Jerk Chicken & Calaloo Stuffed Rolls & Pork Beanos

Now this may look like I am veering off Retro Week, but I assure you I'm not so please bear with me! When I was a little girl back in the 70's, my mother used to make what she called 'Beanos'. I don't know if this was a name she made up or a recipe she came up with but it was simply baked beans in pastry - which looked a bit like a Cornish pasty. I loved them so had a go at making them the other day. I wasn't impressed. The pastry was just.. too much really and it was lacking something. I guess my taste has changed over the years. But it got me thinking of another story.

When I was in my twenties, I went to lunch with the receptionist one day. She was a lovely girl called Yvette whose roots were in Jamaica. She took me to a Caribbean bakery and she had a hot roll filled with salt fish (Ackee). I was a vegetarian in those days so opted for the Calaloo version (Calaloo is a Jamaican vegetable, similar to spinach/greens). It was delicious.

With both of these stories in mind I made these. First batch are ciabatta rolls filled with Jerk Chicken and Calaloo and the second batch are filled with tiny pork meatballs and beans. Lets start with the chicken ones.

For these I used a ciabatta bread mix which I have talked about it the past. Its quick and handy (pic at the bottom of this page). The pack I bought made eight large rolls. You make the dough to packet instructions - add water and a splash of olive oil - and have your fillings ready. Cut the dough in half (half for chicken, half for pork & beans).

You simply then just get the dough half and cut it into 4 equal pieces. Press out into a round of about 5-6 inches and fill the centre of the dough with one of the fillings. Pull up the sides and press to seal, using a little water if needed. Put onto a floured baking sheet, seam side down and complete the others. Then take the other half of dough, cut into four again and stuff with the other filling. Put onto a separate floured baking sheet. Leave them all for 15 minutes to rise.

For the Jerk Chicken & Calaloo

I marinated two small skinless chicken breasts in my jerk marinade, which I always have in my fridge (recipe here), for an hour and then baked, covered, in a 200 C oven for 20 minutes. Then I shredded the meat and put into a bowl. I chopped an onion and fried it gently in one tsp. of oil and when cooked added that to the chicken. Then I added 4-5 tablespoons of Calaloo (picture of the tin at the bottom of this page) and stirred together.

For the Pork & Beans

I seasoned about 200g pork mince with salt, pepper and garlic powder and made into one inch balls. Then fried in a little oil until browned and added to 400g tin of baked beans. 

 

The great thing about these rolls is that they can be eaten hot (microwave for 1 minute) or cold. You can bag them up and take to work for lunch, or take them on a picnic with the comfort of no spillages like you would with normal sandwiches!

I got a text from The Bloke at lunchtime today...a very happy man. He LOVED them both.

Here is the Calaloo - you can get it in most stores. And a picture of the bread mix. Happy baking!