With family get togethers and visitors from overseas, Christmas is the perfect time to bring a bit of Caymanian cooking to the table. Why cook the same old way everyone else in the world will be cooking over the festive season when you can celebrate Cayman culture and introduce your guests to something new? Two local classics are Christmas Beef and Heavy Cake – both well worth a try.

Christmas was one of the few times a year families would have beef – after all, the ocean provided ample other options the rest of the year.

Back before container ships came in to restock supermarket shelves, people had to make do with what could be grown on the Island. This meant that flour was a luxury, with crops like cassava having to take its place.

Cassava cake, better known as Heavy cake, is a classic Cayman dessert, and makes excellent use of local ingredients.

Christmas Beef

• 6-8 lbs local beef roast 
• Thyme
• Scallion or onion  
• seeds from seasoning peppers (finely chopped)       
• (Scotch Bonnet)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Wash beef in cold water and vinegar, then pat dry
   
2. Score beef and push seasoning mix deep into cuts  
3. Wrap in plastic wrap and leave to refrigerate overnight
   
4. Place beef in Dutch oven or other heavy, covered pot, along with a little bit of water to keep beef from burning to the bottom of the pot.
   
5. Place beef in preheated oven at 350 degrees and cook for approximately 18 minutes per pound.
6. With one hour to go, remove lid to allow meat to brown, and add water or stock as needed to keep meat from drying out.

It might be a rather time-consuming process, but the results are well worth it, and the slow cooking can turn any cut of meat into a Christmas treat.

Heavy Cake

• 3 lbs grated cassava 
• 2 lbs brown sugar
  
• 2 14oz cans of coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons vanilla essence
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cloves
  
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  
• 1 stick butter
• 4 heaped teaspoons corn
  
• starch dissolved in a little water

Preparation:

1. Place the cassava in a large mixing bowl, then stir  in coconut milk and vanilla, followed by the brown sugar, salt, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.
   
2. Add the dissolved corn starch
   
3. Melt butter and stir into mixture
   
4. Lightly butter a glass baking pan, pour in the mixture and place in an oven preheated to 350 degrees.
   
5. Bake for 60 minutes or until the cake is firm and golden brown.