Guest Author - Eileen Brown

Thyme-Marinated Chicken Breasts with Spicy Mashed Boniato is not a traditional Caribbean dish; rather, it is a fusion of Jamaican and Latin flavors.

The strong thyme flavor of the marinade in this recipe is reminiscent of a jerk seasoning, but it contains none of the traditional heat. If you like, you could add hot peppers to your marinade to give it an additional kick but it is delicious as it is. (Scotch bonnet peppers are usually used in jerk recipes, but they are scorching hot; jalapeno is a milder substitute)

Boniato, also known as batata in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, is a tropical sweet potato. The boniato resembles other potatoes in size and shape and it has white flesh and a deep pink to burgundy colored skin. It is not quite as sweet as the orange sweet potatoes used in the United States. Boniato can be found in most West Indian and Latin markets.

Thyme-Marinated Chicken Breasts

2 tablespoons onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tablespoons thyme, fresh or dried
4 teaspoons of sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

In a small mixing bowl, combine the onion, garlic, thyme, sugar, salt, nutmeg and black pepper. (You could also combine all of the ingredients with a food processor or blender.)

Place the chicken breasts in a large Ziploc type storage bag. Add the seasoning mixture. Close the bag and shake it gently to thoroughly coat the chicken breasts with the spice mixture. Allow the chicken breasts to marinate for 30 minutes.

Heat the butter and the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and sauté them on each side for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Makes 4 servings.


Spicy Mashed Boniato Recipe

1 1/2 pounds boniato
4 tablespoons margarine
1/2 teaspoon allspice
salt and pepper to taste
milk

Wash and peel the boniato. Chop them coarsely and place in cold water until you are ready to cook, to prevent the white flesh from discoloring.

Bring a medium-sized saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the boniato to the boiling, salted water, lower the heat under the saucepan to medium-high and cook the boniata for about 20 minutes, or until the pieces are tender. Drain the boniata in a colander and return the pieces to the pot they cooked in. Place the butter and allspice in the pot with the boniato. Mash until fairly smooth, adding milk as needed to moisten. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 servings.