Now today's recipe is Black Dinner or Relleno (pronounced reyeno) it's referred to by both names in Belize; and it's SUPER good and absolutely divine. So let's start.

Relleno: A little background on Relleno.

Tizzle Sizzles

Relleno is a black soup made with Chicken, Onions, Tomatoes, Black Recado, Ground Beef, Ground Pork and Boiled Eggs (optional) and served with either rice or corn tortillas. Now there are a few people who are greedy like myself and will eat the soup with both rice and tortillas.

It's a Spanish soup as far as I know originated in Mexico and since we're right next door it trickled down into our diverse little country. Now, this soup is especially good this time of year when Belize Celebrates several holidays, including our Independence Day on September 21st, making September one of the best months to party in Belize. The entire country celebrates and everyone is in good spirits. After a night/long weekend/week/month of celebrating and drinking trust me, this soup is the best for getting your nutrient levels back up. As we say in Belize about most of our soups "good fu put it back" meaning it's good to renourish the body.

Now, I mentioned in the beginning of that paragraph that the sop contains Black Recado. What is that?

Black Recado:

It's a paste made from burned corn tortillas, onion, garlic, cominos, cloves, black pepper, and vinegar. And it's used to flavor the Relleno as well as the Chimole in belize. We'll do Chimole in the weeks coming don't worry.

Now, I have to give a little story as to why I decided to start back up with Relleno as my dish.

Everytime we go to the store and walk pass the spice shelves Tony, my husband who has only been in Belize for 3 years, always stops and asks me what it is, and he always is very tempted to squish it like play dough. So for weeks I've been trying to explain what it's for and he always responds with " a black soup cannot taste good. After dinner last night he thinks otherwise...he loved it.

Now, On to the recipe...

Ingredients:

1 Chicken (Turkey can also be used)

3 medium sized tomatoes

1 large onion

3 Bay Leaf

6 Garlic cloves smashed

1 tsp ground all spice

2tsp salt

1 ball Black Recado or 1/4 of the small block

Cilantro or Culantro (optional)

1 ball Red Recado or 1/4 of the small block

Boiled eggs (optional)

1/4 cup vinegar

1lb ground pork (optional)

Soy Sauce

*In this recipe i used neither the eggs or the Ground Pork just Chicken.

 

Ok now on to the recipe...

1. First thing's first, the chicken/turkey. Cut up your whole chicken into parts or you can just buy a pack of breasts with the bone. I prefer cutting up a whole chicken because the bones are good for flavoring the stock.Season the chicken with salt, pepper, all spice, and soy sauce to coat it. Take your ball of Red recado and put it in a 1/4 cup of warm-hot water and dilute it by mashing it in the water with yor hands or the back of a spoon. The spoon wold be better being that Red Recado stains. Let it sit and marinate for about 15 mintes.

2. While your chicken is marinating chop up your Tomatoes into cubes, Onions in slices lenth way, chop up your cilantro or culantro fine and mash and peel the garlic.

3. Put your Rice to cook. i usually do mine 2 cups of rice to 3 cups of water add some sea salt not too much about a pinch or 1/2 tsp. i cook it high heat for 10 minutes, 5 mins on medium heat, and until it's finsihed on low heat. Usually gives me nice med grain.

4. In a cast iron skillet, or non stick pan add a little bit of vegetable oil and cook the garlic in it for about a half a minute. Take out the garlic and set aside you'll be putting it back into the soup. Brown your chicken. while your chicken is browning in a measuring cup or small bowl dilute the ball of red recado by putting it in a little bit (1/4 cup) of warm water. when it's diluted pour it over the chicken and cook it for about 10 minutes on high heat. after 10 mins turn off the chicken and put in a bowl for shredding. let it cool off first before you start shredding. I like to use my fingers for shredding chicken but u can use and knife or for just take off all the meat and skin.

5. In a pot, on low heat, add some more vegetable oil (about 2 tablespoons) and start cooking your onions and tomatoes. Add in the Pork now if you choose to add the ground pork. add salt and cook for 2 minutes, then add in the culantro/cilantro, add in shredded chicken and cook everything together. Add garlic and add in more seasoning if it needs it. It shouldn't though.

5. Take the Black recado and add in warm water and mash it until diluted...like this. Add it to the mix of chicken, veg, bay leaf and pork and start cooking it for 15-20 minutes on medium to low heat. Let her boil slow. If you want to add boiled eggs just boil the eggs in a seperate pot and separate the cooked olks from the whiles. Take the yolks and add them to the soup. You can also just cut the whole egg and add the wolk and the whites up to you.

Now. when this is finsihed you can put it in a bowl like so and enjoy...if you want to add a little bit of pepper you can add a whole habanero pepper to the soup while it's boiling and when the soup is finsihed and the pepper hasnt popped yet then grab a fork and pop it. This will release all the heat into the soup and give it an extra spice.  If you would like to see more pictures from this meal and other meals and blog posts, please find us on Facebook under "Tizzle Sizzles Blog".

Here, enjoy a couple more pictures :)

Chicken & vegetables cooking together

The finished product...enjoy :)

---

More on this thread!

Belizean Relleno

Relleno is a wonderful spicy soup made with black recado. It is similar to Belizean Chimole or Black Soup. This soup is a meat lover's delight due to the fact that is is stuffed with ground beef and diced boiled eggs. Served with corn tortilla, this soup is sure to tantalize the taste buds.

Relleno Negro

Ingredients

3-4 lb stewing chicken
2 lb ground meat
8 eggs (hard boiled)
2 raw eggs
1 square Black Recardo 6 oz
2-3 Apasote Leaves (crumbled)
2 tsp oregano Leaves (crushed)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 medium onion (sliced)
2-3 plugs garlic (crushed)

Method

Clean and season Chicken. (Set aside)
Cut up onions and crushed garlic.
Heat frying pan and add 1 tsp fat.
Season ground Steak with onions, garlic, oregano leaves and apasote leaves. Place meat mixture in frying pan.
Fry until well done. Turning frequently.
Remove from heat and add raw eggs. Mix well.
Stuff seasoned Chicken with ground meat. Putting in a whole egg after each portion of ground meat is inserted. Continue until all ground meat and eggs are used up. Sew up Chicken.
Boil Chicken in sufficient water to cover up Chicken.
Add black recardo to 1 cup water. Mix to soften. This gives the colour.
Turn Chicken frequently to cook properly.
Chicken can be removed from liquid and browned in the oven (serve with liquid from pot). Serve with some tortillas

==============================

BLACK RELLENO YUCATECAN STYLE



Ingredients

6 cups shredded roasted chicken or shredded roasted turkey
9 cups good chicken or turkey
but sliced
60 grams of black recado (sold commercially)
2 hard boiled eggs sliced


Ingredients for the Stuffing

½ kilo ground pork
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tomato without peel chopped medium
¼ large red bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons mint
Coarsely chopped 1 egg
1 raw egg
salt to taste

Method

t gets to heat the broth, add the shredded chicken or turkey, stuffing black foiled in a little broth, but in slices and garnish with slices of boiled egg.

PREPARATION OF STUFFING

Mix everything well, wrapped in a canvas cheesecloth and tied; It is cooked in water bath on a grill about 30 minutes, allowed to cool and slice.
Serve in soup bowls with white rice and freshly made tortillas.

==============================

BELIZEAN RELLENO



Ingredients

1 Chicken (Turkey can also be used)
3 medium sized tomatoes
1 large onion
3 Bay Leaf
6 Garlic cloves smashed
1 tsp ground all spice
2tsp salt
1 ball Black Recado or 1/4 of the small block
Cilantro or Culantro (optional)
1 ball Red Recado or 1/4 of the small block
Boiled eggs (optional)
1/4 cup vinegar
1lb ground pork (optional)
Soy Sauce

*In this recipe i used neither the eggs or the Ground Pork just Chicken.

Method

1. First thing's first, the chicken/turkey. Cut up your whole chicken into parts or you can just buy a pack of breasts with the bone. I prefer cutting up a whole chicken because the bones are good for flavoring the stock.Season the chicken with salt, pepper, all spice, and soy sauce to coat it. Take your ball of Red recado and put it in a 1/4 cup of warm-hot water and dilute it by mashing it in the water with yor hands or the back of a spoon. The spoon wold be better being that Red Recado stains. Let it sit and marinate for about 15 minUtes.

2. While your chicken is marinating chop up your Tomatoes into cubes, Onions in slices lenth way, chop up your cilantro or culantro fine and mash and peel the garlic.

3. Put your Rice to cook. i usually do mine 2 cups of rice to 3 cups of water add some sea salt not too much about a pinch or 1/2 tsp. i cook it high heat for 10 minutes, 5 mins on medium heat, and until it's finsihed on low heat. Usually gives me nice med grain.

4. In a cast iron skillet, or non stick pan add a little bit of vegetable oil and cook the garlic in it for about a half a minute. Take out the garlic and set aside you'll be putting it back into the soup. Brown your chicken. while your chicken is browning in a measuring cup or small bowl dilute the ball of red recado by putting it in a little bit (1/4 cup) of warm water. when it's diluted pour it over the chicken and cook it for about 10 minutes on high heat. after 10 mins turn off the chicken and put in a bowl for shredding. let it cool off first before you start shredding. I like to use my fingers for shredding chicken but u can use and knife or for just take off all the meat and skin.

5. In a pot, on low heat, add some more vegetable oil (about 2 tablespoons) and start cooking your onions and tomatoes. Add in the Pork now if you choose to add the ground pork. add salt and cook for 2 minutes, then add in the culantro/cilantro, add in shredded chicken and cook everything together. Add garlic and add in more seasoning if it needs it. It shouldn't though.

6. Take the Black recado and add in warm water and mash it until diluted...like this. Add it to the mix of chicken, veg, bay leaf and pork and start cooking it for 15-20 minutes on medium to low heat. Let her boil slow. If you want to add boiled eggs just boil the eggs in a seperate pot and separate the cooked olks from the whiles. Take the yolks and add them to the soup. You can also just cut the whole egg and add the wolk and the whites up to you.

Now. when this is finsihed you can put it in a bowl like so and enjoy...if you want to add a little bit of pepper you can add a whole habanero pepper to the soup while it's boiling and when the soup is finsihed and the pepper hasnt popped yet then grab a fork and pop it. This will release all the heat into the soup and give it an extra spice.

How to Make Black Relleno Soup

Relleno - in Spanish, the word means "stuffed or filled!" In Belize, locals have grown accustomed to using the term Relleno, when referring to a black soup consisting of vegetables and chicken stuffed with pork and boiled eggs. The soup gains its dark colour, from the black Recado paste that is added which is made of local roasted peppers.

This dish (like many other popular dishes in Belize), is common to Mestizo households of Northern Belize and is typically prepared for special occasions such as birthday parties, graduations and weddings. That doesn't mean that you won't find it anywhere else though, as the dish is now a common lunchtime meal at restaurants across the country and usually costs around $12 Belize dollars.

If you're a foodie like us, you'll be sure to enjoy our cooking guide to creating Relleno:

Ingredients

1 whole chicken
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fat
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 white onion - diced
1 sweet pepper - diced
2 tomatoes - chopped
1½ teaspoons garlic, minced
2 teaspoon oregano leaves, crushed
2-3 apasote leaves, crumbled
2 pounds ground pork
2 eggs, raw
8 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled
1 black recado square

Method

Clean and season chicken with salt and black pepper .
Heat frying pan and add 1 teaspoon fat.

Season ground pork with salt, black pepper, onions, garlic, oregano leaves and apasote leaves. Place meat mixture in frying pan.

Fry until well done. Turn frequently.

Remove from heat and add raw eggs. Mix well.

Stuff seasoned chicken with ground pork. Put in a whole hard-boiled, peeled egg after each portion of ground pork is inserted. Continue until all ground pork and eggs are used. Sew up Chicken.

Boil Chicken in sufficient water to cover up Chicken.

Add black recado to 1 cup water. Mix to soften. This gives the colour.

Add sweet pepper and tomatoes for added flavour.

Turn Chicken frequently to cook properly.

Optional: Chicken can be removed from liquid and browned in the oven. For a spicier taste, add a whole habanero to the soup. Serve with corn tortillas.







============================


Relleno

For many, the relleno is a family-style meal, which also involves using more than one member of the family's help! When making a big meal like this, it's not uncommon to see Mom, Aunt, Niece and Grandma running the show. Young children are often sent to run errands and learn to steer clear of the cooking space, sneaking ever closer as the smell of the bubbling pot gets more and more intense.

Considered a primarily Mestizo dish, the relleno consists of a mixture of chicken, pork or beef, eggs, and the unique black recado. Recado is mostly known as the red achiote paste that is used to make delicious gravy for stewed chicken. However, there is a black version of it made by burning corn tortillas which is then mixed with a little water, roasted peppers and seasonings to make a paste that then turns the soup a thick black with an indescribable flavor.
There are many steps to the making of relleno, but as always, mise en place (aka, have everything you need at hand) and dedicating a little time and effort will yield truly delicious results! Let us know if you try this version!

Ingredients

1 4-5 lb chicken
Black Recado - 2 blocks (2"x3"inch blocks)
1 lb ground beef or pork
8 hardboiled eggs
2 eggs
1 tbsp chicken consommé
1 tbsp beef consommé
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 medium onions, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
15 allspice seeds
2 sticks cinnamon
1tbsp dried oregano
1 bunch cilantro
Water

Method

Wash and clean the whole chicken with lime or vinegar. Keep all skin on (will be used to seal stuffing for later).

Season the beef or pork with 1 cube (1") of recado diluted in a small amount of water (1/4 cup), 1tsp black pepper, beef consommé, ¾ of the diced onion, ¾ green pepper, the garlic, ½ of the celery.

Cook the ground meat on medium flame, stirring constantly.

Finely chop/mince the whites or mash with a potato masher until finely ground.

Add to the beef mixture and combine over low heat until the egg takes on flavor of the meat (taste test). Turn off the heat.

Break 2 remaining (raw) eggs over the beef mixture and stir to combine, and set aside.

Take chicken neck, and reinsert into cavity, sewing the excess neck skin shut to seal.

Stuff the chicken at its base cavity with small handfuls of the ground meat mixture. Add one egg yolk after each handful of the mixture, and repeat process until the cavity is full, or all meat has been used.

Sew the cavity shut using the excess skin, to ensure the mixture does not fall out during cooking.

If there is some meat leftover, place in a foil packet. Seal completely then prick a few holes to allow some steam to escape.

Place the whole chicken in a large pot. If you have a foil packet, add it to the pot as well.

In a separate container, dissolve the remaining black recado cubes in some water, then strain into the pot (straining is necessary to prevent the thrash from mixing into the soup).

Add cilantro, remaining onion, sweet pepper, celery, chicken consommé, garlic powder, oregano, spice seeds and cinnamon sticks. Add water to the pot until it covers the chicken by about 3 inches.


Place over medium heat until chicken is cooked (approximately 1 hour) - add salt if necessary when checking to see if chicken is cooked.

Serve hot with corn tortillas. (Some serve this with rice).

My Beautiful Belize

What is Belizean Black Soup?

Black Dinna, A Belizean Favorite!

Pouring bubbly on New Year's Eve is a must, but what about the menu? That really depends on where you live.  Around the world, people eat certain foods on New Year's Day. In Belize, some households will enjoy a nice plate of rice and beans, ham, turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing - very similar to a Thanksgiving meal .

Still, the most popular dish to consume on New Year's Eve or Day is the traditional Black Relleno. Black Relleno, also known as "black dinna", is a famous dish originated by the Mestizos which is a savory black soup that features chicken, pork balls, boiled eggs, and of course… spices! What makes the soup stand out is its color. The distinctive black color comes from the use of the black recado, a paste made of local chili peppers that are roasted until they are black.

This soup is enjoyed by all in Belize, and we hope you’ll enjoy it too. Don't judge it until you've tried it!  Be bowled over by this classic recipe from the Flavors of Belize cookbook. !

Black Relleno  Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 4 pounds chicken, cut into serving sizes
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• Season chicken with salt and pepper and set aside.
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons epazote leaves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 pounds ground pork steak
• 2 tablespoon black recado, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons allspice
• 2 eggs
• 6 whole hard-boiled eggs, reserve whole yolk, dice whites

GROUND PORK PREPARATION

Sauté onions, garlic, and epazote in oil. Season ground pork with salt, pepper, cumin, allspice and add dissolved black recado. Combine with sautéed onions and cook until well done. Remove from heat, cool and mix with two eggs to hold meat together. Divide pork mixture into 3 equal balls. Flatten each portion in the palm of your hand and add 2 boiled egg yolks and fold over to close the ball. Set aside.

• 8 tablespoons black recado
• ½ teaspoon red recado
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 to 8 cups water

SOUP PREPARATION

Dissolve black and red recado in 1 cup of water. Place 6 to 8 cups of water in large stockpot and add dissolved seasonings. Bring to a boil. Add ground pork balls and reduce heat to medium. When the balls float add chicken, cover and continue cooking for 1 hour. Season to taste and garnish with reserved egg whites. Serve with fresh corn tortillas.

Serves 6.

Written by: Vivian Lizarraga