Anyway, the fruit here is great - and last week I had a Mango that floored me in its aroma and taste - it was like one of those Mango Drinks with so much sugar added, only it was an actual Mango and I was reminded of this little restaurant in Washington Heights on St. Nicholas Avenue that served the best Jerk Chicken. It was dirty little place - but sometimes I have found, the best food comes from the most unassuming places.

Being a habitat for transplants from the Dominican Republic, Washington heights is notorious for truly authentic Caribbean food - and if you know anything about the Caribbean, fruit is as much a part of a hearty meal as anything. Once used primarily for after dinner, or dessert, fruit has now become a staple at many restaurants across the world for usage in their main dishes.

From cold fruit to be incorporated into salads, to cooked fruit which form the base for sauces and marinades, fruit is now used for almost everything from soup to starter to entrée.

The key thing about using fruit is to know how to use it properly. A soft melon for example is sweet and juicy, but a tad translucent – whereas a harder melon is not as sweet yet the texture is more appealing and aesthetic. So when using raw fruit to accompany cooked items, you want to find a happy medium. What I suggest is going to the shuk and just feeling melons for an hour – smell them, the melons that have a little give to them are excellent. If you want to make a sauce, get a really soft one. If you want to grill them, get a harder one (and marinade in sugar water for 1/2 hour).

The dish I am presenting in today’s blog is an ode to the Mango and a .

This is how they do it in the 'hood - you dont have to make so much, but make it, you will love it.

1 whole chicken cut into 1/8ths

2 onions sautéed long and slow

1 Sweet and Yummy Mango

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp paprika

2 garlic cloves crushed

1 tsp cumin

2 tbsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup mango puree

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup coconut milk (optional)*

1 onion brunoise (fine dice)

1 carrot brunoise (fine dice)

1 celery brunoise (fine dice)

*substitute soy milk if you do not like coconut milk - but trust me, use the coconut milk for this one.

You can also cut down on the Cayenne and black pepper, although I feel this spicy and sweet contrast works really well.

Method

Mix all the ingredients together well (it is important to sauté the onion too before adding to the marinade - it adds a lot of depth to the marinade).

Add the chicken pieces - cover and let sit in the fridge for at least three hours - the longer you let it sit the better. Now, to be a true jerk chicken you need to grill this on a low heat for a long time - but - you can also extract wonderful flavor by sautéing or pan searing the chicken in a very hot pan, your kitchen will get smoky - but it will smell wonderful at the same time - it’s your call.

If you grill it, please watch it and turn regularly - a little love goes a long way to make a wonderful dish.

I take the marinade and make a sauce out of it afterwards, although this is unnecessary - but great for presentation and extra flavor. What you want to do is make a Roux (see I used to Roux the world) and then add the marinade into it and cook until it is a thick sauce - for this much marinade, I guess 2 tbsp of roux will do.

BatayAvon!

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