13 Godfrey Lands in Mandeville was the recent venue for Sunday brunch featuring award-winning chefs Débè-Ann Lange-Chen and Jacqui Tyson. The afternoon pours were courtesy of Caribbean Producers Jamaica with Shauntelle Duffus, CPJ corporate sales wine specialist, on hand to describe each note. Guests for the most part heeded the request to wear blue, per the popular soca song Blue by 3 Canal, and arrived eager for what has become a must-attend affair. Ras Katei provided live entertainment showcasing his musical prowess on the flute, guitar, sax, trumpet, and keyboard. His musical styling was further enhanced by adding the soca song Blue by 3 Canal to his repertoire.

The challenge, shared Lange-Chen, was to incorporate the protein on hand to deliver a traditional dish from one’s home country.

First up was salt fish with Chef Débè, who used it in the popular Trini snack Bake & Buljol, while Tyson threw down salt fish fritters; both were paired with Bread & Butter Pinot Noir. The second protein was pigtails from Copperwood, to which Chef Débè added callaloo (dasheen bush) and brined with pumpkin, okra and coconut milk. Tyson, for her part, presented her signature BBQ Pigtail. Complementing the protein with just a bit of edge to offset the salt was the Antinori Santa Christina Giardino.

The final challenge was with Jamaica’s preferred protein, notably The Best Dressed Chicken. For this, Tyson created a traditional Sunday roast chicken with sides of potato croquettes and cauliflower. Lange-Chen, meanwhile, introduced a Trini curry chicken with paratha and pumpkin choka. For these two entrées Duffus used the Placido Chianti out of Italy which had sufficient sweet and bold notes to complement both the curry chicken and the whole roast chicken. Tyson, in her inimitable manner, had a parade of waiters bring out the chickens on platters, placing one to a table and carving each tableside. A lager palate cleanser served in mini 2oz beer steins with a slice of lime certainly readied everyone for the final course: Surf & Turf.

There were melt-in-your-mouth lamb chops from Tyson and sweet, hot, sticky, and fork-flake-perfect perfect salmon from Chef Débè, both served with polenta finished with garlic butter green beans. The Hob Nob Shiraz was apropos, with the right amount of tannins to cut through the fleshy proteins.

Chef Débè’s Blueberry Ice Box Cake and Chef Tyson’s Crêpe Flambé brought Sunday brunch to a formidable close, but not before each guest was gifted with a goodie bag courtesy of Seprod & Eve.