Island Cooking : The Fantasy

There were no swaying coconut palms and warm trade wind breezes, blue waters and sun-drenched sands. But vividly colored ginger blossoms and leis flown in from Hawaii, exotic island fruits and giant banana leaves made it easy to get a vision of paradise and experience a taste of islands right at the JW Marriott in Century City.

Gathering ideas from other JW Marriott chefs in Bermuda, Barbados and Hawaii, executive chef Cliff Delorey staged an “Island Cuisine” celebration. The event was co-sponsored by Fetzer Vineyards.

Often associated with the islands, exotic tropical fruits are starting to find their way into many major kitchens. Here the chef has used the most commonly available varieties of fruit in his wonderful appetizer, a blend of mock shrimp ceviche and salsa.

CARIBBEAN TOSTADAS

1/4 cup finely diced peeled papaya

1/4 cup finely diced peeled mango

1/4 cup finely diced peeled kiwi

1/4 cup finely diced peeled pineapple

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons finely diced seeded tomato

2 tablespoons finely diced peeled avocado

2 tablespoons finely diced red onion

7 ounces bay shrimp

3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons water

Salt, pepper

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped

1 dozen (12-inch) flour tortillas

Oil

Thin avocado wedges

Save all juices from dicing papaya, mango, kiwi and pineapple. Mix fruits and juices in bowl.

In another bowl combine lemon juice, tomato, avocado, red onion, bay shrimp, olive oil, sugar and water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate both mixtures until ready to assemble.

Cut 1 1/2-inch rounds from tortillas. Fry in 1-inch oil until golden brown. Place on baking tray and crisp-dry in 350-degree oven 1 minute. Cool.

Just before serving combine fruits with shrimp mixture. Stir in cilantro. Using slotted spoon, spoon small portion into each tostada round. Garnish with thin avocado wedge, if desired. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Could anything be prettier than this bubbly fruit cooler? Its bold red tones are enhanced with a little hint of grenadine.

WATERMELON COOLER

1 cup pureed watermelon pulp

Crushed ice

Splash grenadine syrup

Spritz seltzer water

Watermelon wedge

Strain watermelon. Place in tall stemmed glass with ice. Add grenadine for color. Spritz with seltzer for bubbles. Garnish with small slice watermelon. Makes 1 serving.

The pairing of golden-fried, fine-julienned leek and broiled lobster was truly memorable--yet simple to recreate. Precise timing in the frying of the leek is necessary to avoid the overbrowning that would add bitterness.

BROILED LOBSTER WITH FRIED LEEKS

1 (2-inch) piece leek, white part only

Oil for deep frying

1 live lobster, cut in half

1 tablespoon rum

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Cut leek lengthwise into very fine julienne strips. Heat oil to 325 degrees in deep-fryer. Fry leek strips just until golden, about 45 to 60 seconds. (Do not overcook, strips will be bitter.) Drain on paper towels.

Broil lobster halves, meat side up, about 8 minutes. Brush with mixture of rum and butter. Serve with hot fried leeks. Makes 1 serving.

Christopher Columbus called it the “fruit of the angels”; papaya not only enhances the taste of this baked chicken, but with the addition of raspberries, contributes liveliness and color.

BAKED CHICKEN WITH HONEY-NUTMEG GLAZE AND PAPAYA

3/4 cup honey

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

7 tablespoons butter

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1 papaya, peeled and seeded

1 tablespoon oil

6 boneless chicken breasts, cut in halves

Raspberries

Combine honey, lime juice, 6 tablespoons butter and nutmeg in saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring occasionally to blend.

Dice 3/4 of papaya and slice remaining into thin wedges. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter and oil in skillet. Sear chicken breasts, skin side down, until golden brown. Place in large baking dish and bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes. Cover with honey glaze and diced papaya. Continue baking until chicken is tender, about 10 minutes longer.

Serve chicken hot with glaze and diced papaya. Garnish with sliced papaya and raspberries. Makes 6 servings.

Delorey recommends serving the tangy-sweet rum-grilled lamb with potato and plantain roesti. It’s made of shredded sweet and white potatoes pressed over a layer of sliced plantains and fried to a golden hash.

RUM-GLAZED LAMB CHOPS

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup molasses

2 cups lamb or beef stock

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup dark rum

6 to 8 lamb chops

Combine soy sauce, cider vinegar, molasses, stock, dry mustard, garlic and dark rum in large shallow dish. Add lamb chops, turning to coat other side.

Let stand about 1 hour in refrigerator to marinate.

Broil or grill over hot coals to desired tenderness, occasionally brushing with marinade. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

There were mixed reactions to the flavor of this concoction. You either love it or you don’t. Most tasters appreciated the cinnamon and nutmeg on the cantaloupe--but the shrimp was a different matter. Delorey’s advice was to eat shrimp and melon together in one bite; that did produce a more agreeable taste sensation. Some of us agreed.

GRILLED SHRIMP AND CANTALOUPE

20 large shrimp (16 to 20 count)

1 cantaloupe, halved and seeded

Marinade

2 limes

Peel shrimp, leaving tails on, then devein. Cut cantaloupe into 1/2-inch thick wedges, leaving rind on. Combine shrimp and cantaloupe with Marinade 1 hour.

Skewer shrimp, if desired, and broil or grill over hot coals until shrimp turns pink. At same time grill cantaloupe wedges until marked.

Garnish with lime wedges. Makes 4 servings.

Marinade

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 tablespoons lime juice

Salt, pepper

1 clove garlic, minced, optional

Combine olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg and lime juice in bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add garlic.

A tropical trifle with bananas and pineapple sits on a pool of brightly colored mango puree.

CALYPSO CAKE

3 ripe mangoes or papayas

Sugar

1 recipe or store-bought sponge cake

1 recipe soft vanilla custard sauce or pastry cream

Pineapple slices

Flake coconut, toasted, if desired

Ripe bananas

Apricot preserve

Peel, seed and cut up mangoes. Puree in food processor until smooth. Sweeten to taste with sugar.

Slice sponge cake horizontally 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick. Cut vertically into about 4x3-inch strips.

For each serving, spread 1 strip with some custard. Top with pineapple (sliced to fit strip). Cover with another piece of cake.

Spread all over with custard. Pat flake coconut on sides. Peel and cut off few banana slices to fit top of cake. Glaze thinly with warmed apricot preserve. Chill. Serve on chilled plate and spoon some mango puree around cake. Makes about 8 servings.