Pigeon Pea Soup

On a Saturday, one of the nicest things to do in Grenada is to visit a local restaurant for a steaming bowl of one of the island's classic soups. Pigeon peas soup, a hearty dish of meats (typically pigtail) and vegetables, is one of the most popular Grenadian soups. Dumplings, which are different from the fluffy ones you'll get in North America, but are satisfyingly hard, somewhat lengthy pieces of dough that are really tasty and filling, are one of the unusual additions to Grenadian soups.

Ingredients:

For the soup: 1/2 cups dry gungo peas (pigeon peas); 8-10 cups water; 1 lb stewing beef (optional); 1 1/2 lb salted pig’s tail or ham hock (optional); 1 large yellow yam; 1 large boniato (Caribbean sweet potato); 1 medium onion
3 stalks of scallion; 3 stalks of fresh thyme; 1 tsp pimento seeds; 1/2 tsp black pepper; Salt and pepper to taste; Whole scotch bonnet or habanero

For the spinners: 1 cup flour, 1/3 cup water, 1/2 tsp salt

Instruction:

1. Soak gungo peas in water overnight at room temperature; soak pigtails in water overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Place pigtails in a pot of water, bring to a boil and drain. Repeat two more times (this removes salt).
3. Place stewing beef and gungo peas in a pot; add just enough water to cover them and bring to a boil
4. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour, or until peas and beef are cooked; add more water to the pot as it evaporates. The beef may be ready before the peas, so carefully remove the beef with a slotted spoon to avoid over-cooking if necessary.
5. In a separate pot cover pigtails with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about one hour or until tender; add more water to the pot as it evaporates.
6. When all the meat and peas are tender, add pigtails (with liquid) to the pot of peas and beef; continue simmering.
7. Peel and cut yam and tropical sweet potato into large pieces and add to the pot. Add boiling water to a pot, just enough to almost cover yams and potatoes.
8. Mix flour, 1/3 cup of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to form a stiff dough; form into small balls, roll between palms a few times to create a tapered dumpling or “spinner” and add to pot.
9. Add onion, thyme, pimento, whole scotch bonnet and black pepper to the pot
10. Continue to simmer until yams and potatoes are tender and the soup has thickened.
11. Taste the soup for flavour and add salt and pepper to taste.