Food blogger serves up hot Haitian food buffet-style at Brockton and Randolph supermarkets

BROCKTON — A local self-taught chef is sharing his gift of cooking and giving the community a taste of Haiti through his buffet-style cooking at the American Food Basket.

Anyone can taste the delicious cuisine waiting in a warm pans for purchase and one group is thankful for the dishes that remind them of home.

What makes this buffet so special is that it gives Haitian migrants a connection to their homeland through authentic recipes.

Migrants staying in the hotel within walking distance of America's Food Basket in Randolph are able to buy hot, prepared food that reminds them of their birthplace, thanks to food blogger, Mirbentz Jean Francois.

Francois uses his recipes to create a daily spread of Haitian food purchased by the pound at the Brockton and Randolph America's Food Basket locations .

Every day, new items are added to the menu while the main entrées are rotating, but you can expect mac n cheese, plantains, rice and beans, and various meats at your disposal.

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This spice mix makes Francois' Haitian food special

What makes Francois' food different is the traditional island spices (epis) from Haiti.

Traditionally epis is made from a wide range of vegetables, including pepper, garlic, onion, shallot, green onions, leeks, thyme, parsley, plus salt and a chicken flavor cube.

Everyone makes their epis a little differently, and the color may range from orange to yellow to green depending on the region the person is from and also the vegetables they choose.

The food in the market is smothered in epis and unique flavors that will capture your tastebuds.

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What is Haitian spaghetti?

One of my favorite dishes served there is the classic Haitian spaghetti which is pasta fried into a tomato-based sauce with sauced onions, peppers, epis, garlic, meat or seafood of your choice, seasonings and thyme. Some would argue the spaghetti with hot dogs is the best variation of the dish, and I totally agree.

Haitian spaghetti is nothing like what you'd imagine spaghetti to be. In Haiti it's known as a breakfast dish to fuel your day with heavy carbs and protein. A total comfort food!

The menu is filled with traditional and non-traditional items including rice and beans, pasta, stewed chicken in vegetables, plantains, legume a vegetable and meat stew, fried turkey the Haitian way which it's cleaned in vinegar, salt and lemon then seasoned with epis and other vegetables, cooked in its own juices then deep fried to a crisp.

You can feast on the different combinations of food, and everyday there's something new to try.

Francois works with a team of people who follow his exact recipes to keep the flavors consistent.

How did the journey begin?

"I started cooking in the Brockton location weekly, and one of the managers from the Randolph location saw a video on Instagram and asked if I could do the same there. It started out as a weekly thing I did on Sunday, but now we serve Haitian food daily, fresh every morning at 11:45," Francois said.

The food blogger is not like your average cook; he is making a career of spreading Haitian recipes, videos, and plates of island food to the area.

With over 30,000 followers on Instagram, Francois coined "Did you eat yet?" as his tagline to gather more customers and introduce newcomers to the cuisine.

"It's important to me to showcase my recipes to the world and make Haitian food become as mainstream as possible. America's Food Basket gave me a good place to start showing the community about Haitian food," he said.

Where is America's Food Basket?

To try one of Francois's delicious creations, visit either America's Food Basket location at 1650 Main St., Brockton, or 300 North Main St., Randolph. The best time to secure a plate before they run out is between 11:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton food blogger sells hot Haitian food at America's Food Basket