Callaloo Trini Style Recipes

TRINIDAD CALLALOO RECIPE

Steps:

• In a saucepan over low heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, add meat or seafood if you are using, pumpkin, carrots, ochroes, spinach/dasheen bush bhagee(taro leaf), scallions, celery, onion, thyme, garlic, green seasoning and the habanero and pimento peppers.
• Add coconut milk to pan, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Cover and let simmer (low heat) for about an hour or until all ingredients are cooked and soft, stirring every 10-15 minutes to mix and prevent sticking to the bottom.
• When finished, remove habanero pepper (being careful not to burst it) and (meat or seafood if using) and swizzle using a swizzle stick (also called dhal ghutney in Trinidad) to break up chunks.
• You may also use a food processor or blender or hand immersion blender for a finer, smoother consistency. I use the swizzle stick because the end result has texture which I like, plus less clean up. Sometimes, if you cook it long enough there is no need to swizzle.
• Return meat or crab back into the pot (if using) and serve hot over rice. Heat lovers can break the hot pepper on their plate and ooh and aaah your way to the last grain of rice.

CALLALOO (TRINIDAD)

Steps:

• Put salted pork pieces in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Drain off this water. Repeat this process to draw off the excess salt from the salted meat.
• Heat the oil in a large pot and add the onion, garlic, celery and fresh herbs. Sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add okras, pumpkin and dasheen leaves and sauté for another minute or so. Add the coconut milk and stock or water, crab and hot pepper.
• Keep an eye on that hot pepper use one that is not bruised. You DO NOT want that pepper to burst while cooking. The heat from the burst pepper will overpower the other flavours.
• Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 35 minutes.
• Taste and add salt if needed.
• Remove hot pepper and crab or meat, and swizzle the callaloo, or put in a blender or you can use an immersion type blender, and beat until smooth. Return the crab or meat pieces to the soup. Add the cooking margarine or butter. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Stir well.
• Serve hot as a soup on it's own or as a side dish.

CALLALOO (REAL TRINI STYLE)...CARIBBEAN

Steps:

• Separate leaves from stems. Thoroughly wash leaves and strip the stems. Tear leaves apart with hands into smaller pieces. Chop stems into about 2 inches length.
• Add all the ingredients into a medium pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then allow to simmer for 20 mins or until the okra seeds turn pink.
• Taste and season with salt & pepper if necessary.
• When the callaloo is done the leaves and okras should be tender and there should be enough liquid to blend the ingredients. If not add a little warm water to bring to a soup consistency.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Remove the pork tails before blending.
• Using a hand blender, blend the callaloo until all the ingredients are pureed.
• Store in a clean pot with pork tails and reheat before serving.
• Serve with rice, stewed Caribbean chicken, potato salad, boiled provisions, cole slaw, pigeon peas and macaroni pie.

CALLALOO-TRINI STYLE

Steps:

• Clean the leaves and remove the skin from the stalks and tips, rinse and chop coarsely.
• In a large pot, add all the ingredients with 2 cups of water.If you are adding meat it can go in with with ingredients at this time.
• Cover the pot and let simmer for minutes on a medium heat, ensuring the pepper is visible all the time and does not burst or this would make it very spicy.
• Remove pepper and let cool.
• Using a swizzle stick gently puree to blend like a soup or until a smooth consistency a blender could also be used by on a low speed just for a few seconds.

TRINI CALLALOO (COCONUT SOUP)

Steps:

• In a large heavy pot heat oil and add onion, garlic, celery and fresh herbs. Saute. Add okras and dasheen or spinach leaves. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add coconut milk and stock, bring to a boil reduce heat and simmer covered for 45 minutes. Stir in Angostura Bitters Blend soup until smooth; add butter and salt and pepper, stir. To Plate: Pour this delicious concoction into bowls, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve.

CALLALOO (TRINIDAD)

Steps:

• Put oil and bacon pieces in stockpot and cook bacon crispy.
• Add onion and garlic and seasonings, sauté; add stock, okra, silver beet and WHOLE pepper. Bring to boil, and then simmer until all vegetables are soft (approximately 1- 1 1/2 hours), BEING VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BURST THE WHOLE PEPPER. With spoon carefully remove pepper and discard.
• Using an electric beater (or hand held swizzle stick) beat soup until vegetables are mashed down (do not puree). Return pot to heat, and add crabmeat/crabs; simmer until cooked.
• Serve hot and wear a bib to keep front clean when eating crabs, and sucking crabmeat from legs-- ENJOY!