In Haiti Pumpkin Soup is traditionally eaten to celebrate the New
Year. It is usually made with beef, but it is just as good made with chicken
meat.
In much Caribbean cooking, meat is usually ‘washed’ in lime juice
before cooking takes place, including marinating. This ‘washing’ gives extra
taste but more importantly kills any bacteria on the surface of the meat. Smart
when you live in a hot climate.
If you haven’t used them before, this recipe will introduce you to
Habanero peppers. Habanero peppers are lethally hot. Take care not to
use too much. A tiny amount of cut habanero goes a very long way. Why use them?
They have an incredible flavor as well as heat. The pierced whole habanero used
at the end of this recipe is a great way to get the flavor without too much
spice. Choose a pepper that is perfectly whole and sealed until you prick
it. Any more open, and it could make the stew way too spicy.
Ingredients:
2-pounds skinless chicken thighs
Juice of 1 lime
10 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
Marinade:
2 scallions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 small cubanelle pepper thinly sliced
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1-2 thin slices habanero, or 1 thinly sliced
jalapeno pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
Soup:
1 medium onion, quartered
1 teaspoon salt
4 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
2-pounds pumpkin
10 cabbage leaves quartered
2 large carrots cut into 1-inch chunks
2 medium turnips, washed quartered
2 medium potatoes, washed quartered
4-6 cloves
½ cup spaghetti broken into pieces
½ cup chopped parsley
1 whole habanero pepper, pricked twice with a toothpick
Lime wedges, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
1. Mix the marinade ingredients together. Set aside.
2. Marinate the chicken in the lime juice for 5
minutes or until the meat turns white. Rinse under cold water and pat dry. Rub
the meat with the marinade and let sit, covered, in the fridge for at least an
hour. The longer you can leave the meat in the marinade, the better it is.
3. Put the chicken in a large stockpot with 3
cups of water, the quartered onion and 1 teaspoon of salt. Over a medium heat,
bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, wash, peel, and core the squash
and cut into 1-inch chunks. In a stockpot cover the squash with cold water,
bring to a boil then cover and turn down to a simmer. Cook until the squash is
tender, about 10 minutes. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water and puree the
squash in the reserved cooking water.
5. Add the squash puree to the chicken. Bring to
a boil again and add the cabbage, carrots, turnips, potatoes and cloves. Cook
uncovered until the vegetables are just tender, about 20 minutes. Adjust for
salt and pepper.
6. Add the spaghetti and the whole habanero
pepper and cook until the pasta is ‘al dente’. Let the soup rest for 5 minutes.
Discard the habanero and the cloves and serve with lime wedges on the side.
used to marinate various meats and fish. The base originates from Taino
and African roots and is similar to the base used in Hispanic cuisine called
Sofrito. In many rural parts of Haiti, epis is created using wooden Mortar with pestle. Now a days a blender is used. Haitian Epis can also be referred to as a pesto sauce. The use of cooking bases is widely used in many Caribbean cultures.
3 scallion stalks
