Sugarcane Smoked Chicken excerpted from Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking – 125 Recipes from the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Ocean Islands by Von Diaz. Photography by Lauren Vied Allen.
An intimate reflection on tropical island cooking’s bold flavours and big stories, with 125 recipes, from celebrated food writer Von Diaz.
The islands spanning the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans are remarkable places, sharing dozens of ingredients and cooking techniques, including marinating, pickling and fermentation, braising and stewing, frying, grilling and smoking, and steaming and in-ground roasting. Bold flavours drip from the edges of each dish with tastes that represent stories of resistance, persistence, and wisdom passed down from generation to generation.
This narrative cookbook by writer, documentary producer, and author Von Diaz travels across oceans and nations to uplift the shared ancestral cooking techniques of these islands in more than 125 recipes, including intimate profiles of the historical context of each technique, stories from islanders, and step-by-step guides for recreating them at home.
Recipes include:
- Coco Bread from Jamaica
- Arroz con Jueyes (Stewed Crab Rice) from Puerto Rico
- Masikita (Papaya-Marinated Beef Skewers) from Madagascar
- Bebek Betutu (Roasted Duck in Banana Leaf) from Indonesia
- Lechon Kawali (Crispy Fried Pork Belly) from the Philippines
Bright citrus and vinegars, verdant herbs, slow-cooked and smoky grilled meats, fresh seafood, aromatic rice, and earthy root vegetables: These flavours, found in the meals and recipes across these island nations pair remarkably well together, despite distance and cultural differences. The ingredients and deep-rooted cooking techniques in each of these recipes typify the harmonious, synchronous spirit found in each culture’s unique cuisines. Even amid environmental chaos and food insecurity, islanders cook in ways that are soul nourishing and flavourful.
Islas is about preserving the wisdom, values, and resilience of the people who live in some of the most volatile, vulnerable places on this planet. Each recipe, an archive of strategies for persistence, creativity, and ingenuity, provides a path for cooking delicious food. But above all, these stories and recipes acknowledge that cooking delicious food for others is always a selfless act.
EXPERT AUTHOR AND A LEADING VOICE: Von Diaz is a celebrated author and seasoned food researcher who has dedicated her life to bringing forth unique food stories and the people behind them.
Perfect for:
- Anyone interested in learning more about AAPI cooking and cuisine
- A great hostess gift or self-purchase for those who enjoy entertaining and exploring food cultures around the world
- An educational and practical resource for sustainable cooking enthusiasts
- Special occasion, holiday, or birthday present for foodies and cookbook collectors
- Those who enjoy Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat; Coconut & Sambal; Cook Real Hawai’i; and Ottolenghi cookbooks
Sugarcane Smoked Chicken
Poulet boucané
Sold at roadside stands across Martinique, poulet bucané, or buccaneer chicken, is marinated overnight in a spicy, tangy sauce, then cooked over a smoky open fire. Traditionally it’s set over sugarcane, making use of an ingredient that shaped Caribbean history in complex ways. For this recipe, chicken is spatchcocked and set over pieces of sugarcane inside a grill rack. This tool helps keep the sugarcane close to the chicken and enables you to flip the whole chicken safely to ensure it cooks evenly and gets maximum smoke.
CHICKEN
One 4 lb [1.8 kg] whole chicken, spatchcocked
6 large garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
1 yellow onion, minced
2 or 3 red bird’s eye chiles, stemmed, seeded if desired to mitigate spiciness, and chopped
1 tsp ground allspice
¼ cup [15 g] chopped fresh thyme sprigs
2 Tbsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup [120 ml] fresh lime juice
½ cup [120 ml] white rum
Three 7 in [17 cm] pieces fresh sugarcane (see Tips)
SAUCE CHIEN
2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 small red bird’s eye chile, seeded if desired to mitigate spiciness
1 green onion, white and green parts, minced
1 small shallot, minced
¼ cup [60 ml] fresh lime juice
¼ cup [60 ml] olive oil
¼ cup [60 ml] warm water
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
To make the chicken: Rinse the chicken, remove bone shards if needed, pat the chicken dry with paper towels, and score the chicken breast, thighs, and legs through the skin. Transfer the chicken to an extra-large resealable bag or a container with a lid.
In a medium nonreactive mixing bowl, combine the garlic, green onions, yellow onion, chiles, allspice, thyme, salt, pepper, lime juice, and rum and blend with a fork. Alternatively, grind the marinade ingredients in a food processor.
Pour the marinade over the chicken, then toss well and massage to evenly coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to cook, heat a grill to 450°F [230°C].
Meanwhile, prepare the sugarcane by rinsing, then drying it well. Using a cleaver or other heavy knife (a machete or hatchet will do), cut the sugarcane pieces in half by holding the sugarcane upright on a cutting board, and carefully inserting the center of the knife through the center of the cane. Then, use your other hand to push the blade through, carefully banging your palm down on the top of the knife if needed.
To make the sauce chien: In a 1 pt [475 ml] jar with a lid, combine the parsley, garlic, chile, green onion, shal- lot, lime juice, olive oil, water, salt, and pepper. Tighten the lid and shake vigorously to combine.
Once the grill reaches the desired temperature, place a 10 by 12 in [25 by 30.5 cm] grill basket over a large baking sheet. Lay the sugarcane pieces on the sheet, cut-side up. Carefully transfer the chicken from the marinade to the sugarcane, breast-side up. Close the lid of the basket and secure the latch, using an additional clamp if needed.
Place the basket on the grill and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, turning and basting every 5 to 7 minutes to cook evenly, ensuring you cook off the marinade (see Tips). Remove the basket from the grill and set over a clean rimmed baking sheet. Loosely tent with foil and let rest for 7 to 10 minutes, then remove the chicken from the basket. Transfer it to a cutting board and chop into eight pieces with a sharp cleaver, pouring over any reserved juices from the baking sheet. Serve with sauce chien on the side.
TIPS Sugarcane can be difficult to source. Lemongrass is a good substitute, or you can omit this ingredient altogether.
If the chicken starts to get too dark or burn in places, remove it from the grill basket, place it on a baking sheet, and finish in a 350°F [180°C] oven until the thickest part of the breast has reached 165°F [74°C], likely another 10 to 20 minutes.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Chronicle Books.