Jamaica Pegasus Hotel Executive Chef Mark Cole

Recipe for Jamaica Food & Drink Festival

Crispy Fried Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

3 oz pork tenderloin

3 tbsps jerk seasoning

1/2 cup flour (for dredging)

1/2 cup cornstarch (for dredging)

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Salt & black pepper to taste

Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients:

2 cups Balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons honey

1/8 cup cornstarch

1/8 cup water

To Serve

1/2 tsp sorrel chutney

1 oz mixed lettuce (shredded)

1/2 tomato (diced)

1/2 onion (finely chopped)

Method:

On medium to low heat, in a saucepan, simmer the balsamic vinegar until reduced by half. Add honey to taste.

Mix together a slurry of cornstarch and water, and thicken the vinegar until desired consistency is reached.

Cut the pork tenderloin into 1″ segments.

Using a mallet or similar device, pound the pieces vertically until flat, about 1/8″ thick.

Season with salt and pepper and marinate with jerk seasoning for about 3 hours.

Mix the cornstarch and flour together, and whip the egg and milk together. Shake the excess seasoning off the pork, and dredge with the flour mixture. Coat in egg wash and breadcrumbs.

Pan fry in shortening at 350ºC until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain, and serve with sorrel chutney, salad, and balsamic reduction.

Mac ‘n’ Cheese Balls

Ingredients:

1 cup macaroni (before cooking)

1 onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

2 cups milk

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup Cheddar cheese (grated)

1/4 cup Pepper Jack cheese (grated)

For breading

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1 tbsp pepper flakes

Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup Cheddar cheese

1/2 onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 tbsp jerk seasoning

Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

In a medium pot, boil salted water to a rolling boil, and add 2 tbsps of oil. Add pasta to pot, and cook until al dente. Drain, cool under running water, add some more oil to the pasta, and set aside.

In a small pot, sauté onions and garlic in a small amount of butter for about 1 minute. Add remaining butter, and whisk in flour. Stir until the roux begins to brown.

Add milk to the pot and whisk until mixture is smooth. Let it simmer for 10 minutes, and season with salt and pepper.

Whisk in the cheeses until the mixture is smooth. Adjust seasoning as necessary, and stir in the cooked macaroni. Set aside and let cool.

In a small sauce pan, sauté onions and garlic for about one minute, then add heavy cream. Let simmer for 1 minute, then whisk in cheddar cheese and jerk seasoning. Season to taste and set aside.

In a food processor, lightly pulse the mixture a few times, and then pour mixture into a bowl. In your hands, take a small amount of the mixture and roll it into 1 1/2″ balls.

Dredge each ball in the flour, coat in egg wash, and then coat with breadcrumbs.

Pan fry in shortening at 350ºC until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain, and serve with jerk cheese sauce.

Pepper Flake Crusted Salmon

Ingredients:

3 oz salmon (cubed)

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

2 stalks escallion

1 tbsp thyme leaves (chopped)

1 cup White Wine

1 cup olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

For breading

1 cup flour

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cups Panko breadcrumbs

2 tbsp pepper flakes

Escoveitched Mayo

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 oz carrot

1/2 oz onion

1 Scotch Bonnet pepper (sliced)

Method:

In a small sauce pan, sauté onions, carrots, and Scotch bonnet pepper in cooking oil for about one minute. Add vinegar to pan, let simmer for one minute and set aside to cool.

Remove vegetables from the liquid and blend with mayonnaise in a food processor. Set aside.

In a blender or food processor, blend onion, garlic, scallion, thyme leaves, oil, and white wine to make a marinade.

Season salmon with salt and pepper, and pour the marinade onto the salmon and let marinate for one hour.

Shake the excess seasoning from the salmon, dredge with the flour, coat in egg wash, and coat with breadcrumbs mixture.

Pan fry in shortening at 350ºC until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain, and serve with escoveitched mayo.

Crispy Fried Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

Wet

4 eggs

1 tin condensed milk

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup white rum

1/8 cup vanilla

1 tbsp nutmeg

2 tbsps cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream

Dry

5 slices white bread (cut into 1/2″ cubes)

3 bananas (diced)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Baileys Reduction

2 cups Baileys Irish Cream

Breading

2 cups flour

2 eggs

1 cup milk

2 cups cornflakes (crushed fine)

Method:

In a bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients, and in a separate bowl mix together all the dry ingredients.

Pour the liquid mixture onto the bread mixture and let it soak for 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture into a greased baking tin and bake at 300ºC until the pudding has risen and the top is golden brown, approx 25 minutes.

Remove from oven, set aside to cool.

In a small sauce pot, over medium heat, simmer the Baileys until reduced by half. Transfer to a bowl, set aside to cool.

When the pudding has cooled, cut into 1″ squares, dredge with the flour, coat in egg wash, and coat with cornflakes.

Pan fry in shortening at 350ºC until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain, and serve with Baileys Reduction.