I’ve been given a book on Caribbean cookery, full of ideas and new ingredients. The limitation is on which ones I can purchase locally – not a lot of cho-cho or okra or scotch bonnet peppers. I tried this recipe, leaving out the cho-cho, and using some fresh garden kale, and it was really good, tasty and filling. This makes a lot of vegetable stew, to be served with rice, or perhaps alongside a chicken dish, or on its own.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp scotch bonnet pepper sauce or 1 scotch bonnet pepper (available online) (or use red chillies from the co-op – use a lot; this is meant to be very spicy)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger root, peeled and chopped, or half a teaspoonful of dried ginger
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 large corn cob, chopped into 5 segments
- 200ml marigold stock
- 3 bell peppers, mixed colours, sliced
- 100g Japanese kale, or spinach
- 200ml coconut milk (half a can)
METHOD:
- Heat the oil in a large casserole pan, and fry the onions and garlic, until softening.
- Add the scotch bonnet sauce, black pepper, thyme, ginger, all-spice, turmeric, and stir in, before adding the sweet potato, squash, corn and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the kale, peppers and coconut milk, adjust seasoning. Simmer for another five minutes or so until the kale is cooked.
This is a very filling, hearty stew, brightening up a winter’s evening.