Grace spices up Soup Week

Dave Rodney, Contributor

To chase away the blues from one of the coldest winters in New York City, a number of restaurants are enthusiastically celebrating Grace Soup Week. The week is designed to put focus on the mouth-watering aromas showcased in the line of soul-warming Grace soups.

The soups include cock soup, pumpkin soup, vegetable soup, manish water, fish tea, and a new low-sodium line. The soups can be enjoyed as is, or as a base for preparing a hearty, full-bodied soup meal with other ingredients, or even as that magical ingredient for your favourite, red snapper. Here are two recipes from popular restaurants created by accomplished Jamaican chefs in the New York area.

Da Kitchen Café cock soup

Ingredients

◆ 8 cups water

◆ 2 packages of Grace Cock Soup mix

◆ 4-6 medium chicken legs (thighs and drumstick)

◆ 3 cups diced calabaza pumpkin or butternut squash

◆ 4 carrots, chopped (1-inch piece)

◆ 4 stalks celery, chopped (1-inch pieces)

◆ 2 cho cho (chayote), peeled and sliced

1lb yellow yam, cut into small cubes

◆ 2 large potatoes diced

◆ 1/2 cup each red and green bell peppers, chopped

◆ 2 large onion, chopped

◆ 4 cloves garlic, chopped

◆ 1 one-inch fresh peeled ginger (cut in match stick strips)

◆ 2 tsp sea salt to taste

◆ 6 pimento berries (allspice)

◆ 1/2tsp black pepper

◆ 4 sprig thyme

◆ 1 Scotch bonnet pepper or Grace Scotch bonnet pepper sauce

◆ Cilantro leaves ◆ Dumplings -1 cup flour 1/3 cup water pinch of salt Mix together to make stiff dough. Form into 7 to 8 flat, round dumplings.

Method

1. Bring water to a boil and add chicken and diced pumpkin.

2. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is very soft and dissolving.

3. Add celery, onion, ginger, carrot, potato, cho-cho and cook for five minutes.

4. Remove chicken and set aside.

5. Add yellow yam and dumplings and cook for 15 minutes.

6. Add bell peppers, scallion and Cock Soup Mix to pot.

7. Add salt to taste, pepper, and thyme.

8. Place whole Scotch bonnet pepper on top of soup, cover and cook for five minutes or add Grace scotch bonnet pepper sauce to taste.

9. Remove Scotch bonnet pepper and thyme.

10. Stir in chicken meat and simmer for five mins, turn off stove serve, and garnish with cilantro leaves.

- Courtesy of Chef Alton Henry

The ultimate grill steamed snapper Chef: Paul Brown

Ingredients

◆ 1 packet Grace Cock Soup

◆ 1 whole red snapper (1lb )

◆ 1 stalk scallions

◆ 2 stems fresh thyme

◆ 6oz pumpkin

◆ Half cup of carrots

◆ 1tbs chopped garlic

◆ 6 whole okras

◆ 1tsp chopped Scotch bonnet pepper

◆ 3tbs olive oil

◆ 2 cups water

Method

1. Sautée freshly chopped garlic in olive oil.

2. Add carrots, pumpkin, onions, thyme and Scotch bonnet and bell peppers and carrots, and continue to sautée for a minute.

3. Add Grace Cock Soup to a cup of water and stir until dissolved.

4. Add mix to pot then put fish in pot, cover and steam for 20 minutes.

5. Add fresh okra 5 minutes before completion. Garnish with parsley and lemon if desired and serve.