Lime and Liming

I had this wonderful suggestion via a question as to what were “our” foods for a celebration or picnic.

I was quite torn since I had been perfecting a couple of recipes since last summer to share with you that would fit well into the Picnic range. Also, this would be perfect timing as we are seeing the easing of lockdown in the UK and garden eating, socialising and entertaining is so much more commonplace, in fact necessary. Bearing this in mind, one will find that in Guyana things can sometimes be named a unique way. So do bear this in mind when you are trying to make meaning of the title of the article.

Lime is a naturally occurring and abundant rock consisting of high levels of calcium and or magnesium carbonate. Liming is said to be the process by which one can” sweeten” the soil. Lime as the fruit that grows in the topics and was widely imported into England, well before we found ways of growing this here, albeit in small quantities. Lime is a colour

In Guyanese terms, neither of these plural definitions have anything to do with the lime nor liming as the material, substance, fruit or colour. In fact, you can be invited to a ‘Lime’ or a ‘Get Together’ which means a party that is a meeting together of family or friends when the focus is the food, old stories ruminated and blended with the new, with or without decorations.

On these occasions one would expect some of the staple favourites as follows: (aka Pease and rice in the rest of the West Indies)

(interpreted in a

Guyanese fashion) Roti ( or dhal –puri) and Curry: this could be fish, chicken, duck, mutton or even ‘bush meat’ back in the days when one was less conscious of the impact of depleting the earth’s stock of wild animals.

Or this could be Crab Curry which sends all of the recipients in raptures of delight with much sucking, bone whistling and cracking of bones/ shells, a bit in the manner of way some of the Spanish do. This curry starts with the raw crab that is cleaned, back shell removed, seasoned, marinated and cooked in a coconut curry stock. Source (its various parts of the pig including the skin, in a lime, vinegar and spring onion and other herbs bath) Guyanese are noted for honouring the whole animal and will generally eat most of it which can’t be a bad thing for the environment. Roast or pot roast pork (or even chicken) Chow Mein, vegetable or other Macaroni Cheese Pastries- namely cheese straws, cheese rolls, patties or various tarts A variety of salads: fruit or vegetables or a mix. An assortment of sides such as Fish cakes, Cassava or Potato balls, bajies and pakoras and vegetable chips (which are in fact crisps.)

There would also be the ubiquitous plain sponge cake, Pone (a gluten-free vegetable cake- delicious and seriously addictive!) Sometimes a few sandwiches for although this would have been very easy to prepare, for a picnic, but hardly ever at a Lime. To think that a long time ago one used to have these served at weddings and tea parties but not anymore. And to drink? A variety of fruit drinks, including, sorrel, ginger beer, lime drink or Swank, rum either neatly drunk, chased or rather ‘mixed to you’, with coke or soda or made into a fruity punch/cocktail with the famous Demerara Rum! Have heard folk retort that you should only add water or a bit of ice so that you can enjoy this smooth drink especially if it were an eight, twelve or twenty-five year old. This is cured in oak casts for those years after brewing.

As I have already said, I am very blessed in my family to be surrounded by some amazing home cooks, some of whom have had some formal training but mostly invested love and care into the range of available local ingredients. I have had to edit my selection of recipes but I could earn some serious objections from some folk but I had to keep it practical especially when our conditions right now are somewhat restrictive due to the pandemic and the weather.

( Do read these, even if you never cook them as it will give you an insight into the love and care for food that these ladies have - Editor)

These feature a compilation of Cook Up Rice, BBQ chicken wings (that were not barbecued but could be), Salads: carrot, cucumber and sweet potato, ripe plantain, mango fool, and a bonus rum and something! The coconut buns and sandwiches although tested for this article may now be presented in a future edition.

COOK UP RICE

INGREDIENTS 1 cup of rice 1 can of Gunga peas 1 and a ½ cups of water ( or vegetable or meat stock. Or you might make your own coconut milk) ½ can of coconut cream (Omit if you have made your own fresh coconut milk) A handful of fresh, or a bit more if dried, thyme A few sprigs of fresh oregano of Greek Basil (or a tablespoon of dried) A vegetable stock cube One tablespoon of vegetable oil Salt to taste, or maybe not Pinch of fresh or dried chillies ( I actually used a wir-iwiri pepper that is particular to Guyana from a specialist grower here in the UK.) A garnish of chopped fresh parsley and spring onion.

Optional: dried or preserved shrimp (smoked shrimp is available in the UK, diced Pancetta, ham or salt beef, or cured pork.

It would be a glorious Cook up Rice if you were able to add all of these.) One fresh chopped onion too, if you did not have to worry about longer serving times.

METHOD 1) In an appropriately sized pan, gently, sauté the herbs and onion, add the meats if you are using, add your stock/coconut milk/ cream and bring all to a simmer. Reserve a quarter of your liquid for adding it later or omitting it altogether. 2) Add your washed rice to the pan, stir and leave to gently cook after about fifteen minutes with the lid on. 3) Check your rice grain and if it is nearly done, turn off the heat and replace the lid. If your rice is still grainy when you test it, either by eating or pressing between two fingers then add the remaining liquid, reduce the heat further until all of the liquid is absorbed. Do note that Basmati or long grain rice will work with these quantities but you might have to adjust for time and quantity of liquid for other kinds of rice especially Brown rice.

4) Add your garnish as you serve or once you have taken the rice off the heat to serve.

This is quite an easy rice to do whether or not you are using all of the meat options or even adding fresh chicken or beef. Also, you can use simply any pease including fresh or frozen garden green peas.

INGREDIENTS 2 packets of chicken wings or 500 grams A few sprigs of fresh thyme 15-20 or two tablespoons 2 blades of spring onion, chopped 1 shallot, chopped One onion, chopped 2 sprigs of parsley, chopped 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped 2 cloaves of garlic 100 ml tomato ketchup ½ teaspoon each of mixed spice, grated nutmeg, ground cloves, paprika, black pepper, fennel seeds ½ teaspoon Worchester sauce 1 tablespoon mustard 1 spoon of sticky brown sugar (or a tablespoon of molasses) A slice or two or three of chilli pepper or not at all 2 slices of pineapple or a tablespoon of pineapple jam 1 inch of fresh ginger The grated rind of one lemon, one orange and one lime plus the juice of the lemon and 2 limes, separated into containers 1 tablespoon white vinegar

2 tablespoons of fine Demerara Rum or other (be more generous according to your own taste)

METHOD 1) Lime or ‘wash’ your chicken! ‘Clean’ or prep your chicken in the following way. Put the wings in a bowl and check for any feathers and remove them. 2) Squeeze one lime over your chicken as well as the white vinegar and a pinch of salt.

Leave this covered for a good 10 mins or more, then rinse off after adding a splash of water. This will help it to be more flavourful as the acid would have helped to break down the protein in the meat thus making it more receptive to the flavours that you will add.

Your chicken is now ready for it’s all-important marinade.

Marinating your chicken Marinate the chicken in the BBQ Sauce. Pour the majority of your sauce over your chicken, add a generous pinch of salt then leave it marinating for a few hours. Or if you want to keep it true and can spare the time, keep this covered and marinating in the fridge overnight.

MAKE YOUR BBQ SAUCE Blend together all of the other ingredients in a food processor except the rum and reserved the lime juices and the salt. Put your mixture in a saucepan and simmer slowly for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure that it does not stick. Once cooled pour your sauce through a sieve Now add the rum, salt, lime and your marinade is now ready!

COOKING YOUR CHICKEN Heat the oven to 180 degrees or get the BBQ ready!

Lay your well-marinated chicken on a shallow baking tray, cover with foil and place in a hot oven. Bake for the first 15 minutes before turning to oven down to 160 degrees, remove the cover, turn over your chicken pieces and cook for another 10 minutes. Add another pinch of salt or more to your reserved sauce and pour over the chicken and return it to the oven to bake for a further 10 minutes or less.

If you were otherwise inclined to cook this on the barbeque from raw, I would recommend 15 mins on a moderate heat, brush with the sauce, turn over all of the pieces, then, brush the cooked side again for a further 15 minutes. Some folk have also put a wrap of foil once you have turned it over to cook after the first 15 minutes and the brushing. You can also brush your chicken on the other side with the sauce. Place all of your wings in a collection of foil parcels and leave to keep warm on a warming shelf until you are ready to serve or not.

This chicken is equally enjoyable cold at room or outdoor temperature. Enjoy this finger-licking chicken with a dash of pepper sauce (a Guyanese staple) if you are longing for more heat and fire! This recipe would work well for other cuts of chicken, beef or lamb, minor adjustments to spices could include star aniseed and more mustard for the pork. As always, adjust the salt/ pepper and spices to suit your own taste; don’t be afraid to experiment as you might just surprise yourself.

CARROT SALAD

INGREDIENTS 2 grated salad large carrots 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce 200 grams of dried raisins/ currants (this can be replaced by dried, diced papaya) A small clove of garlic, grated ½ of an orange squeezed A handful of freshly chopped parsley (and or celery if you wish) A grate of black pepper.

METHOD Simply combine all of your ingredients in a bowl and it's ready to serve!

CUCUMBER SALAD

INGREDIENTS 1 large cucumber, washed and scored lengthwise with a fork, then sliced thinly 1 stalk of finely chopped spring onion 2 stalks of parsley finely chopped The juice of 1-2 limes 2 pinches of salt 1 pinch of black pepper

METHOD Toss your sliced cucumber with the herbs and then add the lime juice. Only sprinkle the slat when you are nearly ready to serve as your cucumber will lose its crispness.

There was such joy recreating this simply delicious salad. Sometimes when we made this as youngsters and we simply called it ‘ Boil and Fry’. And this could be done with other root vegetables too.

INGREDIENTS 225 grams of sweet potato 1 small/ medium red onion, sliced 1 pointy sweet red pepper, sliced 1 fat clove of garlic, crushed or grated A pinch each of paprika, salt and black pepper ½ teaspoon of fennel, ground 3 sprigs of parsley 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

METHOD Peel the sweet potato, wash under cold water, and place in a pan of boiling water Cook for about 10 minutes and the drain Saute the onion, in a pan heated with the vegetable oil, add the garlic then half of the spring onion, the ground fennel and the paprika. Turn off the heat and add the remaining spring onions, sliced pepper, pepper and salt. Toss the totally drained potatoes in your sautéed spices. Place the potatoes on a serving plate or bowl and top with the chopped parsley.

INGREDIENTS

1 ripe or better still overripe plantain, large 100 grams, approx, of vegetable oil for frying less if you are going to bake it or cook it on the barbecue

METHOD Peel your plantain by cutting it lengthwise, it requires more effort than if you were going to score it. If the plantain is very ripe then it will require less effort to peel though not quite like a banana would. Slice your plantain in half or thirds then slice each portion lengthwise into 4 or 5 pieces. Heat the pan on a medium heat and add the plantain before the oil overheats. A large pan may allow you to do it all in one go. Once they are beginning to brown, turn over each one and cook on the otherwise in the same way. Once done, remove your cooked plantains to a plate with some kitchen paper to drain. Alternatively, if you are baking this in the oven then you can just drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil onto the plantain and massage this so all is coated. Bake in the oven for 10 mins at moderate heat. Turnover and cook for a further 6-8 mins.

It all depends on the size of your plantain originally and the thickness of your cut. Some folk prefer to cut up their plantain in slices instead, like little discs. To cook on the barbeque: cut the plantain open as before, from top to bottom. Roast your plantain on the naked heat until the skin is blacked. Keep turning over your plantain until all of it has been blackened and the thick skin is now soft. Be careful as this is very hot. Remove from the heat to cool then release from the skin and it is ready to be sliced or chopped to be served. This is simply sweet and smoky and very unlike a ripe banana in taste. One can always add pinches of paprika, powdered garlic, black pepper and a knob of butter if you wish.

MANGO FOOL

Now anyone who knows me really well will be very surprised that I am even writing the recipe. I simply love mangoes but am also usually quite finicky about what ones I buy as there is nothing like a sweet, juicy, ripe mango, eaten by the hand (or the disappointment of stumbling upon one that does not meet this standard.) These mangoes I’d rather not mess with. I felt that I needed to include this as Guyanese tend to do so little with the bountiful array of fresh fruits. And yet a fruit salad is seemingly not good enough if one was not able to add a can of imported mixed fruit. How misguided!

INGREDIENTS 1 large ripe mango 1 orange, juiced (and the rind grated) 1 pinch of nutmeg 150 ml of full cream milk (in Guyana this would have been evaporated milk) 1-2 tablespoon(s) of Demerara sugar 1 pinch of cinnamon 1 few drops of vanilla essence 1 spoon of custard powder 1 egg yolk A generous pinch of coconut sugar

METHOD

Wash, peel and slice the mango Place in a blender with the juice of the orange and a pinch of the rind Set this aside, in the fridge

Now make the custard Heat most of the milk in a saucepan, gently Add the cinnamon and nutmeg Combine the custard powder with the reserved cold milk and add this to the heated milk Stir continuously until it begins to thicken and coat your spoon

In a bowl combine the egg yolk, sugar, essence the remainder of the spices and the orange rind

Remove the custard from the heat and pour a little of the cooling custard mixture onto the beaten egg. Now add this to the custard pan and put it back on a very low heat, stirring continuously. Once it is thick enough to almost set, remove it from the heat and let it cool down. Add a cling film to the top to prevent it from getting a skin.

TO SERVE

Get your two serving glasses ready: put two spoons of the mango into your glass, then pour on the cooling custard. Add another layer of mango and garnish with a thin mango slice or shard. Return to the fridge until this is ready to be served. Dust with a pinch of the coconut sugar to serve.

I could have easily replaced the custard with a creamy yoghurt or whipped cream but chose not to as but as neither of those ingredients is easily available in Guyana. As a child, I remember us having the old sterilised canned cream. This recipe would have also used condensed milk, as well as evaporated milk as those, continue to be more readily available than nice, wholesome, fresh milk. This is disappointing, really, for a country so rich in land and lush, fertile grass the people who keep cows for commercial purposes are few, particularly on the flat coastal plains where the majority of the population reside.

ELDORADO GOLD!

The drink that brings the heat of sunshine and sweetness of spice in your mouth and fire in your belly. Pour one part of your bronze gold Eldorado in a glass Add some cubes of ice A little splash of water Sit back and sip, slowly!

And if the water is simply not enough, just add a couple of tablespoons of coconut, cokes or tonic water.

In fact, this could have been watermelon, lime mango or pineapple juice if you are more inclined to mellow/ temper your spirits with a sweeter taste, quite like a daiquiri. Choose a garnish: a slice of lime, orange, pineapple or chunk of watermelon.

Enjoy

With special thanks to my sisters for sharing with me their experience and knowledge.