Fungee and Pepperpot
Fungee and pepperpot is Antigua and Barbuda's national meal, and while one may expect some kind of mushroom and pepper stew, the fact is significantly more interesting than the strange name suggests. Fungee is a bread ball made of cornmeal and okra, similar to polenta. To make fungee, okra is cooked in salted water and combined with wet cornmeal until stiff. The fungee is ready to eat when the mixture does not adhere to the pan. Pepperpot, on the other hand, is a one-pot stew that originated in Guyana but has since spread throughout the Caribbean islands.
Cassareep, a thick, sticky liquid formed from the roots of the bitter cassava plant, is exceedingly dangerous if not boiled properly, hence the meal must be prepared with caution, if not bravery. The stew is traditionally made with whatever meat or fish is available, and it typically incorporates cow's heel and pig's tail, but it is not uncommon to add whatever meat or fish is available in the kitchen. Because this dish combines two separate meals, it can be traced back to the region's slave population, when the mix of cheap meat and carbohydrates provided a balanced and nutritious diet for a day of hard labor.
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove, 1/2 onion, 150 grams spinach, 100 gram egg plant, 6 okra, 100 gram pumpkin, 1 zucchini, 1/2 cup peas, 1 clove, 1 tea thyme, chives, 1 table tomato paste, 1 table butter
Instructions
- Cut the vegetables and soak briefly in cold water.
- Heat oil and then add onion. Fry for about 5 minutes. Add all vegetables except the peas. Cover just with water (about 2 cups). Cook for 15 minutes (until the veggies are just about cooked)
- Add the peas and herbs and tomato paste. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
