The World Table

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Trinidadian · Soup

Crab and Callaloo

  • Intermediate
  • 25 min
  • roughly 4 of 4 for cost

rich · fiery · aromatic · warm-spiced Leads with richness that coats and comforts, real fire that builds and stays, fading in warm spice.

Ingredients

  • 500g young dasheen (taro) leaves
  • 10 okra, topped and sliced
  • 2 blue crabs, about 700g, cleaned and quartered
  • 400ml coconut milk
  • 600ml water
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 3 pimento seasoning peppers, chopped
  • 1 whole scotch bonnet, left unbroken
  • 6 chadon beni leaves, chopped
  • 30g butter
  • 2 tsp salt

Allergen screen

Found: dairy · shellfish

Screened for: gluten, dairy, egg, nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, molluscs, soy, sesame, celery, mustard, lupin, alcohol. Not screened: sulphites.

Screened by keyword from the ingredient list, not reviewed by a person; check every label for what the list cannot show.

Method

  1. Strip out the thick leaf ribs and peel the stringy skin from the stems, wash the leaves through several changes of water and shred them; wear gloves if your hands are sensitive to the sap.
  2. Put the leaves, okra, onion, garlic, thyme, pimento and water in a heavy pot, sit the whole scotch bonnet on top and simmer covered for 35 minutes, until the leaves have collapsed to a dull olive sludge. 35 min
  3. Add the crab and the coconut milk and simmer 15 minutes more, until the shells have turned orange and the pot smells sweet. 15 min
  4. Lift out the pepper and the crab pieces, then swizzle the pot hard with a lele, or blend it, until the callaloo is smooth, glossy and pours in a thick ribbon.
  5. Return the crab, stir in the butter, chadon beni and salt, simmer 2 minutes and taste only now. 2 min

At the Table

The Pour
Off-dry Riesling (Mosel Kabinett)
Also Right
Gewürztraminer or off-dry Chenin
From the Taps
Crisp lager or pilsner
Zero-Proof
Agua fresca or iced jasmine tea

Sugar, cold, and low alcohol are the fire code: sweetness tames capsaicin while acid resets the palate; tannin would fan the flames.

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Film school

This dish, cooked on camera Search films of Crab and Callaloo The cuisine, deeper Technique films from the Trinidadian kitchen