Camar - {Chili Chicken and Potato Salad }

Who is Camar? Camar is a recording artiste, producer and songwriter. He loves to have fun, loves music, loves life, loves people, loves to interact and most of all, loves his mother. Working hard in the studios on his latest singles such as ‘Party Hard’ with Beenie Man, Camar found time to pay tribute to his mother through his cooking skills.

He decided to do a healthy Chili Chicken and Potato Salad while considering his mother’s eating habits. It is quite a tasty and simple dish to make with a delicious flavour. The moisture of the chicken breast complemented the soft potatoes all covered in the specially made and spiced dressing. This dish can serve as a suitable dinner for everyone as well as it can be served as a side order.

What does Mother’s Day mean to Camar?

Camar: Mother’s Day means everything to me. It’s all about the woman who gave me life, who taught me how to be a man and to respect women. It’s a day to show women on a whole that they have to gift of bringing forth life and nurturing and I appreciate that because without them we would not have the compassion as men to handle certain situations with a lot more prudence.

At the end of it all, Camar sent a down-to-earth and heartfelt message to his Mom for the special day:

Mommy, mi love yuh. Big man ting! Mi a work hard same way because mi want yuh fi have di bes’. Yuh son a work hard fi ‘im ting so ‘im can come out deh an mek yuh have di fina’ tings in life. So Mommy mi love yuh. MI give thanks seh u neva dash mi whe, seh u neva give up pon mi. MI give thanks seh yuh teach mi an’ grow mi up inna di right way. Mi love yuh!!!

Ingredients

½ lb                        potato, irish, diced
½ lb                        potato, sweet, diced
3 oz                        raisin
1 oz                        chili sauce
1 lb                         chicken breast
2 oz                        salt
1 tbsp                    pepper, black
10 oz                      mayonnaise
3 oz                        mustard
6 fl oz                    oil, olive
2 oz                        sweet pepper, green, diced
2 oz                        sweet pepper, yellow, diced
2 oz                        sweet pepper, red, diced
1 each                   onion
1 head                  lettuce, local
1 oz                        parsley, fresh, sprig

Method

1.      In a medium size pot add ½ gallon of water and salt to taste. Add potatoes and boil until tender. This should take about 8 – 10 minutes. Drain and set aside on a baking tray to cool on the counter top for 10 minutes, then place in the refrigerator to continue the cooling process.

2.      In a bowl, add chicken breast and season with salt, pepper and olive oil then set aside.

3.      In a sauté pan over a medium flame add 2 fl oz. oil. Sear chicken breast on both sides until fully cooked. This should take about 3 – 4 minutes on either side. Remove from the pan and allow them to cool.

4.      When the chicken is fully cooled, cut them into the same size dice as the potatoes.

5.      In another sauté pan over a medium flame add 1 fl oz. oil, onions and peppers and sauté for 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow them to cool.

6.      To make the dressing, in a bowl add mayonnaise, mustard, chili sauce, salt and pepper to taste

7.      To the bowl of dressing, add the potatoes, chicken, raisin, sautéed peppers and onions. Combine all the ingredients properly to ensure that the dressing is evenly distributed.

8.      Present the salad on a lettuce leaf and garnish with a fresh sprig of parsley.  

Tips:-

·         Make sure that all your ingredients are cooled properly before you combine them. A recommended temperature is 36°F to 40°F

·         Potatoes can be seasoned with salt and pepper before adding them to the dressing. This will ensure that the potato do not fully depend on the dressing for flavour.