Cook Panamanian Cuisine, Foods, and Dishes with Chef Chris

A Whole New World of Culinary Knowledge that will Broaden your Horizons and Change your Life Awaits.   Hit the Kitchen.

The following is a brief Description of the course and lessons.  It is also available for download in the first lesson.

Cooking with Chef Chris Young –

Delicious Panamanian Cuisine

Hit the Kitchen to Create Panamanian Cuisine, Foods, Dishes, and Desserts. A Latin Culinary Experience like no other.

Section 1 – Intro to Cooking in Panama

Welcome to my course on Cooking in Panama 

I will help you discover the joy and ease of creating Panamanian cuisine.

Lecture 1: Discovering the joy of cooking Panama style

At the end of the course students will be able to:   

Feel confident when going to the store

Rethink the use of vegetable, fruits, spices, meats, poultry and fish

Learn that spices can change everything

Go to the grocery store excited for what they will find

Refresh each day with a new creative idea

Find elements of fun in the kitchen

Remain inspired to learn more

Be more creative in the kitchen

Mix ingredients together to make savory dishes

Create a change in what cooking has taught you

Add elements to their diet never thought as possible

Walk away from the online cooking courses having a whole new mentality and a great passion for cooking.

Section 2 – Introduction to the Theory of Kitchen Essentials

Students will gain important knowledge about basic kitchen and cooking essentials.

Lecture 2:  This is the beginning of it all.  Learning the basics in the kitchen, anf all that goose with that including food prep, care, and understanding of the process.  I am going to make it simple for you.   

Here are highlights of this lesson:

What is a Chef?

Decipher a Recipe

Food sanitation and keeping your food safe

Washing raw ingredients

How to measure ingredients

Mise en Place

Essential knife skills

Understanding seasoning

Building your foundation for maximum flavor

Herbs and Spices.

I will teach you to put into practice these concepts throughout the different meals and cuisine that we create together in this class. 

See you in the kitchen.

Lecture 3 – Mis en Place: This is where it all begins in the kitchen.    

You gather your ingredients, 

Cut and prepare them for the meal.

Gather ALL your utensils

Gather your pots, and pans

Arrange them so you can embark on a journey of exquisite eating

Once ALL this is done.  You are ready to begin the next phase of the meal prep.  The cooking

Section 3 – Creating the Chicken Curry and Octopus Curry

Students will learn how to make very tasty easy Coconut Chicken Curry and Octopus Curry from a simple recipe.

Lecture 4: How to Make Chicken Curry the Panamanian Way

One of my favorite dishes to make, so quick and easy, definitely a crowd pleaser, spice it up with Bocas Del Toro Hot sauce Recipe found in the cookbook.

I've created my mis en place and now, it's time to roast it.   

A tasty delight, and favorite dish here in Panama.   

Lecture 5: Plating the Chicken Curry you cooked from the simple Chicken Curry Recipe. 

A perfect blend of habanero and spices makes this Bocas Del Toro specialty a gem to have in your kitchen.

That's a great tasting Chicken curry.

Lecture 6: What is the best way to cook octopus in Panama - Octopus Curry

Have you ever seen what's inside the Octopus?

Or how to prepare it for cooking? I have a sure-fire way to create a succulent and tender Octopus for all your octopi's dishes and recipes. 

As my friend says, "It tastes a little like lobster." when I gave him a taste. This will help ensure your octopus curry is a success.   

Lecture 7: Cooking Octopus Curry on the grill

We've boiled our Octopus. Now, comes time to grill it and actually create the curry.  It is a slightly different order than the chicken curry.   

Check it out.

Lecture 8: Plating the Octopus Curry with Crunchy Rice

Plating the Octopus Curry with Crunchy Rice

Yum Yum this full proof way to cook octopus will get it tender and succulent every time.

Panamanian Octopus Curry.  An easy recipe to make.

Section 4 – Ceviche and Patacones

Students will learn to Select the right seafood and cook Ceviche without heat and make Patacones the Panamanian way

Lecture 9: Students will learn to Select the right seafood and cook Ceviche without heat and make Patacones the Panamanian way

Miguel is my go-to man when it comes to Panama sea food.  He has a great selection Snook, Grouper and so much more. 

Here he is cutting, gutting, and fileting a Snook to show me. 

I'll select a grouper and bring him into the kitchen to cut, gut, and filet for us.   It is a beautiful fish

Lecture 10: Ceviche - Miguel CUTS Grouper for Ceviche

Yes. It's time to prepare the Grouper for Ceviche.  I will show you how to choose the freshest fish for all your sea food meals.

Here I bring Miguel to cut, gut, and filet this beautiful fish and then I will finish up with the final preparations of the choice cut of meat.

Lecture 11: Ceviche - Preparing the Vegetable Mis en Place for Ceviche

The fun part of preparing the Mis en Place of the veggies.  Get everything in order.  Get all your veggies in a row. Washed, and cut to perfection.  We set up for the Ceviche show.

Lecture 12: Ceviche - Fileting and Prep of Grouper for Ceviche Cooking

Selecting and cutting the final pieces of the select cut of meat that we have from the grouper. What a great fish.

Lecture 13: Ceviche -COOKING the fish without heat

Cooking without HEAT .    WHAT. You got it.

A quick mix with the lime juice and then the veggies.  Yummy Yummy.

Lecture 14: :Patacones - Stripping the Plantain for Patacones

This is more of a challenge then you may think.  It's all good though and once to select the plantain and peel it, you're ready for the Patacones.

I'll show you how here in this lesson.

Lecture 15: :Patacones - The first cooking

We soak the cut patacones in the water and cook it twice. 

Here is the first cooking.  Getting them ready for the smashing.

Lecture 16: :Patacones - Smashing and the 2nd Cooking

Yum Yum this full proof way to cook octopus will get it tender and succulent every time.

Panamanian Octopus Curry.  An easy recipe to make.

Lecture 17: Ceviche and Patacones - Plating the Panamanian Dish

Thin ad crispy or thicker and softer, these go great with our ceviche that has been cooking for just a few minutes. 

I love this dish.

Section 5 – Fruit Selecting, Gathering and Deciding for Panama Foods and Dishes PREP

Students will learn to identify the Right fruit for various dishes including Ceviche, salads, and a good strong drink

Lecture 18: Visiting Manuel's Fruit Truck, and Picking limes for Ceviche and Salad

I love it when Manuel comes to visit my restaurants. He has some of the best Panamanian fruit around. We'll stand around and talk about the season, the fruits, and I'll pick his brain on some local favorites to add to my kitchen preps.

Likewise, I like to go into my backyard trees when I can and chose Limes for my Ceviche. I have to test a few to make sure they are ready to be used to cook raw seafood without heat. 

Only when they are very acidic do they get the nod. A very special lime to be sure.  Many don't make the cut.

Section 6 – Panamanian Salads and Desserts with Pineapple, Papaya, and Mango.

Students will get excited to see how easy it is to create a fruit salad from local Mango and Papaya and finish with a sweet Pineapple Caramel Dessert

Lecture 19: Students will get excited to see how easy it is to create a fruit salad from local Mango and Papaya and finish with a sweet Pineapple Caramel Dessert

Mangos and Papaya are year-round favorites Panamanian foods down here in the country of Panama.   

This appetizer adds sweet and tangy flavor to any meal, and make a great addition to any Panamanian cuisine, morning, noon, or night.

Lecture 20: Students will get excited to see how easy it is to create a fruit salad from local Mango and Papaya and finish with a sweet Pineapple Caramel Dessert

Mangos are delicious, but fresh off the tree can land you in the hospital. Wash it off before eating, the milk of the fruit is in the poison ivy family. Mangos are big, messy wonderful fruit. Enjoy the flavor and taste.

Papaya are one of those things that you love or hate, I personally think the smell of the fresh flesh is that of vomit, however with a dash of lime the whole flavor profile changes to a different world. Use these fruits together to make a refreshing salad, that literally could be served at Breakfast, Lunch or dinner.

Section 7 – Making Sweet and Tangy Pineapple Dessert from local ingredients

Students will learn to make a Pineapple Caramel Dessert and a favorite drink from Pineapple

Lecture 21: Pineapple Caramel -Prepping the Pineapple for Roasting and Saucing

Cutting the Pineapple for this succulent Panama favorite is where we start in this beauty.  And why not - Pineapples are around $1.00 here in this beautiful land

Lecture 22: Pineapple Caramel - Roasting Pineapple to Caramelize the sugars

I love watching the flames as I roast these pieces to caramelize the sugars for the dessert. Come join me.

Lecture 23: Pineapple Caramel - Creating the Sauce from sugar cane and other local food

Add caramel sauce to grilled pineapple for a fun afternoon snack or a local dessert. Remember, Pineapples in Panama are around $1.

How much do you pay for your Pineapple???????????

Section 8 – Making the Chicha Fuerte (A Strong Drink - Like Wine.)

Students will learn to make a local favorite - a ferments wine made from Pineapple

Lecture 24: Making Chicha Fuerte (Strong Drink) in 5 days.  Start to finish

This fun drink is super easy, and is very popular. What else are you going to do with your pineapple peels anyway??. ??

Section 9 – Panama Rice - Con Colon.  We call it Crunchy rice.

Students will learn to make rice that is soft and crunchy to appeal to the gentle and hearty palette of the guest.

Lecture 25: Rice - cooking it, from start to finish.

Easy to do. Kinda care free, and amazingly simple and delicious. Our favorite is the crunchies. The best thing about rice, is it's even better the next day for fried rice and rice and eggs.

I walk you through how to cook this delicious Panamanian dish that adds depth to your meals. Rice, con colon, that's how we say it here in Panama.

Section 10 – Panamanian SanCocho - A hearty soup for friends and family a like -

Students will learn how to make the hearty, warming stew. See why it is called the healer

Lecture 26: SanCocho - Prepping the Chicken and the vegetables.

Gathering all your roots, veggies, and meat for this down-home Panamanian sancocho recipe makes this delicious soup a wonderful prep in your kitchen. Here we gather and prepare our Mis en place for creating this heartwarming soup.

Lecture 27: SanCocho - Cooking this delightfully warming stew the Panamanian way.

Let's get to it. We cook our soup from the first sizzle of the chicken to the simmering of the finished pot. Get ready for a delicious meal.

Lecture 28: SanCocho - Plating this lovely, heartwarming Panamanian specialty stew.

Panamanian Band-Aid.

It will cure the hangover, heal the soul and strengthen you. This is basically the Panamanian version of Chicken noodle soup.

This soup is available everywhere in the country. This is like your Grandma's chicken noodle soup, but next level. Locally old chickens (Galliana de Patio) are used and this soup is cooked for many hours and thickened with Yuca and Taro root. Here its often served with chicken on the bone, which makes it fun to eat, very rustic or caveman style.

Section 11 – Special Practice Lesson - Learning and Practicing to Sauté for better cooking.

Student will learn and Practice sautéing to become a better cook, and feel confident in the kitchen doing so.

Lecture 29: Sautéing Rice - Practice makes Perfect.

Anyone can do this.  Grab a skillet, grab some dry rice, and find a forest, or bridge, or just your back yard.  A great way to practice sautéing.

Learning the best Easy Panamanian cuisine.  Simple Coconut Curry Chicken.  Tender Octopus Curry, Patacones the Panamanian way.

A whole new world of culinary knowledge that will broaden your horizons and change your life awaits.