Upon closer examination, you’ll see traits of a soup, a chunky stew, and even the most critical Grenadian must admit that this version is spectacular. Admittedly, a classic Grenadian Oil Down contains layers of textures and flavors that are somewhat steamed to avoid the soup-like texture you’ll see in this recipe.
You’ll Need…
3 lbs salted pigtail (pre-boiled)
3 lbs chicken (legs & thigh)
1 1/2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust)
1 tablespoon Black Pepper (divided)
1 tablespoon curry powder
2-3 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large onion (diced)
6 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 scotch bonnet pepper
6 pimento peppers (divided)
5-8 sprigs thyme
6 scallions (divided)
2 large sweet potato (1/4s)
2 lbs pumpkin (1-inch cube)
3-5 lbs breadfruit (pre-boiled)
8 okra (rough chopped)
4-5 cups water
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 tablespoon chicken stock powder
1 tablespoon grated ginger
3/4 lb spinach (washed, ripped)
2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
1 1/2 tablespoons shado beni (Culantro)
Notes! I suggest you follow along with the video below, as much more about the recipe is discussed there. Feel free to add dasheen, eddoes, green banana, etc should you wish, and flour dumplings are also a great addition.
Prep all of the ingredients; this includes pre-boiling the salted pigtail pieces in a deep pot of water for about one hour. This will help tenderize them and remove most of the salt it was cured in.
Season the cleaned chicken pieces (remove the skin and fat and wash with the juice of a lime or lemon, if you normally wash your chicken) with the green seasoning, 1/2 the black pepper, salt, and curry powder.
Heat the oil in a deep pot on a medium flame, cook the chicken pieces for 15 minutes, then remove and set aside.
Turn the heat down to med/low in the same pot and add the onion, garlic, 1/2 of the pimento peppers (sliced), 1/2 of the scallions, thyme, and the Scotch Bonnet pepper. Cook for 4 minutes. Stir well.
Add the pre-cooked salted pigtail pieces and stir well. Then add pumpkin, sweet potatoes, okra, remaining black pepper, and pre-boiled breadfruit (discussed in the video).
Add water, coconut milk, chicken stock powder, and grated ginger. Turn the heat up to bring it to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes.
At this point, add the spinach and continue cooking. Were I in the Caribbean or had access to good Dasheen leaves (Taro), I’d prefer using that instead.
Cook for a further 25-30 minutes, and it should be perfect. At this point, you can taste and adjust the salt to your liking (be mindful that the salted pigtail, along with the chicken stock, will add salt to the dish).
You can adjust the liquid to make it more of a soup consistency. It will further thicken as it cools. I like finishing with the remaining scallions, pimento peppers, and the addition of parsley and Chadon Beni. Cook a further 3-5 minutes, and you’re done.
Source: www.caribbeanpot.com
