Panama Food?

Question

This is the first time my wife, is going to be here in the usa for the New Year. I want to fix her a food that they eat on New Years. Do you have something i can fix.

Thank's So much

Answer 1

http://www.tastycooking.com/panama.html

Answer 2

CEVICHE DE CORVINA

1 lb. boneless fish, preferably White Sea Bass (Corvina)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/3 cups fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
salt to taste
1/2 hot pepper finely minced (optional)

Cut the fish into bite-size pieces and place in a glass bowl or container of at least 2 inches high. Add all the other ingredients, mixing well. The lemon juice should cover the fish. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Allow one day for fish to cook in the lemon juice and onions. Serve with crackers or saltines.

CEVICHE DE CORVINA AL CURRY

This is one of my favorite recipes, try it, it's really good!
1 pint Ceviche de Corvina (see recipe above, or buy prepared)
3/4 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh culantro** or cilantro
1 Tablespoon heavy cream
2 to 3 teaspoons good quality curry powder

Drain all the liquid from the ceviche. Add all ingredients and mix well. Correct curry if necessary, depending on taste. Let rest at least one hour in the refrigerator and serve with "canastitas" or crackers.

** Culantro is an herb belonging to the cilantro family. It is a long green leaf with a strong flavor and aroma. If you cannot find it in your local grocer, you can use cilantro instead.

ESCABECHE OF CORVINA

2 lbs. fillets of Corvina (or other white fish), boned and cut in 2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teapoon curry powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup oil
3 garlic cloves,finely chopped
3 green peppers, julienned
3 medium onions, julienned
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
salt to taste
1 bay leaf
dash of paprika

Season the fish with the garlic salt, paprika, white pepper and curry powder. Dip the pieces in the flour and fry them in hot oil until lightly browned. Drain and place in a glass bowl or pyrex dish.

Take the fish out of the oil and add the garlic, pepper and onion slices and cook from 3 to 5 minutes. Place the vegetables in a bowl and add the vinegar, water,salt,bay leaf and paprika. Mix well. Pour this mixture over the fish and let cool. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Serve cold.


CEVICHE DE POLLO (Chicken Ceviche)

3 lbs. chicken breasts
1 sliced onion
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 chopped garlics
1 lb. diced fresh tomatoes
2 large or 4 small green bell peppers, diced
1 cup chicken cooking liquid, strained
1 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp. mustard
1/2 cup celery, chopped
salt, white and cayenne pepper

Place the chicken breast on a pot, cover with water and add the sliced onion, 1 tsp. salt and a dash of white pepper. If you like you can also add some chopped cilantro leaves. Let cook until the chicken breasts are done. Let cool in the liquid. Take the skin off the chicken breasts and also take out the bones. Cut the chicken meat into small cubes. Place in a large bowl or jar. Now add all the other ingredients on the list and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, add some cayenne pepper to taste too. In Latin America we prepare a lot of spicy dishes and this is supposed to be somewhat hot, but if you don't like pepper you can omit it. Also add some chopped cilantro leaves, if you like. Let this marinate overnight in the fridge and serve cold with crackers. This makes a very nice hors d'oeuvre.

CEVICHE DE GARBANZOS(Chickpea "Ceviche")

3 cans garbanzo beans
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 cup olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
2 to 3 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 Tablespoon ketchup
3 pork sausages or "chorizos", fried and chopped (optional)
1 small jar baby corn, sliced (optional)
salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large jar or glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in the refrigerator overnight. Serve cold as an hors d'oeuvre with saltine crackers.


SPECIAL TIP
In Panama, we serve all kinds of ceviche in little pastry cups called "canastitas" or "little baskets". They are made of short pastry dough and baked in very small individual quiche molds or mini tart molds of 1 inch diameter. Here we can buy them everywhere and they are usually sold by packs of 24. For parties we order by hundreds. If you live near a bakery shop you can maybe get them to prepare them specially for you.
CARIMAÑOLAS (Stuffed Yuca Fritters)

This is specially for the homesick panamanians out there
3 lbs. yuca
salt to taste
Stuffing: 1 lb. ground meat
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
scallion and parsley
1 tsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. vinegar
capers
Boil the yuca with salt but do not allow to get too soft. Grind it and knead same with salt. Form balls and fill each with the stuffing, shaping same into oval shape. Then fry in very hot oil. TO MAKE FILLING:Season ground meat with salt, worcestershire sauce, vinegar, capers, onion, sugar, scallion and parsley. Fry in hot oil and when brown add other ingredients and tomato paste. Allow to cook on low fire until soft.

ARROZ CON POLLO (Chicken with Rice)

1 3 lb. chicken
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large onion
1 green bell pepper
3 garlic cloves
1/2 tomato puree
1 lb. rice
5 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
dash of saffron
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can green peas
1 can red peppers
1/2 cup green olives
2 tablespoons capers (optional)

Cut the chicken into pieces and season with salt, pepper and orange juice. Let stand for 1 hour. Heat the olive oil and brown the chicken pieces. Take the chicken out of the pan and add the chopped onion, green pepper and garlic. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes and add the tomato puree. Continue cooking for some more and the chicken and the rice. Stir well and cook 3 more minutes. Add the stock, salt, green olives and capers. Cover and cook over high heat until it boils and the rice pops.

Uncover and lower heat. Pour the wine over the rice and continue cooking until the rice is completely cooked and the chicken is tender. Take the chicken out of the rice and take the meat off the bones. Return the chicken meat to the rice and stir well. Add the peas. When ready to serve, put on a serving dish and decorate with the red pepper strips. 8 servings.


TAMALES PANAMEÑOS
2 lbs. fresh corn kernels
2 lbs. pork meat, cut in small cubes
1 whole chicken, cut in 8 pieces
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons "achiote" (annatto)
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups chopped onions
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 lbs. roma tomatoes, chopped
4 culantro leaves,chopped
1 small hot pepper, chopped finely
2 Tablespoons salt
1 cup white wine
1 cup boiling water
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Soak the corn overnight in water. The next day, discard the water and replace with more fresh water, cook over moderate heat until the corn is tender. Drain and pass through the meat grinder. Add the hot water and the 2 Tbs. vegetable oil. Work well to obtain a smooth, soft dough. Cover and let rest while you prepare the filling.
Heat the oil in large saucepan and add the achiote. Cook until all the color comes out, strain the oil and discard the achiote. Return the oil to the saucepan and cook the chicken pieces until golden brown. Take out the chicken from the saucepan and add the onions, garlic and bell peppers, cook until soft but not brown. Add the tomatoes, culantro, hot pepper, salt and wine. Add the chicken and the pork. Cook slowly until the meats are tender, correct the salt if necessary. Add part of this sauce (without the meats, to the corn dough and knead until soft. Keep the meats to the side.
Plantain leaves
1 lb. pitted prunes
2 cans red pimentos
1 cup stuffed olives
2 Tablespoons capers
The plantain leaves are lightly passed over a slow fire, then cut off the middle vein and pass a damp cloth over each piece of leaf. Put 2 or 3 leaves overlapping each other and then place some corn dough in the center, spreading evenly. Place a heaping tablespoon of meat, a strip of pimento, a prune, and 1 or 2 olives and more corn dough on top. Now fold over and wrap well in the plantain lead and tie with a string. Fill a pot with boiling water and put the tamales in to boil for 1 hour.


FLAN DE CARAMELO (Caramel Custard)

1 can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sugar (for caramel)

On the upper pan of a double boiler place the sugar with 1/4 cup water to make a caramel.

Mix the milk, eggs, vanilla and sugar and pour in the caramel pan. Place over a double boiler and cover. Let cook over medium heat for 1 hour until the custard is set. Let cool completely and then place in refrigerator. Once cold turn over onto a serving dish and serve.


TRES LECHES (Three Milks Cake) I have seen many recipes for this popular Central American dessert, but my friend Maria Elena from Guatemala swears this is the original.
For the spongecake:
6 eggs, separated
2 cups sugar
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the cream:
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup whipping cream
For the topping:
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
3 cups water
1/4 cup of light corn syrup, such as Karo

Make the spongecake: In a the bowl of your mixer place the egg whites. Beat at low speed first and then increase the speed to high until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, letting it dissolve well before adding more, and beat until firm. Add the egg yolks one by one, beating well after each addition. Now mix the flour with the baking powder and add to the mixture alternating with the milk. This operation has to be done quickly or the batter will loose the lightness in it. Finally, add the vanilla. Pour this batter in a large rectangular pyrex,greased and floured, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a 350°oven.

While this is baking, prepare the cream. Very simple: just mix everything together in a blender and pour over the still warm spongecake.

The frosting: Place the water, sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and let boil. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the hot syrup in a string and continue beating at high speed until all the syrup has been added. Beat until no longer warm. To serve the Tres Leches: Once the soaked spongecake is at room temperature you have to let it cool in the refrigerator. Then you can spread the frosting and put back in the cold. This is supposed to be served very cold. You can decorate this Cake with Silver dragées or you can also make some caramel and let some strings of it just casually over the frosting.

DELICIA DE COCO (Coconut Delight)

1 spongecake 9 x 13 in.
1/2 can "Coco Lopez" or coconut milk
2 cans evaporated milk
4 egg yolks
3 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup sugar
4 egg whites
2 cups sugar
Prepare the cream: In a saucepan mix the 2 cans evaporated milk, egg yolks, cornstarch, and the sugar and let boil. Let cool for 10 minutes. Cut the spongecake in 1 inch slices and arrange a layer in the bottom of a pyrex dish. Moisten the spongecake with the coconut milk or Coco Lopez. Pour half the cream and cover with another layer of spongecake. Moisten again with the rest of the coconut milk or Coco Lopez. Pour the rest of the cream. Repeat until you finish with some spongecake. Prepare an italian meringue with the egg whites and 2 cups sugar. (see my method for Italian Meringue). Cover the cake with the meringue and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. If you like, decorate the cake with shredded coconut.


My Method for Italian Meringue Place the egg whites and the sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat and DO NOT LET BOIL. You should test by putting in your finger and the mix should be very hot to the touch. You have to be careful that the egg whites do not cook. You can mix with a wooden spoon. Immediately transfer the mix to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until the meringue has stiff peaks and the mixture is cool.

PIE DE LIMON (Lemon Pie)

For the crust:
2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1 stick unsalted butter,melted
Mix the crushed wafers with the melted butter and press well onto a 9 inch tart ring or pie mold. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes and let cool.
For the Filling:
1 1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
4 large egg yolks
Beat the milk with the egg yolks and gradually add the lemon juice. This mix will curdle slightly. Pour into baked cookie shell and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. The center of the pie should be firm to the touch. Let cool completely. Chill. Serve with whipped cream.