Rice and Peas for a dinner party — went down extremely well

I made Rice and Peas for eight guests who had varying familiarity with the cuisine. Every single person asked for the recipe. The fiery and aromatic profile was the main talking point — no one had quite experienced ackee fruit used that way before.

Jamaican jerk cooking traces to the Maroon communities who preserved meat with allspice and chilli. I explained the a roadside rum bar context as I served it which helped people appreciate it fully. rum punch was what I offered alongside and it worked perfectly. Excellent dinner party dish — impressive without being inaccessible.