If you’re looking to add a little Jamaican flavor to your summer cooking repertoire, we’ve got the recipes you need and will love all year round. From braised oxtail to ackee and saltfish, here are the classic Jamaican recipes you should be cooking now.
Stamp and Go
These road snacks are possibly named for the way travelers would stamp their feet at food stands to hail vendors. This recipe, adapted from one given to us by Jamaican food columnist Jacqui Sinclair, pairs the fritters with a sauce made with culantro, an herb with a cilantro-like flavor.
Rosemary-Jerk Lamp Chops
Here, a classic jerk marinade is perfumed with rosemary and slathered over lamb loin chops for a surprising take on the iconic chicken preparation. The soy sauce in the marinade boosts the lamb’s umami flavors.
Ackee and Saltfish
Ackee, Jamaica’s national fruit, is the highlight of this hearty sauté.
These fluffy fried dumplings, served at the Wyndham Kingston Jamaica, are great alongside ackee and saltfish.
Full of fiery chiles and warm spices, the all-purpose seasoning for this dish can be used as a rub on pork, goat, fish, and vegetables, as well as chicken.
Jacqui Sinclair, food columnist for the Jamaica Observer, gave us the recipe for these mini brunch quiches made with callaloo, a spinach-like Jamaican green.
Sweet conch meat meets fiery chiles in this aromatic stew. Long simmering tenderizes the shellfish and results in a sumptuous dish.
Hominy Porridge
Dried hominy takes hours of cooking, but it yields a luscious porridge. This recipe comes from Kingston-based caterer Dian Watson.
Vegetable Run-Up
This version of rundown, typically made with mackerel, was renamed by chef Yvonne Peters-Hope of Ashanti Oasis Vegetarian Restaurant, who gave us the recipe for this meat-free take on the savory breakfast stew.
Jamaican Punch
Throughout the Caribbean, rum punches flecked with nutmeg have been served steadily since the colonial era.
