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1
Season the Meats
15 Mins • Rest
Refrigerator, 4°C (39°F)
Rub the chicken thighs and pork chunks all over with the lime juice, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the crushed garlic, half the chopped onion and half the green seasoning. Cover and rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes while you peel the provisions. The lime and salt season the meat right through, and the herbs give the broth its fresh Caribbean base.
Do not skip the rest — even 15 minutes makes a real difference to the flavour of the meat.
Done when: Meat is evenly coated and smells fresh and herby.
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2
Brown the Meats and Build the Broth
25 Mins • Browning
Medium-high heat, ~190°C (375°F)
Heat the oil in a very large pot (at least 8 litres) over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken and pork in batches, about 4 minutes a side, until golden — do not crowd the pot or the meat will steam instead of browning. Return all the meat to the pot, add the tomato paste and the remaining onion, and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the 2.5 litres of cold water, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, and add the whole Scotch bonnet pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower to a simmer and skim off any foam.
The browned bits on the bottom of the pot are pure flavour — scrape them up when the water goes in.
Done when: Broth is simmering gently with a thin layer of golden fat on top; meat is browned on all sides.
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3
Add the Beans and Hard Provisions
40 Mins • Simmer
Gentle simmer, ~95°C (203°F)
Stir in the cooked red kidney beans, the dasheen, yam, green banana, sweet potato and pumpkin. The pot should be full but the liquid should still cover everything — top up with a little hot water if needed. Cover loosely and simmer gently for 40 minutes, stirring once or twice so nothing sticks. The dasheen slowly releases its starch and the broth begins to thicken; the pumpkin softens and can be mashed against the side of the pot to thicken it further.
Keep the simmer gentle — a hard boil breaks the provisions apart and clouds the broth.
Done when: Yam and dasheen yield easily to a fork; the broth coats the back of a spoon.
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4
Add the Carrots and Check the Meats
15 Mins • Simmer
Gentle simmer, ~95°C (203°F)
Add the carrots and the remaining green seasoning and simmer for 15 minutes more. Lift out a piece of chicken and a piece of pork and check them: the chicken should be cooked right through to the bone with no pink at the joints, and the pork should be tender enough to cut with a spoon. Check the chicken with a thermometer — it must reach 74°C (165°F) at the thickest part. Taste the broth and add the remaining half teaspoon of salt only if it needs it.
Salt goes in last because the broth concentrates as it simmers — seasoning early is how a pot ends up too salty.
Done when: Chicken reaches 74°C (165°F) internally; pork is spoon-tender; carrots are soft but still hold their shape.
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5
Make and Drop the Dumplings
20 Mins • Rolling Boil
Gentle boil, 100°C (212°F)
While the pot simmers, make the dumplings: mix the 200g flour with a pinch of salt, then add about 120 ml of cold water a little at a time, kneading until you have a stiff, smooth dough. Pinch off pieces and roll them between your palms into thin logs about as long as your little finger — the St Lucian shape. Bring the pot to a gentle boil and drop the dumplings in one at a time, then leave them alone for 2 minutes before stirring, so they set and do not stick together. Simmer for 18–20 minutes until the dumplings are cooked through, swollen and chewy.
Roll the dumplings thin: they swell as they cook, and fat ones stay doughy in the middle. Do not stir for the first 2 minutes after they go in.
Done when: Dumplings have doubled in size, float near the surface, and are cooked right through with no raw flour in the centre.
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6
Finish With Spinach and Rest
10 Mins • Rest
Off the heat, cooling from ~95°C (203°F)
Fish out the whole Scotch bonnet pepper and discard it — it has given its warmth to the broth. Stir in the spinach and let it wilt in the residual heat for 2 minutes. Take the pot off the heat, cover, and rest for 10 minutes so the broth settles and the dumplings finish absorbing flavour. Ladle into deep bowls, making sure every bowl gets meat, beans, a dumpling and a mix of provisions.
Resting matters: a bouyon served straight off the boil tastes sharp, while ten minutes of rest lets the flavours knit together.
Done when: Spinach is wilted and bright green; the broth is thick enough to coat a spoon; every bowl holds a cross-section of the pot.
Saint Lucia
40m
France
Vietnam