Daniel Orr is Executive Chef at Kitchen Stadium, Santorini Restaurant, Famiglia and the Tapas Lounge and Rum Bar at CuisinArt Resort and Spa and is working on A Chef’s Diet Cookbook and Cooking in Paradise.

Caribbean Condiments –
Making every day extraordinary

Daniel Orr

If you don’t use any other recipes in these articles you must use these. They will bring the exotic flavors of the Caribbean to your table with such ease that it may inspire you to incorporate some of the chutneys, salsas, marinades and seasonings into your everyday cooking to add that Creole accent to any of your recipes.

At home I’m like you. A simple piece of grilled or sautéed fish is about all I have the energy or the time to prepare. If you top that same dish with some pepper relish you’ve got a winner. Toss some chutney into your couscous, some banana catsup onto your cod before you broil it, a piece of seasoned compound butter on your steak or salmon and you’ve made it a memorable meal. As Emeril says, “Bam!!!! Kick it up a notch!”

Condiments in all cultures make cooking tasty, easy and fun. Thai fish sauce, French mustard, English horseradish, Japanese wasabi and American cheese whiz are all culinary icons in their homelands and abroad. The Caribbean condiments that follow celebrate my joy in discovering the multi-ethnic background of the islands. Chili sauces, Indian chutneys, inspired compound butters, spice rubs, vinaigrettes and sauces have changed my way of cooking, and I hope they will enliven yours.

I encourage everyone to be creative. In my classes I preach that recipes are only guildlines and must never seem restrictive, or cooking becomes a chore. Use recipes as chefs use recipes, for inspiration. The more fun you have in the kitchen the more time you’ll spend in the kitchen and the better cook you’ll become. Cooking is not brain surgery – with basic sanitation you’ll probably never kill anyone. So what if it isn’t perfect – I’m sure it is perfectly good. If it turns out a little too salty or spicy toss it with some plain pasta or white rice and it’ll be fine. No one will know the difference and you’ll have learned a new trick.

Pickled Pepper Relish
Good with chilled chicken, pork or salmon. I even love it on hot dogs and burgers!

Yield: 2 pints
3 red peppers
3 yellow peppers
3 red onions
3 Holland red hots
3 jalapeños
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup superfine sugar
2 tablespoons Kitchen D’Orr Aux Poivres Spice Blend (www.chef-daniel-orr.com) or cracked black peppercorns
salt to taste

Cut sweet peppers and onions into chunks. Thinly slice the hot peppers. Combine with remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook until peppers and onions are tender, and strain. Reduce the liquids until syrupy. Combine the strained liquids and the onion/pepper mixture and cool. May be finished with roughly chopped cilantro when cold.

Papaya Banana Catsup
Use as you would use regular catsup, but is it also wonderful as a sauce for fish, chicken or pork or as a dip for fried foods. I put it in small soda bottles with screw tops and give it away to friends and family as gifts.

Yield: 1 quart
2 ripe bananas, peeled and cut into 1” sections
2 large ripe papayas, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1” cubes
2 Spanish onions, cut into large dice
5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 yellow pepper, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup white vinegar
4 seasoning peppers, chopped
1 hot chile, chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 lemon, zest and juice

Put all ingredients in a pot. Boil for 10 to15 minutes or until very tender.

Cool and blend until very smooth.

I’d love to hear from you. I am collecting recipes and stories for future articles and books and would love to include your favorite family recipes and food memories from the kitchen, the garden or the sea. You can reach me at dorr@cuisinart.comor stop me on the road if you see the CuisinArt Chef Mobile.

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