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Guest Chef - Jumbey Cafe
DINING & ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE - JAN 2007
Guest Chef - Jumbey Cafe
Rodney Bain at Jumbey Cafe
Ask someone what a ?jumbey? is in The Bahamas and you?ll get many answers.
Some know the jumbey to be a tree; in bush medicine it?s known as a remedy to quiet the nerves, treat heart trouble and banish ?wind on the stomach.? It?s also a slang word for ?spirit?.
In Nassau, it?s the name of a grand, two-storey home overlooking East Bay Street and the harbour beyond.
Formerly known as Jumbey House, for the jumbey trees that grow on the property, it is now a delightful new restaurant called Jumbey Cafe, where patrons dine on Bahamian fare with gourmet flair, prepared by head chef Rodney Bain.
A new beginning
Bain was a man of all trades before he discovered a love of cooking. He developed his craft in upscale restaurants: Atlantis? Villa d?Este, the Bahamian Club and the former Holiday Inn Sunspree. Then he decided to move away from big establishments to practise his art in a smaller kitchen.
?It was always one of my dreams to work in a place that is a little smaller than the big, big hotels because you get to meet the people you?re working for and I can show off a little bit better with the food?make it more personal,? he says.
A little more than five months before he spoke with Dining & Entertainment Guide, Bain answered a help-wanted ad for a chef to work at the then newly established Jumbey Cafe, owned by restaurateur Jennifer Carey.
?I was so surprised when she called,? recalls Bain. ?She said she wanted a sous-chef? the place wasn?t open as yet but we thought that we could give it a try. And I did.?
Bahamian with flair
It was an opportunity to build a menu, experiment, display his talent and also, Bain admits, to enjoy being in charge.
?It was a challenge,? says Carey.
His day begins at 6am when he preps the kitchen, ensuring that the produce and seafood delivered to the restaurant door is of the highest quality.
Breakfast starts at 7am. Patrons may start their day with Belgian waffles served with fresh fruit and whipped cream or a special western omelette with pepperjack cheese?a soft cheese with chunks of hot peppers.
Lunch begins at 11am. Popular dishes include crack? lobster and the juicy Jumbey Burger, topped with the cheese of your choice, including blue.
The dinner menu contains two of Bain?s favourite creations?seafood alfredo and a special baked lobster dish. Other entrées include seafood pasta and stuffed chicken breast.
?The menu is very well-balanced,? says Bain. ?You can find something for everybody, whether you like it fried, grilled, sautéed or boiled.?
The menu also features items favoured by vegetarians, including veggie burgers, skewers and pasta, along with fresh garden salads. And if you don?t see your favourite listed, ?anything ?vegetable? can be done à la carte,? says Bain.
While patrons come back again and again for Bain?s creations, local customers and visitors also enjoy Jumbey?s ambience.
Dining inside features colourful walls, elegant table settings and gleaming hardwood floors. Outside on the broad veranda, you can enjoy a gourmet meal and watch the world go by on East Bay.
?We do get a lot of tourists,? says Carey. ?They see the atmosphere and the ambience?at night it?s really nice when it?s all lit up.?
?I love it here,? Bain says. ?The only thing I want to do is really help it to grow.?
To recreate Bain?s Jumbey Cafe dishes at home, try these recipes.
Pineapple ginger glazed salmon
(serves two)
2 8-oz salmon steaks
8 oz crushed pineapple
1?4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Season salmon steaks with salt and pepper and rub with olive oil.
In a saucepan, melt butter and add crushed pineapple, ginger, light brown sugar, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat, add salmon and cook for five minutes on each side.
Remove salmon from the grill, top with the pineapple mixture and place it under the broiler for five minutes
or until the pineapple has turned golden brown.
Chicken breast stuffed with lump crabmeat
(serves two)
2 8-oz chicken breasts
4 oz lump crabmeat
2 oz breadcrumbs
1?2 Spanish onion, diced
1?2 small bell pepper, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 tbsp thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
1?4 cup parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and slit the breasts horizontally, making a pocket for the lump crabmeat stuffing.
Combine onion, carrot, bell pepper and garlic in a sauté pan and cook until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and let cool in a mixing bowl. Add the lump crab, breadcrumbs, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper to the bowl and combine with vegetable mixture.
Spoon the crab mixture into the pockets in the chicken breasts and bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes or until evenly cooked through.
Seafood alfredo
(serves one)
5 oz lobster tail meat, chopped
6 shrimp
8 oz linguini
1 cup heavy cream
1?2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1?4 cup parsley, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Boil linguini in salted water until al dente.
In a sauté pan add olive oil and cook the lobster meat and shrimp until done. Remove from pan.
In a saucepan combine the flour and 1 tbsp butter to make a roux and cook for two minutes. Be careful not to let it burn. Add heavy cream and remaining 1 tbsp butter to the saucepan while stirring; let simmer until sauce thickens.
Add the seafood to the cream sauce along with Parmesan cheese. Strain the pasta and add to the saucepan. Mix well. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese.
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