Jamaican Christmas dinner

Will you be making Christmas dinner for the first time this year? Here are the recipes for some of the items on the menu for the most important meal of the year. Christmas dinner is not complete without sorrel, green gungo peas and rice, roast chicken or turkey, roast beef, honey glazed ham and, of course, Christmas cake!

Sorrel

Ingredients

2lbs sorrel

2-4oz ginger, 2 cinnamon sticks

2 quarts water

sugar to taste

White rum (optional)

A three-inch strip dried orange peel

Itsp pimento grains or cloves

Method:

1. Wash sorrel thoroughly, using the fingers to lift it from the water.

2. Put into stainless steel container.

3. Scrape and wash ginger. Grate and add to the sorrel. Add pimento grains.

4. Boil water and pour over sorrel.

5. Allow to stand 4-6 hours, then strain.

6. Sweeten to taste and add rum to taste.

7. Add optional wine.

8. Serve with ice cubes.

Gungo Peas & Rice Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup gungo peas

1¹/² cups coconut milk

2 cups rice

3 sprigs thyme

2 stalks scallion

3 cloves garlic

1 Scotch bonnet pepper

5-10 pimento seeds

1oz margarine

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash gungo peas and drain.

2. Place gungo and garlic in a large pot then cover with water. Bring to boil until tender, topping up water as necessary.

3. Add coconut milk, thyme, scallion, pimento seeds, garlic, salt and let boil for about five minutes.

4. Add rice, margarine and whole pepper, cover pot, reduce heat and let rice simmer slowly for about 25-30 minutes.

5. Do not open or stir rice during this process or it will become sticky.

6. Serve hot.