............. CARIBBEAN TODAY FOOD April 2008 1~ - C - Eww.carbbanodagcm Island style: chicken calypso with rice and peas Calypso is the exuberant spirit of the Caribbean. Upbeat, spicy and sweet. This month's Caribbean Today dish, cour- tesy of Publix Apron's Simple Meals, fits the bill precisely. Cooking sequence * Preheat grill * Prepare rice through step three to five minutes * While rice cooks, prepare and grill chicken 15 minutes * Complete rice and chicken; serve 10 minutes Meal time 30 minutes. Serves four. Suiie LIe Ld items sweet plan- tains, bakery Cuban bread, apple pie. Wine suggestion A smooth, medium-bodied wine such as Clos Du Bois Chardonnay, which has fruity flavors of pear, green apple, butter, and toasty oak. CHICKEN CALYPSO Ingredients * 1 3/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs * 1 1/2 teaspoons Complete seasoning * 1/4 teaspoon pepper * olive oil cooking spray * 1/4 cup molasses * 1/4 cup pre-sliced green onions * 3 tablespoons Asian sweet chili sauce * 1 tablespoon cilantro herb paste * 1 lime (for juice; rinsed) Steps 1. Preheat grill. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with sea- soning and pepper; coat with cooking spray. Place on grill (wash hands); close lid (or cover loosely with foil). Cook five to six minutes on each side or until internal tempera- ture reaches 165F. Use a meat thermometer to accu- rately ensure doneness. 2. Combine remaining ingredients, including juice of one-half lime (one table- spoon), in medium bowl. Add chicken, turning to coat even- ly; cover (with foil) and let stand five minutes, turning occasionally, until flavors have blended. Serve chicken with sauce for dipping. ISLAND RICE AND PEAS Ingredients * 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk * 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth * 1/4 cup raisins (optional) * 1 1/2 teaspoons jerk seasoning * 1 (10-ounce) package yellow rice mix * 1 cup frozen green peas Steps 1. Combine coconut milk, chicken broth, raisins, and jerk seasoning in medium saucepan. Cover and bring to boil on high. 2. Stir rice mix into boil- ing mixture. Cover and reduce heat to low; cook 22 to 25 minutes (covered), without stirring, or until most of liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. 3. Stir in peas; cover and cook four to five more min- utes or until peas are heated. Fluff rice with fork and serve. 0 An easy pan roast chicken you all will crave WOLFGANG PUCK ou know a recipe you've cooked is a clas- sic when people remember it and crave it years, or even decades, after they first ate it. What makes a chicken recipe a classic? First, it's the way the chicken is cooked. For roasting, I always like to but- terfly a whole chicken, cutting out its backbone and flattening it. Then, I brown the chicken skin-down in an ovenproof skillet before finishing the cooking in the oven. The result is a beautiful, evenly cooked bird with crispy, golden-brown skin. Then there's the sauce. It's really simple to make, a quick reduction of port wine and chicken broth. Next, the sauce is enriched with a little cream and, finally, the whole-grain mustard (in the style of Meaux, France, available in most food stores) and some Dijon mustard are stirred in at the last minute, naturally thickening the sauce. Just be sure to reduce the heat to low before you add the mustard, so it will blend smoothly and won't form clumps. That's all there is to it. And the result is a roast chick- en that will linger in the mem- ories of the people who eat, and give you the reputation of a wonderful cook capable of creating a kitchen classic. PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH WHOLE-GRAIN MUSTARD AND PORT Ingredients * 1 whole frying chicken, about four pounds * 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil * 1/2 cup port wine * 1/2 cup store-bought organic chicken broth * 1/3 cup heavy cream * 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard * 1 tablespoon Meaux (whole-grain) mustard * Salt * Freshly ground black pepper * 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves * 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves METHOD Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. (200 degrees C). Meanwhile, butterfly the chicken. With poultry shears or a sharp knife, carefully cut along the ribs on both sides of the backbone to remove it. Spread out the chicken, skin up, on a clean work surface and press down firmly with the heel of your hand to flatten the chicken. Over high heat, preheat a heavy ovenproof skillet large enough to hold the flattened chicken. Add the olive oil and swirl it in the skillet. As soon as you begin to see slight wisps of smoke, carefully place the chicken skin side down in the skillet. Sear the chicken, undis- turbed, while reducing the heat little by little to medium, until its skin has turned golden brown and crisp, five to seven minutes. With tongs or a large fork, carefully turn the chicken skin side up. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the chick- en is deep golden brown and the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer, 10 to 15 minutes. When the chicken is done, transfer it to a carving board, and cover with alu- minum foil to keep it warm. Pour off all but a thin layer of fat from the skillet. Add the port, put the skillet over high heat, and boil until the port has reduced by half, about five minutes, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan deposits. Add the broth and continue boiling until the liquid has reduced by half again, about seven minutes. Stir in the cream, bring the liquid back to a boil, and cook for about three minutes. Reduce the heat to low, stir in EASTER FEAST the Dijon and Meaux mus- tards, and adjust the seasonings to taste with salt and pepper. With a heavy knife, cut the chicken into serving pieces. Return the chicken pieces to the skillet, spoon some of the sauce over them, and sprinkle with parsley and tarragon before serving. Serves four. Edited for space. 2008 Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Media Services Inc 0 Miami-Dade Commissioner Dorrin D. Rolle and some of the crowd at Arcola Lakes Park get some food during a fun afternoon at his fifth annual "Easter Egg Bash" last month. Hundreds of children, their parents and guardians were entertained with games, music and a performance by the dance group Royalty.