Ingredients
1/2 lb dry red peas (kidney beans)
1 lb pigs tail
1/2 teaspoon dry pimento seeds
3 cloves garlic smashed
1 large sprig or branch fresh thyme
1 or 2 stalks scallion
1 green scotch bonnet pepper
1/2 cup flour for spinners
a dash of black pepper
1/2 cup coconut milk (optional)
OR
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
Water
Method: Cleanse peas by removing foreign objects or bad peas. Wash three or four times then add three cups water in a sauce pan or in the case of Jamaicans, a Dutch pot. Add the peas and the water and place on medium high flames. Add garlic and washed pimento seeds. A good idea would be to wash the pimento with the peas. Pimento is very light so it will float so be careful not to lose them.
Cover your peas and bring to a boil. Let boil for 5 minutes then add two cups cold water and return the lid. Cook your peas making sure the water isn't dried out so you need to keep checking. Also keep testing the peas because some peas cook faster than others.
In the meantime, while your peas are being cooked, cleanse your pigs tail. Use the knife to lightly brush the skin in case there is anything that needs to come off. Wash the pigs tail in some water and then cut in the joint about one inch apart.
Put about 3 cups water to boil in another pot or kettle. When this water boils, pour over the pigs tail and let sit until you are ready to use. Remember not to use plastic for this as the boiling water might melt the plastic.
When your peas are tender but not soft remove pigs tail from water and add to peas pot. discard the pigs tail water. Make sure to add enough water to cover peas and pigs tail and let pigs tail cook until tender. By this time the peas will have been cooked enough. The peas should be soft and almost mushy. Remember to always check the water level and it should be above the peas and pigs tail.
When pigs tail is cooked add enough water to about an inch above the contents of the pot. In a small bowl, use your fingers to make the dough by adding a teaspoon of water at a time until the dough is formed. Dough is ready when it is smooth. Roll the dough between the hands to form a snake. Pinch off a tiny piece of dough (size of a very small stone or pebble) and roll between hands to form a snake and add to pot. Continue until all dough is used up. You may choose to make your spinners round like balls, however you choose.
Wash and smash your scallion and add to pot. Wash thyme and add to pot along with washed green scotch bonnet pepper. Cover and let juices reduce about an inch then add black pepper and taste. Stew peas should be slightly salty but not overly so. At this point you want to add your butter or your coconut milk if you like. Note: You may add more coconut milk but you must do this earlier when you added your last water, you would substitute the water for the coconut milk.
To thicken your stewed peas, dissolve one heaping teaspoon of flour (I prefer w/w flour for this) in a little water and stir into stewed peas. Make sure to stir while you pour so as not to make the flour lumpy.
Turn flames down to low and simmer until you have achieved your desired consistency. Remember that when stewed peas is cold it thickens so don't dry out the stewed peas too much or you wont have much sauce or gravy to eat with your plain rice.
See post on stewed peas for tips and tricks on making the dish and changing of flavors.
1/2 lb dry red peas (kidney beans)
1 lb pigs tail
1/2 teaspoon dry pimento seeds
3 cloves garlic smashed
1 large sprig or branch fresh thyme
1 or 2 stalks scallion
1 green scotch bonnet pepper
1/2 cup flour for spinners
a dash of black pepper
1/2 cup coconut milk (optional)
OR
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
Water
Method: Cleanse peas by removing foreign objects or bad peas. Wash three or four times then add three cups water in a sauce pan or in the case of Jamaicans, a Dutch pot. Add the peas and the water and place on medium high flames. Add garlic and washed pimento seeds. A good idea would be to wash the pimento with the peas. Pimento is very light so it will float so be careful not to lose them.
Cover your peas and bring to a boil. Let boil for 5 minutes then add two cups cold water and return the lid. Cook your peas making sure the water isn't dried out so you need to keep checking. Also keep testing the peas because some peas cook faster than others.
In the meantime, while your peas are being cooked, cleanse your pigs tail. Use the knife to lightly brush the skin in case there is anything that needs to come off. Wash the pigs tail in some water and then cut in the joint about one inch apart.
Put about 3 cups water to boil in another pot or kettle. When this water boils, pour over the pigs tail and let sit until you are ready to use. Remember not to use plastic for this as the boiling water might melt the plastic.
When your peas are tender but not soft remove pigs tail from water and add to peas pot. discard the pigs tail water. Make sure to add enough water to cover peas and pigs tail and let pigs tail cook until tender. By this time the peas will have been cooked enough. The peas should be soft and almost mushy. Remember to always check the water level and it should be above the peas and pigs tail.
When pigs tail is cooked add enough water to about an inch above the contents of the pot. In a small bowl, use your fingers to make the dough by adding a teaspoon of water at a time until the dough is formed. Dough is ready when it is smooth. Roll the dough between the hands to form a snake. Pinch off a tiny piece of dough (size of a very small stone or pebble) and roll between hands to form a snake and add to pot. Continue until all dough is used up. You may choose to make your spinners round like balls, however you choose.
Wash and smash your scallion and add to pot. Wash thyme and add to pot along with washed green scotch bonnet pepper. Cover and let juices reduce about an inch then add black pepper and taste. Stew peas should be slightly salty but not overly so. At this point you want to add your butter or your coconut milk if you like. Note: You may add more coconut milk but you must do this earlier when you added your last water, you would substitute the water for the coconut milk.
To thicken your stewed peas, dissolve one heaping teaspoon of flour (I prefer w/w flour for this) in a little water and stir into stewed peas. Make sure to stir while you pour so as not to make the flour lumpy.
Turn flames down to low and simmer until you have achieved your desired consistency. Remember that when stewed peas is cold it thickens so don't dry out the stewed peas too much or you wont have much sauce or gravy to eat with your plain rice.
See post on stewed peas for tips and tricks on making the dish and changing of flavors.
Hi there im just wondering what can be subtituted for the pigstails
ReplyDeleteHello Sabrina, you can used pickled beef instead. I don't know what you call it where you are from but it's beef that has been cured in a salted brine solution. Here we call it corned beef. You can get it at your local grocery and sometimes your butcher.
DeleteYou can also use turkey tails or salt turkey too
ReplyDeleteYou can used smoked turkey but am not sure what you are referring to when you say turkey tails. I suppose you could experiment with what you've got. Thanks for stopping by.
Delete