At five years old my family moved from Trinidad and Tobago to the brittle cold of winter in Edmonton Alberta, Canada. Not only the weather, but also the community was icy towards our less than common Caribbean family.
After a few years we discovered a community of transplanted Trinidadians of which we made fast friends. Every year our families would get together in my parent’s back yard and our family would host the now legendary annual Mooking Family Father’s Day BBQ. My dad would spend a few days, before party day, marinating piles of ribs and chicken for the grill. My mother would toil away in the kitchen making the BBQ sauce and the desserts. While my dad setup the bar on the back deck, my job was to peel the corn and put it in the massive corn pot (which was only used once a year – for this event) with a leftover ham bone, water, white pepper and red finger chilies. Once the ribs and chicken went on, so did the corn. Slowly the corn water would come to the boil at the edge of the BBQ. After a few minute of boiling the pot would be covered and set aside to stay warm and to allow all the flavors to meld together. At the right moment when all the food was done that corn sucked up all the spices and ham bone goodness. Eating the corn was great but the highlight would be dipping the chewed cob back into your bowl and letting it suck up the seasoned corn water like a sponge and sucking on the cobs till they were dry again. This memory is forever embedded in my brain and I vow to continue this tradition again soon, very soon.
Blue Cheese & Chorizo Balls with Honey Thyme Sauce
Blue Cheese & Chorizo Balls
½ C chopped Chorizo
250 g of Canadian Semi Soft Blue Veined Cheese
¼ C All Purpose Flour
2 Eggs beaten
¾ C Panko Breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil for deep frying
In a stainless steel bowl combine blue cheese and chorizo. Use a teaspoon measure to form 24 equal sized balls.
Place flour, beaten egg, and panko breadcrumbs in three separate bowls. Dredge all the balls in flour and shake off excess flour. In small batches using a fork, place each chorizo ball in the egg then Panko breadcrumbs. Repeat with egg and breadcrumbs only so that the balls are double coated.
Place breaded balls in freezer for 30 minutes.
Preheat fryer oil to 350°. Remove balls from freezer and deep fry until golden brown, approximately 30 seconds. Immediately drain on paper towels. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Honey Thyme Sauce
2 Tbsp plus 1 Tsp Honey
1 ½ Tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ Tsp chopped Fresh Thyme
Pinch of Kosher Salt
Pinch of ground Black Pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Serve with Blue Cheese & Chorizo balls.
Roger Mooking’s show, Man Fire Food, airs Sundays at 2pm ET on The Cooking Channel.