RED PEA RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, heat oil and butter. Add celery and onion and sauté. Season lightly with salt and pepper and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add peas and stock. Cover and simmer over medium heat until peas are tender, about 1 1/4 hours. Season broth with salt and pepper and simmer until peas absorb salt, about 15 minutes more.

Steps:

• Combine all-purpose flour, salt and optional ingredients into a bowl and carefully pour in water with one hand, while combining them with the other until a dough consistency is formed. If the mix is too wet, liberally add more flour until you can roll the dough about in your hands without leaving any residue. Once this is done, wrap in cling film, place in a bowl and refrigerate.
• If you are using dried red beans wash them and soak for a minimum of 7 hours or basically overnight. Rinse in a colander and then place in a large saucepan along with the water. Bring to boil on a medium-high heat and then turn down the heat to medium simmer for 25 minutes until beans start to become yielding.
• During this time, peel and dice the potato, chayote, yam into similar 3-4cm cubes. Peel the carrot and chop into ½-1cm circles. Chop off the white base of the scallions, discard and finely chop the green body. Finally, peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Don’t worry if this takes longer than 25 minutes, the more the beans simmer and soften for, the better.
• Add all chopped vegetables into the saucepan along with the whole scotch bonnet pepper (do not chop) and allow to cook for a further 20-25mins.
• Boil a pan of water on high and add a dash of salt. Collect your refrigerated dough mix and remove cling film. Flour dust a chopping board or kitchen surface and place the dough mix. Tear off pieces and roll into the size of your little finger until smooth. Repeat until the whole mix is used.
• Remove the lid from the stew and add the tin of coconut milk, the dumplings in addition to the allspice, sea salt, black pepper, thyme and all-purpose seasoning. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
• If you find the final stew consistency too thick add water as you feel. It's not necessary to follow timings exactly. There is a fine art to making the vegetables soft but dense at the same time. This is enough for several people but I wouldn’t know because I usually have it all to myself.