Chef Biography
Norma Shirley was born in Cliveside, St James, Jamaica and trained to be a nurse. She then moved to New York City where she got into the catering business. She later moved up to Stockbridge, Massachusetts to open her first restaurant, the Satin Restaurant. She moved back to Jamaica in the late 1980s to open Norma’s on Belmont Road, then to Port Royal Street and finally up to Montego Bay, to open Norma’s at the Wharfhouse. Norma’s at the Wharfhouse is where Great Chefs discovered her for their Great Chefs of the Caribbean series in 1998.
As a restaurateur, whose acumen in the kitchen was featured in major food publications such as Bon Appétit, chef Norma was called “the Julia Child of the Caribbean” by Food & Wine. When she and Ian Levy opened Norma’s on the Terrace, it was named one of the 60 Best Restaurants in the World by Condé Nast Traveler.
Chef Norma Shirley passed away 5 years later, but the restaurant remains one of the best in Jamaica.
Recipes
Grilled Baby Lamb Chops
Serving: 4 Print Grilled Baby Lamb Chops By Great Chefs October 13, 2015 Lamb chops crusted with layers of cheese, herbs, and breadcrumbs are served in a nest of callaloo, traditional Caribbean greens available in some Latin American groceries. You may substitute spinach for the pepper-spiked nest of greens if you wish. Ingredients Lamb Chops […]
Fillet of Red Snapper with Shrimp
Serving: 2 Print Fillet of Red Snapper with Shrimp By Great Chefs September 17, 2015 Scotch bonnet adds a touch of Caribbean heat to the broth used to poach the fish. This easy-to-prepare fish gathers flavors from the broth as it cooks. The accompanying vegetables are simply blanched. If you are serving this to a […]
Curried Nuggets of Lobster
Serving: 4 Print Curried Nuggets of Lobster By Great Chefs September 17, 2015 Nuggets of lobster tail meat are simmered in garlic and curry powder, then served in papaya boats on salad greens. One convenience is that thawed frozen lobster tails work well for the recipe. Another is that shrimp would make a delicious substitute […]
Broiled Baby Lamb Chops
Serving: 4 Print Broiled Baby Lamb Chops By Great Chefs September 16, 2015 Lamb chops crusted with layers of cheese, herbs, and breadcrumbs are served in a nest of callaloo, traditional Caribbean greens available in some Latin American groceries. You may substitute spinach for the pepper-spiked nest of greens if you wish. Ingredients Lamb Chops […]