Island Oasis

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: Laura Yee
Issue: Sept 15, 2000

Souce: findarticle.com