| The food of
the Caribbean has a far-reaching compass.
PAUL O'CONNELL WAS READY FOR A CULINARY CHALLENGE.
He had mastered fire and heat at Chris Schlesinger's East Coast Grill
and received a taste of the Mediterranean's richness from Todd English
of Olives, both prominent Boston-area restaurants. Later, he opened
his own place, dabbling around and cooking whatever struck his fancy.
So what was next? Given O'Connell's background as a
classically French-trained chef and the fact that "part of the
agreement of taking over the space [for his new concept] was that we
keep it French somehow," the decision as to the cuisine should
have seemed obvious. But with another factor complicating the
equation, O'Connell knew he had to take a bit of a leap.
The new location was just beyond Harvard Law School.
"We wanted to make it hip and young and fun," says
O'Connell.
Gambling that Caribbean food would surge with enough
energy to draw a crowd, he zeroed in on Cuba for inspiration.
"It's turned out to be a massive success," he says of Chez
Henri, a 5-year-old restaurant with a French name and strong Caribbean
character.
In the mid-'90s, contemporary flavors from the
islands began hitting the shores of southern Florida, igniting menus
and spawning Floribbean cuisine. But there was no overwhelming
evidence that the food was strong enough to make a big splash across
the country.
Timing was on Caribbean cuisine's side, though.
Sassy and colorful, it was perfectly positioned to cash in on consumer
demand for big, bold flavors. Today, it is riding a wave of popularity
that many operators predict only will get bigger.
CULTURAL ROOTS
Few cuisines are influenced by as many countries as
is Caribbean. The Latin impact from South and Central America explains
why the island cuisines so often are lumped together with Nuevo Latino
cooking: They share many similar ingredients and dishes. But the food
of the Caribbean, because of geography as well as early history, also
reaches into African, British, Chinese, Dutch, Indian and Spanish
pantries.
Produce, from plantains to the many varieties of
bananas, and from yuca to okra, and spices such as allspice and thyme
are essential to the repertoire. Grilling and braising, common cooking
methods, bring smoke and succulence to preparations. Seafood, chutney,
jerk seasoning and curry as well as chiles, such as Scotch bonnet,
figure prominently.
At North Carolina State University's Fountain Dining
Hall, Caribbean comes into play during popular theme nights. Executive
Chef Jon Bosch marinates fresh red snapper in a mixture of chopped
ginger, garlic, cilantro and papaya juice. It is baked and topped with
fresh mango relish. Johnny Vinczencz, executive chef at Astor Place
Bar & Grill in Miami Beach, Fla., serves Jamaican jerk veal
tenderloin with spinach and callaloo stew, and coconut yuca cakes with
veal demi-glace. The richness of the dish is cut by the accompanying
island fruit in the Scotch-bonnet salsa.
Author/s: Laura Yee
Issue: Sept 15, 2000
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