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1
Soak & Boil the Salted Pork
10 Mins (+ overnight soak)
Boiling, 100°C (212°F)
The night before, put the salted pigtail in a bowl of cold water and leave it to soak overnight. Drain, put it in a pot of fresh water, bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, then drain and cut into pieces.
Never skip the soak and the boil — they pull out a large share of the salt, and the pot will be inedibly salty without them.
Done when: Meat is tender enough to cut easily and the boiling water tastes salty, not fiercely so.
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2
Mix the Dumpling Dough
10 Mins
Room temperature, ~21°C (70°F)
Put the flour in a bowl and add the water a little at a time, mixing until a firm, smooth dough forms. Knead briefly, then roll into 8 small oblong dumplings and cover them so they do not dry out.
The dough should feel firm, not sticky — soft dough falls apart in the pot, and the dumplings need to hold their shape for 15 minutes of simmering.
Done when: Dough is smooth and firm, and the dumplings hold their shape when handled.
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3
Layer the Pot
10 Mins
Medium heat to a simmer, ~95°C (203°F)
Pour a little of the turmeric coconut milk into the bottom of a large, heavy pot. Scatter in the onion, garlic, spring onions and thyme, then layer in the salted pork and chicken, the carrots, pumpkin and green bananas, and half the dasheen leaves. Arrange the breadfruit wedges on top, tuck the dumplings among the layers, cover with the remaining leaves, and set the whole scotch bonnet on top. Pour over the rest of the coconut milk — the ingredients do not need to float.
Layering matters: the meat at the bottom cooks in the richest liquid, the breadfruit on top steams gently, and the leaves on top wilt down over everything.
Done when: Pot is layered with the breadfruit on top, the dumplings tucked in, and the coconut milk just covering the lower layers.
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4
Simmer Down — Do Not Stir
35 Mins
Gentle simmer, ~95°C (203°F)
Cover the pot tightly, bring it to a gentle simmer and cook for 35 minutes without lifting the lid or stirring. The coconut milk will slowly reduce and the oil will begin to separate and coat the ingredients — that is the dish cooking down, and it is where the name comes from.
Do not stir, not even once: stirring breaks the breadfruit into mush and turns the pot into porridge. Shake the pot gently by the handles if you worry about sticking.
Done when: Breadfruit is nearly tender, the liquid has dropped noticeably, and a thin sheen of oil shows on the surface.
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5
Tuck In the Dumplings & Finish
15 Mins
Gentle simmer, ~95°C (203°F)
Lift the lid, check that the chicken is cooked through to 74°C (165°F) at its thickest part, and taste the liquid before adding any of the salt. Drop the dumplings on top if they are not already in, cover again and simmer 15 minutes more until the dumplings are cooked through, the breadfruit is tender, and most of the liquid has cooked down to a thick, glossy gravy. Lift out the scotch bonnet and rest the pot for 5 minutes before serving.
The pot is done when you can see the oil glistening around the edges and the gravy coats a spoon instead of running off it like water.
Done when: Chicken reaches 74°C (165°F); breadfruit is tender but holds its shape; dumplings are cooked through; the gravy is thick and glossy.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Spoon a little of every layer onto each plate — some breadfruit, chicken, salted pork, callaloo, a dumpling and a green banana — and ladle the glossy coconut gravy over the top. Set hot pepper sauce on the table so everyone seasons their own plate.
Grenada
1h 55m
France
Vietnam