cook this: 3 recipes from the caribbean cookbook, including jerk chicken
7 minute read
clockwise from left: author rawlston williams, jerk chicken, pholourie and haitian seafood creole. photos by nico schinco
our cookbook of the week is the caribbean cookbook by rawlston williams.
hailing from saint vincent and the grenadines, chef rawlston williams followed his curiosity for his cookbook debut. with more than 380 recipes, the caribbean cookbook (phaidon, 2026) features home cooking from across the region. williams rose to culinary fame with his now-closed brooklyn restaurant, the food sermon. he credits his appetite for knowledge for wanting to take it on.
williams joined his parents in new york in 1987, at 10 years old. he had spent the previous seven years in questelles, a coastal village on the island of saint vincent, where he was raised by family friend gloria farrell, who taught him how to cook.
a former theology student, williams says he was still growing as a caribbean chef when he signed the book deal in 2018. his early work was lost when his computer was stolen, which ended up being fortuitous. “i learned more. i was able to travel, discover and be curious.”
this conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
in his cookbook debut, the caribbean cookbook, chef rawlston williams features more than 380 home cooking recipes from the region.
phaidon
you write that when phaidon approached you to write this book, your first reaction was disbelief. why?
i felt as though i hadn’t paid my dues, per se. there were other caribbean restaurants around me, which were institutions and pillars in the community, and i was getting more attention than they were, and i felt guilty about that.
i felt as though it wasn’t my turn yet. but i realized that sometimes, you’re different, but you don’t realize you’re different. i just felt as though, “hey, i’m one of them.” at least, i’m trying to be on that level, but i was kind of an outsider.
i didn’t grow up eating meat. i didn’t grow up eating the things i was cooking. i grew up (seventh-day adventist) vegetarian, and so most of the things that i cook are basically how i imagined them to be. i could always smell my neighbours’ cooking. i could always smell it when my friends were making stewed chicken or making saltfish, and i was making seitan (wheat gluten) or lentils.
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what made you change your mind?
there are books that have been written about caribbean cuisine, but nothing of this level, this comprehensive. and then, i’m from a tiny island. i’m from a family that immigrated here, and things haven’t been easy for us. so it’s something to put in our back pockets as something that we’ve done and accomplished. it’s something to make my mother proud of all her hard work and her sacrifice.
it was something bigger than me. if it were about me alone, and something to bring attention to myself, or something that would bring some light to me, i couldn’t do it. i couldn’t be doing this interview if i wasn’t thinking about my tiny country of saint vincent and the grenadines, or my mom, my brothers or my dad that i lost two years after i met him, when i came to this country.
how did your childhood in saint vincent and the grenadines shape you as a chef?
my mom came to the united states in 1980. she thought it would take a few months, maybe a year or so, to get the papers worked out with my dad, but it took seven years. those seven years are basically the foundation of who i am and what i am.
i’m always reliving those seven years. the curiosity of seeing fishermen pulling their nets and seeing someone go into the mountains, digging up ground provisions and coming down the hill. hard work and mangoes and climbing trees. raising goats and making butter and roasting cacao to make chocolate for tea in the morning.
what was important for you to communicate about the cuisines of the caribbean in the book?
it’s a testimony to resilience and making the refuse taste delicious. and even though we’re different, we’re so much alike, as well.
something i realized as i wrote the book, doing research and speaking to individuals, is that we may not have met each other, but we’re all living a similar life. even though it’s different, we still have that (connection). it’s a resilient people and a resilient existence. you’re always trying to do more with less.
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jerk chicken
“every household you go to, some may have a spicier jerk. some may have a sweeter jerk. some may have a smokier jerk,” rawlston williams says of the iconic jamaican seasoning and way of cooking.
nico schinco
serves: 4
for the marinade:
1 bunch scallions (spring onions), chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 scotch bonnet pepper, seeded for less heat
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp ground allspice
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 bunch scallions (spring onions), chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 scotch bonnet pepper, seeded for less heat
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp ground allspice
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp fresh lime juice
for the chicken:
6 chicken leg quarters
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 chicken leg quarters
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
step 1
make the marinade: blend all the marinade ingredients into a smooth paste.
step 2
make the chicken: rub the chicken with the salt and oil, then coat thoroughly with the marinade. place the chicken in a sealed container or bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
step 3
preheat a barbecue to medium heat or an oven to 375f (190c/gas mark 5).
step 4
grill or bake the chicken, turning occasionally, until the skin is caramelized and chicken cooked through, 35-45 minutes.
step 5
serve on a banana leaf-lined tray.
pholourie
indentured labourers from india brought pholourie, a savoury fried snack, to trinidad and tobago.
nico schinco
serves: 6
1/2 cup (100 g) yellow split peas, soaked in 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) hot water for 1 hour, then drained
2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp yellow curry powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped culantro (chadon beni) or cilantro
2 wiri wiri peppers, finely chopped (optional)
vegetable oil, for frying
scotch bonnet pepper, sliced, for garnish
tamarind sauce or mango chutney, for serving
2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp yellow curry powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped culantro (chadon beni) or cilantro
2 wiri wiri peppers, finely chopped (optional)
vegetable oil, for frying
scotch bonnet pepper, sliced, for garnish
tamarind sauce or mango chutney, for serving
step 1
grind the soaked split peas to a coarse paste in a blender or food processor.
step 2
transfer to a large bowl and add the flour, baking powder, curry powder, cumin, garam masala, salt, garlic, onion, herbs and wiri wiri peppers, if using. mix well.
step 3
gradually stir in 3/4 cup (6 fl oz/180 ml) water until a thick batter forms that can drop easily from a spoon but is not runny. use a little more water, if needed.
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step 4
pour oil into a deep, heavy pot to a depth of 2-3 inches (5-7.5 cm) and place over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. line a plate with paper towels.
step 5
drop spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil, being careful not to crowd the pot, and fry until golden and puffed up, 2-3 minutes on each side. remove with a slotted spoon and drain on the paper towels.
step 6
garnish with thinly sliced scotch bonnet pepper, and serve warm with tamarind sauce and mango chutney on the side.
haitian seafood creole
haitian seafood creole “is very versatile,” says rawlston williams. “it can also be done with beef or lamb, or any kind of protein. i had it with seitan (wheat gluten).”
nico schinco
serves: 4
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp (15 g) butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 lb (450 g) prawns, peeled and deveined
8 oz (225 g) fish fillets, cut into chunks
8 oz (225 g) crab meat
1 scotch bonnet pepper, whole
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups (285 g) long-grain white rice
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp (15 g) butter
1 tbsp (15 g) butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 lb (450 g) prawns, peeled and deveined
8 oz (225 g) fish fillets, cut into chunks
8 oz (225 g) crab meat
1 scotch bonnet pepper, whole
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups (285 g) long-grain white rice
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp (15 g) butter
make the seafood creole:
step 1
in a large pot, heat the vegetable oil and butter over medium heat. add the onion, garlic, thyme and bell pepper and sauté until softened, 2-3 minutes.
step 2
add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes until slightly darkened and aromatic.
step 3
stir in the tomatoes, then add the prawns, fish, crab meat, scotch bonnet, bay leaf and 3/4 cup (6 fl oz/180 ml) water. season with salt and pepper to taste, then cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30-40 minutes until the seafood is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened. the fish should flake easily and the shrimp should be pink and firm.
make the rice:
step 1
rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear.
step 2
in a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed rice, 2 1/2 cups (20 fl oz/600 ml) water, the bay leaves, butter and a pinch of salt. bring to a boil over medium heat.
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step 3
once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-18 minutes, until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. fluff with a fork and remove the bay leaves before serving.
step 4
discard the scotch bonnet pepper from the creole before serving, if desired. serve in a deep bowl with the rice.
recipes and images excerpted from the caribbean cookbook ©2026 by rawlston williams. reproduced by permission of phaidon. all rights reserved.
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