JAMAICAN SOUPS HOW TO PREPARE JAMAICAN SOUPS. (With pictures) SHARON MILLER-ROBINSON

Transcription

1 JAMAICAN SOUPS HOW TO PREPARE JAMAICAN SOUPS (With pictures) BY SHARON MILLER-ROBINSON

2 COPYRIGHT All rights reserved. No part of this book maybe reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher or author.

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Pictures and Description of various Food Groups How to prepare Jamaican Fish Tea How to prepare Jamaican Fish Chowder How to prepare Jamaican Beef Soup How to prepare Jamaican Red Peas Soup How to prepare Jamaican Pepper Pot Soup How to prepare Jamaican Gungo Soup How to prepare Jamaican Manish Water How to prepare Jamaican Callaloo Soup How to prepare Jamaican Chicken Foot Soup

4 INTRODUCTION Most Jamaicans cook soups on Saturdays. Each Saturday you will see the country people preparing different variety of soups. As a child, growing up in the country, my Great mother who was an excellent cook working on the train lines would go down to the Saturday marketing in the District Square to purchase her vegetables and meat at the butcher shop. We had one butcher shop in the district, where farmers would deliver their prime meats for testing and selling to the district elders. Soups were also used as a remedy for colds, especially the famous chicken foot soup. My Great Grand Mother and Grand Father had their own Farm Land, where they would reap their crop weekly for cooking their soup. These included Dasheen, Yellow Yam, Green Bananas, Sweet Potato, Irish Potatoes, Cho cho, Carrots, Turnips, Pumpkin, Breadfruit and Coco. DEFINITIONS AND PICTURES DASHEEN This herb is of the Pacific islands. It is grown throughout the tropics and known for its edible root.

5 YELLOW YAM The edible starchy tuberous root of various plants (genusdioscorea of the family Dioscoreaceae) used as a staple food in tropical areas, and mostly eaten in the Caribbean. GREEN BANANA Green bananas look very much like yellow bananas but very different in several respects, most notably their flesh is firm and starch tasting rather than soft and sweet like a yellow banana s.

6 SWEET POTATO Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) come in two main varieties, especially in the United States. One has a golden skin with creamy white flesh and a crumbly texture. The other has a copper skin with an orange flesh that is sweet and soft. All sweet potato varieties generally have the same shape and size -- they are tapered at the ends and much smaller than the aforementioned yams. IRISH POTATO An Irish potato is an edible tuber from the Solanum tuberosum plant, which is actually native to South America, not Ireland. Irish potatoes are named after Ireland because they are closely associated with the Irish potato famine, a historical famine caused by a mold infestation of the Irish potato crop. You may also know an Irish potato as a white potato; Irish potatoes are probably one of the most commonly abundant forms of this popular tuber, and they are of the major sources of starch worldwide.

7 Irish Potato(Cont d) The flesh of an Irish potato is a creamy white, and it is covered with a white to cream-colored skin which may be mottled with black flecks or marks. Irish potatoes are classified as waxy, which means that they are ideally suited to boiling, as they will hold their shape well. They can also be roasted, broiled, or turned into potato salads and fried potatoes. They are less suitable for things like mashed potatoes, as they tend to turn gluey and dense when they are mashed. JAMAICAN CHO CHO The Jamaican cho cho is a tropical fruit that is a native of Mexico and Central America. There are quite a few varieties; however, they all have pear or slightly oval shape. It carries a thin green skin fused with its flesh. In some Spanish speaking countries the word cho cho means the vagina. The Jamaican cho cho is used in many dishes as a vegetable or fruit, although this fruit has a bland taste it is eaten raw in salads and salsa or with lemon juice. When it is cooked it tastes like a potato or a cucumber. The Jamaican cho cho is a good source of vitamin C and amino acid. It adapts well to the tropics and has become a major food in diets of many, Although, only the fruit is eaten in Jamaica, other countries used other part of the plants including the root, which is starchy. The cho cho leaves are believed to be diuretic and have cardiovascular properties.

8 CARROTS The history of the carrot can be traced back 5000 years. Evidence has been dug up that this root plant originated in Afghanistan. Over the centuries traders traveling through the region picked up carrot seeds there and carried them along the trade routes of Arabia, Africa, and Asia, selling them in regions anxious to cultivate new and productive plants. Even in the early days there were many varieties of carrots, coming in an assortment of colors - purple, white, black, and red but, surprisingly, not orange! TURNIPS

9 TURNIPS (Cont d) Commonly available at local produce stores and farm stands, turnips are nutritious and can offer an unexpected burst of flavor to almost any dish. A turnip has a bite like a radish but more closely resembles a potato when it's cooked. Turnips can be sautéed, grilled, blanched, roasted, or even enjoyed raw. If you want to know how to cook them in a variety of ways, just follow these steps. AMERICAN PUMPKIN JAMAICAN PUMPKIN

10 Pumpkins(Cont d) In sunny Jamaica, organic pumpkins are grown everywhere. We love boiling pumpkins and eating them as a starchy food but little did I know that Americans carved them out and grew gigantic ones! In Jamaica, on the Yes We Can Farm we grow a lot of pumpkins. BREADFRUIT Breadfruit can be cooked and eaten at all stages of development. It is typically consumed when matured, but still firm, and is a delicious substitute for any starchy root crop, vegetable, pasta, potato, Small, immature fruit can be boiled, or cooked with rice. Mature breadfruit can be boiled, steamed, or baked and replace potatoes in many recipes. Small, immature fruit can be boiled, pickled or marinated, and have a flavor similar to that of artichoke hearts. Sliced breadfruit can be fried to make chips or French fries. Ripe fruit are creamy and sweet and can be eaten raw or used to make pies, cakes, and other desserts. Breadfruit made into a cereal or pureed ripe fruit is good food for babies. The nutritious seeds resemble chestnuts in flavor and texture. They are boiled, roasted, or ground into meal. Immature fruit can be sliced, seeds and all, and cooked as a vegetable.

11 JAMAICAN COCO Taro is a root vegetable that is otherwise known as cocoyam, coco yam or coco. I grew up eating it. This was one of my grandfather's main crops. There are different species or types of taro but the main kinds grown in Jamaica are the minty coco, ju coco, and dasheen. The minty and ju-coco are from the same breed of tarro known as the eddoe. The minty coco is white when peeled and is soft boiled. The ju-coco has a light purple colour and hard boiled, meaning, it is very firm even when cooked and is better eaten when hot because it gets even harder when cold. The dasheen is soft boiled and my favourite of all the taro available. Some dasheens are white while others have a slight purplish color. It is believed (in Jamaica) that some root vegetable like yams and taro changes color when planted during the height of the moon. These vegetables are popularly called moonshine yam or moonshine dasheen. Some people may refer to the taro as a potato but it is not. Potatoes grow on vines and taro is a tuber.

12 1. HOW TO PREPARE JAMAICAN FISH TEA Jamaican Fish Tea is what I d describe as a light soup or a broth soup. That s because real Jamaican soups are thick, hearty and more like a stew. Also, unlike other Jamaican soups, fish tea can be made in less than an hour! Traditionally, fish tea is made with small inexpensive fish like herring or sprat, but you can use any fish you like. I would recommend using red snapper because it s a fleshy fish that doesn t have a lot of bones. My version of fish tea is a little heartier than what I grew up with. When I was young we d be lucky to have carrots and cabbage in ours. But if we had more vegetables we d put more in the pot. So, this recipe is my ideal version of fish tea full of vegetables and flavor! Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes Ingredients 2 medium whole fish or 4 small Fishes 8 cups Water 3 Green Bananas, sliced 2 Cho Cho (choyote), sliced 1 large Carrot, sliced 1 small onion, sliced 1/2 Green and Red Bell Pepper, sliced

13 Fish Tea Ingredients (Cont d) 2 Scallion stalks (green onion) Salt to taste Black Pepper to taste 2 to 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme 1/4 tsp West Indian Hot Pepper Sauce 1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper 1 Tbsp Butter or Margarine Method 1. Remove fish heads and set aside. Filet fish and set flesh aside. 2. Place the fish heads and bones into a stock pot; add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil for 10 minutes. 3. Strain fish stock and discard heads and bones; add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. 4. Add green bananas, cho cho and carrot to fish stock and bring to a rapid boil. 5. Add onion, bell peppers and scallion; add salt and black pepper to taste, fresh thyme, hot pepper sauce and stir 6. Place scotch bonnet pepper and fish fillets on top of soup and simmer on Medium High for 10 minutes 7. Stir in butter or margarine and simmer for 5 minutes Serves 4

14 2. HOW TO PREPARE JAMAICAN FISH CHOWDER SOUP This hearty soup is so satisfying, you may be surprised to learn it s actually low in fat. Caribbean jerk seasoning adds a zippy punch to tantalize your taste buds. Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Total Time: 50 Minutes Ingredients 1 package (8 oz) red beans and rice mix 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk 1 cup fat-free sour cream 1 can (4 oz) shrimp, drained 1 can (6 oz) crab meat, drained 1 can (6 1/2 oz) minced clams, drained 2 cups (8 oz) shredded pepper jack or Monterrey jack cheese 1 tbs Caribbean jerk seasoning 1 can (15 1/4 oz) whole kernel corn, drained 1 can (4 oz) diced mild green chillies 1 tbs lime juice chopped parsley

15 Fish Chowder Soup (Cont d) Method In a large saucepan, cook rice mix according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together milk and sour cream until well blended. Gently fold in shrimp, crab meat, clams, cheese and seasoning. Add mixture to rice mix in saucepan. Heat until cheese melts, but do not boil. Stir in corn, chillies and lime juice. Serve immediately and garnish with chopped parsley

16 3. HOW TO PREPARE JAMAICAN BEEF SOUP Ingredients For the soup: 3 pounds beef with bone, such as short ribs or shin 2 pounds peeled and seeded pumpkin, cut into medium chunks 10 cups water 3 whole scallions, crushed 2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper plus 2 slices (any color) 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/2 pound yellow or white yam, peeled and cut into medium chunks (optional) 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into chunks For the spinners: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for hands 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup water

17 Method Combine the beef, pumpkin, and water in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until pumpkin has dissolved and beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, prepare the spinners: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Add the water, and blend with a wooden spoon until a ball forms. Flour hands, and knead slightly to form a soft dough. Add more flour if dough is too sticky. Cover, and set aside. When meat is tender, remove it from pot. Remove meat from bones, chop it, and return to the pot. Bring to a brisk simmer over medium heat and add scallions, garlic, Scotch bonnet pepper, thyme, salt, pepper, yam, and carrot. Return to a simmer. Form spinners by rolling sm all pieces of dough between floured palms to form 1-inchlong oblongs. Drop into soup one at a time. Stir gently to prevent them from sticking to bottom. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove Scotch bonnet be

18 4. HOW TO PREPARE JAMAICAN RED PEAS SOUP Red Peas Soup (Cont d) This Jamaican Red Pea Soup recipe is a family favorite, made using dry red peas which have to be soaked overnight. Iin Jamaica we call them "Red Peas" but they are really Red Kidney Beans. Ingredients 2 Cups dry Red Peas 1/2 lb in total of salted Pig's tail... and/or salt beef... if you can't get those use chopped bacon About a dozen whole dry pimento berries (Allspice) 1/2 of a fit but not ripe Bread Fruit, or 1 tin of Bread fruit slices 2 to 3 sprigs of fresh thyme 1 whole Scotch Bonnet pepper (2 if you wish) - but do not break 4-5 stalks scallion (escallion, skellion, spring onion) - chopped Black Pepper and Salt to taste at the end You can add spinners, dumplings, yam or dasheen to Red Pea soup... your choice.

19 Method Soak the dry Red Peas and the pig's tail or salt beef overnight. Next day put Red Peas in a large saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil, turn heat down to a simmer. Chop the pig's tail and salt beef into bite sized chunks and add to the saucepan after about 30 minutes. Add pimento berries at the same time. If you have a whole fresh breadfruit cut it in half, scoop out and discard centre, peel skin off, and put half in freezer for next time. Cut the other half into slices. Add the breadfruit, thyme and Scotch Bonnet Pepper to the pot after the peas have been cooking for about 75 minutes. If you are using tin bread fruit don't add until peas begin to soften... and if you are using bacon instead of pig's tail add it at the same time. Red Peas Soup (Cont d) When red peas are soft (after 1 3/4 to 2 hours cooking) carefully remove Scotch Bonnet Peppers (don't break) and Thyme sprigs. Some cooks like to remove the breadfruit and meat from the pot and puree the red peas... others prefer it as is... your choice. Put all ingredients back into pot... add Scallion... simmer for 10 minutes.

20 5. HOW TO PREPARE PEPPER POT SOUP Ingredients ½ lb Salted Pig s Tail ½ lb Stewing Beef 4 quarts Water 1 lb fresh Callaloo or Kale ½ lb Yellow Yam, cubed ½ lb Coco, cubed 12 Okras, cut in pieces 1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper 1 Clove of Garlic 8 small Spinner Dumplings (see below) 4 stalks fresh Thyme, tied with string 2 Stalks Escallion or Green Onion, chopped 1 cup fresh Coconut Milk or ½ cup canned Coconut Milk ¼ lb Raw Shrimp (optional)

21 Spinners (long dumpling) 1 cup Flour A pinch of Salt 1. Add enough cold water to make stiff dough 2. Form into small long dumplings Instructions 1. Soak pig s tails in cold water overnight and drain 2. Cook pig s tail and stew beef in 4 quarts of water until tender 3. Add callaloo and cook until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes 4. Remove callaloo from pot and, in a bowl, puree with a hand blender until smooth; pour back in pot 5. Bring soup to a boil and add yam, coco, okra, garlic, bell pepper 6. Tie stalks of thyme together with string. Add thyme and place the scotch bonnet pepper on top of the soup. 7. Add 8 to 10 spinner dumplings simmer cover until all the vegetables are tender 8. Add escallion and coconut milk to soup and stir 9. Remove scotch bonnet pepper and, if using, add shrimp and simmer until shrimp turn pink, about 2 to 3 minutes

22 6. HOW TO PREPARE JAMAICAN GUNGO SOUP Ingredient 1 lb salted pig tail 1 lb stewing beef cubed 2 cups Gungo Peas green or dried 4 qt water 4 small potatoes peeled and cubed 1 Sprig fresh thyme, salt, and hot pepper to taste Method 1. Combine pig tail, beef, and Gungo peas in boiled water 2. Cook for 1 hr to 1 1/2hr or until beans are tender and begin to split open 3. Add the potatoes, thyme and hot pepper 4. Add salt, and hot pepper to taste. Stir the soup and allow to simmer for 1 hour Cooking time: 3 hrs

23 7. HOW TO PREPARE JAMAICAN MANNISH WATER SOUP Mannish water is made from the offal of the goat -head, legs, intestines, and testicles etc. which are normally combined with green banana, coco, yam, dumplings and scotch bonnet pepper. White rum is some times added. Mannish water is served at feasts and other large gatherings such as funerals. Its name is believed to be related to its aphrodisiac properties (served to men on their wedding day) White rum may also be added The earliest reference to mannish water was found in 1968 which has lead to the inference that it is a recent dish. It is a Jamaican favorite. You can use lamb if goat is not available Ingredients 2 lb goat head, intestine and feet (2 pounds lamb meat may be substituted) 1 1/2 gallons water 6 green bananas, sliced 1 lb yams, diced 1 1/2 cho cho (chayotes), seeds and skin removed, diced 1/2 lb dasheen ( taro root), diced 1/2 lb carrots, diced 1/2 lb turnips, diced 4 ozs scallions, chopped 2 scotch bonnets or habaneros, chopped (Very hot ) 3 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped Salt to taste 1/2 lb flour (for Spinners)

24 Manish Water Soup (Cont d) Method 1 Chop meat into small pieces (if not already chopped) 2. Wash and place in a 5 gallon container with 3 gallons of hot water. 3. When the water returns to a boil, simmer until meat is cooked soft (about 2 ½ -3 hours). 4. Peel green bananas and add all other ingredients, except for flour, i.e. vegetables, seasonings etc. cook uncovered for one hour more. 5. Use flour to make spinners.(jamaican dumplins) Add to stock. 6. Correct seasoning and remove hot peppers. Add more water if necessary. Serve hot. Serves 8-10

25 8. HOW TO PREPARE JAMAICAN CALLALOO SOUP Ingredients (Callaloo Soup) 1/4 pound salt pork 1 large onion; diced 1 scotch bonnet pepper; seeded & minced (substitute 1 jalapeno if you can't find scotch bonnets) 1 clovegarlic; minced 1/2 pound boneless pork loin; diced 1\4 cups chicken stock 1/2 pound callaloo (substitute colored greens or spinach,if callaloo is not available); chopped 1 cup calabaza squash; diced 1 teasp. Fresh thyme leaves 1/2 teasp. Ground black pepper 1/2 pound lump crabmeat

26 Method Add salt pork to large saucepan & cook over medium heat for 10 minutes; stirring occasionally. Remove salt pork & discard, leaving rendered fat in the pot. Add the onion, scotch bonnet pepper, garlic & pork loin cubes to the pot & sauté 8 to 10 minutes, or until the pork is cooked in center. Add chicken broth, callaloo, calabaza squash, thyme leaves & black pepper to pot. Cook 20 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat just a little & stir in lump crabmeat & cook for 10 minutes. Serve with rice or "roti" ( Indian-style flatbread).

27 9. HOW TO PREPARE JAMAICAN CHICKEN FOOT SOUP Chicken Foot Soup (Cont d) The only difference with making the chicken feet soup (called chicken foot soup in Jamaica) and making the beloved chicken soup is that you cook the chicken foot first by boiling for a while. You use the same water it was cooked in to make the soup. You have two choices for making the chicken "foot" soup: 1. Partially cook the chicken feet then add veggies and let finish cooking. 2. Cook chicken feet until very soft and it falls apart then remove bones. Use stock to cook soup.

28 Ingredients 1 1/2 lbs chicken feet, cleaned and trimmed 1 lb pumpkin, cut into chunks 2 medium size cho cho, chopped 2 large white potatoes, cut into chinks 1 medium chayote, cut into chunks 1 lb yellow yam, cut into chunks 1 green scotch bonnet pepper 2 stalks escallion 1 bunch fresh thyme 1 packet of soup flavoring/soup mix 4 garlic cloves 1/2 teaspoon pimento seed Salt and pepper to taste Water 2 cups whole wheat flour, for dumplings 1 cup plain flour, for dumplings

29 Prepping You can reduce cooking time by using a pressure cooker for your chicken feet, but before you start you have to decide on your approach. If you are using the pressure cooker it will cut your cooking time in half, you would need to prepare your vegetables before. You don't need to peel the pumpkin or the potatoes. Leaving the skin on will add more nutrients to the dish. So just use a soft bristle brush ( I sometimes use a scotch bite pad) to scrub the potato. You can rinse the pumpkin skin thoroughly before cutting. Chop and cut your veggies and set aside. Let s start cooking! For dumplings Combine both flours and add a pinch of salt. Add water a little at a time and use the fingers to form the dough. When the dough is formed use heel of palm to kneed for two minutes. Dough should not be too sticky or dry. To make dumplings, pinch off a golf ball size amount and make a ball with hands, slightly flatten the ball with the fingers and add them to your soup! Instructions 1. In your favorite stock pot/soup pot, place 8 cups of water with your pimento seeds and smashed garlic cloves. If you are opting for the pressure cooker, use 4 cups water and pressure for 10 minutes. 2. Bring water to a boil then add chicken feet that have been cleaned and prepped OR after pressuring then add 4 more cups water and bring to a boil. 3. When chicken feet are tender, add pumpkin and cook for 15 minutes or until the soup starts to get the color of the pumpkin. 4. Add your other vegetables and dumplings and cook on medium, cover for 20 minutes. 5. Add soup mix, escallion(chives) and green scotch bonnet pepper (this will not be spicy). Salt and pepper to taste. 6. Cover and let simmer on medium low until soup starts to thicken and all vegetables are cooked.

30 CONCLUSION If you come to Jamaica, you will find most of these recipes in restaurants on the north coast and around the countryside. I do hope that you will learn how to prepare these sumptuous meals in your home. Enjoy!