Turmeric Fried Fish

• 3 King Fish steaks, bone‐in
• 2 Tbsp ground Turmeric
• Kosher Salt and cracked Black Pepper
• Vegetable Oil or Ghee for shallow frying
• Thai Red Chilies, handful
• 1 bunch Basil, fresh
• 1 Seedless Cucumber, sliced as demonstrated

Using paper towels, pat king fish well to ensure that the flesh is dry. Season with salt and pepper, and

evenly sprinkle both sides of each steak with turmeric.

In a cast iron skillet large enough to fit all 3 steaks, preheat to medium‐high heat with one inch of oil

before adding the king fish steaks. Without turning, fry on one side until a golden crust forms on the

flesh. Then, flip and do the same on the other side while allowing the steaks to cook through;

approximately 3 minutes on each side.

Spiced Pumpkin

• 3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil or Ghee
• 3 Thai Green Chilies, chopped
• 2 Shallots, diced
• 3 Cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 cups Pumpkin, seeds removed, peeled and cubed
• 1/4 tsp ground Cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground Turmeric
• 1/4 tsp ground Coriander
• 1/2 tsp Curry powder
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Stock or water, plus more as needed
• 1 cup Spinach, chopped into 1cm ribbons
• 1 Tomato, seedless and chopped into small dice
• Kosher Salt and cracked Black Pepper to taste
• 1 bunch Purple Basil

On medium heat using a cast iron pan, sauté the shallot, garlic and 1 green chili in the oil until golden.

Add the pumpkin cubes and spices then sauté for 30 seconds before adding enough vegetable stock or

water to come halfway up the height of the pumpkin.

Reduce heat so that the liquid gently simmers and continue this until the liquid is almost completely

reduced. Add the remaining liquid as needed until the pumpkin if fully cooked.

One the pumpkin is cooked, remove the sauté pan from the heat and add the spinach. Stir gently until

the spinach is just wilted, being careful not to crush the pumpkin. Add the chopped tomato and stir

gently to incorporate into the pumpkin mixture.

To serve, garnish with purple basil and the remaining green chilies, chopped. Serve immediately.

Chili Padi Sauce

• 1/4 Cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce or Tamari
• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbsp chopped red Thai (Bird’s Eye) Chili
• 1 Tbsp chopped green Thai (Bird’s Eye) Chili

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients well, making sure sugar is fully dissolved. Set aside.

Chive Funnel Cakes

• 1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Tbsp White Sugar
• 2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 Egg
• 1 Cup Milk
• 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
• 1/4 Cup finely chopped Chives
• 3 Tbsp Kewpie (Japanese-style) Mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp toasted Sesame Seeds
• Additional chopped chives for garnish, optional
• Vegetable Oil for frying

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. To the dry ingredients, add egg, milk and melted butter. Whisk until just combined and mixture is free of any lumps. Fold in chopped chives.

Open a large resealable freezer bag, and fold the edges over a large mug or liquid measuring cup. Pour the chive batter into the bag and seal the top. Prepare a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towel.

Bring a medium pot no more than one-third full of vegetable oil up to 350º F. Snip a very small corner of the freezer bag to form a piping bag and very carefully but quickly pipe small snack sized fritters into the hot oil. Aim for about 2 x 4 inches per mini funnel cake. (Tip: The batter will want to dance across the oil – to get a consistent sized shape, try piping one short line, and wait for it to rise up to the surface. Then pipe small criss-cross squiggles over that first line to form a little “raft”.) Fry until light golden brown on both sides, using a slotted spoon to flip over as needed. Use the slotted spoon to transfer each funnel cake to your prepared baking sheet. While still warm, very lightly season the funnel cakes with kosher salt.

To serve, transfer freshly fried funnel cakes to serving platter, and lightly drizzle over with a nice even squeeze of kewpie mayo. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the mayo and garnish with additional chopped chives if desired. Serve hot with Chili Padi Sauce for dipping.

• 12 Jumbo Shrimp (16/20 size), peeled, tail-on (about 12 oz)
• 1 Tsp finely chopped Garlic
• 1 Tsp finely chopped Shallot
• 1 Tsp fresh Lemon Zest
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Coriander
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 cored Pineapple, sliced into 6 spears
• 2 Tbsp store bought Chili Oil
• 1/4 Tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/4 C Coconut Milk
• 1 Tsp Honey
• Fresh Mint Leaves, for garnish
• Fresh Basil Leaves, for garnish

Preheat BBQ to medium high heat.

Pat shrimp dry and place in a medium bowl. Add garlic, shallot, lemon zest, ground coriander, pinch of kosher salt and olive oil, and very gently toss to combine. Let stand for at least 15 minutes, refrigerated, to marinate. Using a pair of metal skewers, thread shrimp on both tail and “head” side, leaving about half inch of space in between each shrimp. You will end up with a total of two sets of skewered shrimp (6 per pair of skewers).

Place pineapple spears on a large plate and drizzle over chili oil. Gently flip the spears around to thinly and evenly coat the pineapple all over with the oil.

Place the seasoned pineapple spears directly on the grill, cooking about 3-4 minutes per side (without moving the spears too much) to get nicely caramelized grill marks. Transfer to a large serving platter and finish seasoning with a touch of salt.

Place skewered shrimp onto grill and cook over direct heat until they appear pink and just firm at the thickest part, about 2-3 minutes per side (they will continue to cook slightly as they cool, so try not to leave them on the grill too long!). Remove from heat and carefully remove shrimp from hot skewers. Arrange shrimp over the grilled pineapple.

In a small bowl, mix the coconut milk and honey until the honey is fully dissolved into coconut milk. Drizzle the mixture over and around the shrimp and pineapple. Garnish with fresh mint and basil leaves and serve right away.

Curry Chicken

• 3/4 C fresh Cilantro
• 1/2 C fresh Parsley
• 3 Garlic cloves
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/4 C Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 Tsp freshly ground Black Peppercorn
• 6 skinless, bone-in Chicken Thighs (about 2.5 lb /1.2 kg), each thigh cut into 3 pieces
• 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• 1 cooking Onion, chopped
• 6 Garlic cloves, smashed
• 3 Tbsp mild Curry Powder (Lalah’s brand recommended)
• 2 C low-sodium Chicken Stock
• 2 1/2 C peeled and diced White Potato (about 1 large)
• 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• Kosher Salt to taste

In a food processor, combine cilantro, parsley, garlic, Worcestershire, oil, salt and pepper. Pulse until mixture is a fragrant paste; there should still be very small pieces of herbs visible. Evenly coat chicken thighs with marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, ideally overnight for best flavour.

In a large pot, bring coconut oil to medium high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until very dark golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Add curry powder and cook out for a minute, then add chicken pieces, including the marinade. Let moisture from the marinade cook out slightly, allowing the chicken to sear, about 3-4 minutes each side. Add chicken stock, gently scraping bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to lift up any delicious browned bits. Bring mixture up to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes before adding in diced potatoes. Return to a simmer for another 15 minutes, then add chickpeas, stir and simmer uncovered for a final 20 minutes. To thicken up the curry slightly, smash a few of the chickpeas and potatoes with a fork against the side of the pot and fold back into the sauce. Simmer a few minutes longer to let it all come together. Check seasoning, adding salt to taste. Keep warm for roti assembly.

For Roti Assembly & Serving

• Wax Paper
• Dhal Puri roti skins*
• Curry Chicken, above
• Hot Sauce to taste (Yellow Caribbean-style Scotch Bonnet sauce recommended)
• Paper Bags

Time to assemble! For each serving, place a roti skin on top of an equal-sized square of wax paper. Scoop a generous amount of curry chicken (about 3 pieces of chicken, with an even amount of potatoes, chickpeas and sauce) onto the centre of the roti skin. Season with hot sauce to taste.

Next, fold over the left side of the circle, like wrapping a present, then the right, followed by the top and bottom edges, forming a squat, firmly packed rectangle. Confidently flip your filled roti, seam-side down on the wax paper. Roll the paper up firmly, folding the open ends in to seal. Place the whole package into a paper bag. You’re all set to enjoy a taste of Trinidad!

*Thin Caribbean flatbread filled with seasoned ground split peas. Look for in West Indian grocery shops.