Jan 2, 2014

Trinidadian Callaloo and Crab Recipe

Crab and callaloo is a delicious national dish of Trinidad and Tobago. Callaloo is a concoction of dasheen leaves, okra, crab and salt meat, along with onions, pimento peppers, scotch bonnet, green onions and thyme, all cooked in fresh coconut milk. It is a delicious and extremely nourishing dish.

Here's a recipe to try at home:

Ingredients:

12 dasheen (eddo/taro) leaves, chopped (or spinach)

1 doz. okra, chopped into 1-inch pieces

2 Tsp salted butter

1 ham bone or pickled pig tail or any piece of salted meat (beef or pork), cut into 3 pieces2 large crabs cut into quarters

4 pimentos chopped (mild pepper)

1 whole scotch bonnet pepper

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large onion, chopped

1 chicken bouillon, crushed

3 cups water

1 cup coconut milk

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Cook ham bone or pig tail if used until it is soft. In the meantime, chop dasheen leaves (remove skin from the stalks before chopping) or spinach, okra and onion and set aside. Then prepare crabs (live), clean and wash thoroughly discarding backs and break into fairly large pieces.

In a skillet melt butter then add all ingredients except the scotch bonnet pepper and salt cook on medium high heat for 15 minutes. Add whole hot pepper. Re-cover pot and let cook for another 15 minutes or until everything is cooked through and the vegetables are very soft.

Remove the hot pepper and crab (and salt meat) from the pot. Use a swizzle stickor an immersion blender to puree the mixture, until you get a smooth thick liquid. You can do this in a food processor if you do not have an immersion blender or swizzle stick. Then combine spinach mixture with crabs and simmer slowly for about 20 minutes.

Taste for seasoning (salt) and adjust if necessary.

Pour soup into a bowl, garnish with hot pepper and crab. Serve as a soup to be eaten by itself or eat the Callaloo with rice, dumplings or Ton Ton and salt fish souse

**Note: Dumplings and Tanias may be added at simmering stage.**

Enjoy the delicious flavors of Trinidad and Tobago with this simple and flavorful recipe for crab and callaloo!

Here is another recipe you can try!