Watercolor

OILDOWN RECIPE

Here is a way you can use the delicious breadfruit available at John Street Market. Oildown is the national dish of Grenada in the Caribbean. The first recipe contains a hair-raising amount of coconut milk and a hot pepper, so in keeping with the theme of this month’s magazine and for health reasons I have also included a lighter, DIY version. (Other recipes also include meat and many different ingredients. I imagine there are as many versions as there are families).

Lower fat 3 cups milk/soya milk 3 tbsp cornflour 1 cup lower fat coconut milk Half a cup chives 2 tsp. thyme Salt and pepper to taste Hot pepper sauce, to serve

Method

1.

Cut breadfruit lengthways into 8 slices, take the hard skin off the outside and cut the flesh into chunks.

Full Fat 1 large breadfruit 2 tsp. thyme Half a cup chopped pimentos (mini peppers) Half a cup chopped chives 4 cups of coconut milk 1 whole hot pepper (Scotch Bonnet or similar) Salt and pepper to taste.

2. 3. 4.

Place milk in a pan over high heat.

Mix cornflour with enough cold milk to form a paste. Add cornflour paste to hot milk. Stir until milk begins to thicken, do not allow to boil. Turn heat down to medium; add breadfruit, thyme, chives, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 45 minutes until breadfruit is cooked and tender. Before serving adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with West Indian Hot Pepper Sauce. (Only a tiny amount on the side, it’s not like HP sauce, it will blow your head off if you are not used to it). A cup = an ordinary teacup. I think the Americans have got the right idea with cup measurements – there’s no messing about with scales. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Method 1.

Cut breadfruit lengthways into 8 slices, take the hard skin off the outside and cut the flesh into chunks. Place in a saucepan with salt, pepper, thyme, pimentos, coconut milk and hot pepper (do not chop the pepper). Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 45 minutes until breadfruit is cooked and tender. Remove pepper before serving and adjust seasonings if necessary. Cover tightly and bring to the boil.

2.

3. 4.

5.

Jane Steele

Saturday 4am Kitchen

For 2011, after around fifty-five years of combined meat-eating, we decided to give not-eating-meat a go. It was fun, expanded our palettes and culinary repertoire and saved us a load of money. One of the most ingrained habits it challenged was late night/post-pub feasting which beforehand might have consisted of fried grease-meat; be it home-cooked or out of a shop, takeaway or van. We thought it might be nice to share some ideas for your own early hours boozed-feast; enough to feed a group of friends, made from store-cupboard/24-hour garage ingredients, and easy enough to cook without worrying about burning the house down when not ‘able to give your full attention’. Dahl and Nan

Method

It’s good to start making both the bread and the dahl at the same time but if there is only one of you cooking then start with the bread. It’s as simple as mixing the self-raising flour with a spoonful of yogurt and, if needed, a bit of cold water until it comes together to make a slightly sticky but roll-able dough. There is no need to knead. Leave it in a bowl for 20 mins whilst you make the dahl. For the dahl, start with the onion which should be sliced thinly and fried in oil slowly on a low heat until soft and translucent. The slower the better, and at least 10 mins. Then add the garlic, chillies, ginger and aromatic spices (cloves, cinnamon, cardamom) and fry for another couple of minutes. Add the red lentils: about a handful per person. Fry for a minute and then cover with boiling water and let simmer. As the lentils soak up the water, keep adding more water until they have cooked down: about 25 mins. About half-way through the cooking process add the other spices. I like to whisk the lentils to make them quite smooth and you should end up with a thick porridge-like consistency. Divide the naan dough into plum-sized balls and roll out very thin. Make sure you have the grill on very high with a baking tray warming up underneath. Melt the butter (with extra garlic and fresh chopped coriander if you have it) and brush over the base of the tray and the top of the naan. Put under the grill for a couple of minutes until the naan is bubbled and brown. Turn it over, brush again with butter and do the same.

Ingredients

For Dahl Red Lentils 1 Onion, sliced 2 Chillies, sliced (with seeds) Inch of ginger, grated 2 cloves of garlic, crushed and sliced 1 or 2 teaspoon each of: ground cinnamon ground cloves ground cardamom ground cumin ground coriander ground tumeric

For Naan Bread Self-raising flour Natural Yoghurt Butter Garlic, crushed and Fresh Coriander, chopped (optional) Exact quantities are dependent on how many people you’re making for, you can work it out.

Serve the naans and dahl together with the rest of the natural yogurt for dipping.

Andy Abbott and Yvonne Carmichael

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