much. Alas, this is when I was young and slender and nothing could change my figure (LOL). So now that I’m older and more conscious of what I consume, I try to have my favourite things in moderation. I also find ways to prepare them that I find acceptable. For me, this means no frying in oil. This may not be acceptable to some traditionalists, and that is okay 🙂

I bake my Oxtails in the oven. I’ve been doing this for years and I’m thinking it tastes better than some of what I’ve had at restaurants… hmmm…

Here’s how I do it.

 

 

I should mention that there is usually a certain amount of “heat” in most Jamaican fare. And by “heat”, I’m referring to Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Pepper. If you wanted to add heat, I would probably add the pepper at the beginning and remove it half way through so that it does not burst. I personally cannot eat too much pepper because it gives me some major heartburn! Plus, my little ones palates are so darn sensitive. A little is fine though, it gives it a little extra kick.

There are so many variations of Oxtails that I would love to try. One of my Aunts introduced me to this method (as in, using the oven). Another Aunt of mine prepares her Ox with BEER. I think I’ll be giving her a call soon for that recipe 🙂

 

A special shout out to my cousin Shelley – Happy Birthday sweetie! This recipe is for you ~ now at least you’ll have it in writing 🙂

Take care, guys! Have an awesome weekend! ~ Lyn

 

 

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