Dish of Metemgee Stew
(click to enlarge)

Metemgee Stew


Guyana   -   Metemgee / Metem
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 3-1/2 #
***
2 hrs
Yes		 An amazingly flavorful vegetarian dish that will also please omnivours. Vegetarian dishes are almost unknown in the Caribbean, so even this one is often topped with fried salt fish or meats. See also Comments.




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-- Vegies mix
Cassava (1)
Sweet Potatoes (2)
Cob Corn (3)
Okra
Vinegar
Plantains ripe (4)
-- Aromatics
Onion
Garlic
Ginger Root
Scallions
Scotch Bonnet (5)
Tomato Paste
-- Seasonings
Peppercorns, pink (6)  
Maggi Seasoning (7)
Thyme sprig
Garam Masala (8)
Veg Bouillon (9)
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Oil
Coconut Milk (10)
Water
Salt
-- Serve With
Dumplings (opt 11)
Do Ahead   -   (1-1/4 hrs)
  1. IF using: Prepare Dumplings.
Prep   -   (55 min)
  1. Peel CASSAVA and cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the slices into halves, thirds, or quarters depending on diameter. Hold in cold water until needed.
  2. Peel SWEET POTATOES and cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the slices into halves or thirds depending on diameter. Add to Cassava.
  3. Prepare CORN as desired and toss in with Cassava. In Guyana the pieces would be quarters of whole cobs, but that is very impractical for buffet service. For options see Corn.
  4. Trim stem end of OKRAS into a point, taking care not to cut into the inside. Tumble with Vinegar and let soak for about 20 minutes, ' then drain.
  5. Cut skin-on PLANTAINS into 3 pieces and drop into Boiling Water for about 20 minutes. Drain and cool.
  6. Cut ONIONS into quarters lengthwise and slice thin crosswise. Crush GARLIC and chop fine. slice SCALLIONS crosswise about 1/4 inch wide, white and green. Mix all.
  7. Slice GINGER very thin, cut the slices into narrow threads, and chop the threads fine.
  8. Slit SCOTCH BONNET open.
Run   -   (1 hr)
  1. In a heavy bottomed pot sufficient for the recipe (4 quart), heat Oil. Stir in Onion mix and fry stirring until Onions are translucent.
  2. Stir in Tomato Paste and Ginger for a couple of minutes.
  3. Stir in Garam Masala and then Coconut Milk, Bring to a simmer for about 2 minutes.
  4. Add 1 cup Water, Cassava mix and Scotch Bonnet. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.
  5. Stir in all Seasonings items, bring back to a boil and simmer until the Cassava is tender (about 20 to 30 minutes). Careful: stir up fairly often and keep the heat down to a fast simmer or it may burn to the bottom. Also: keep in mind that there is a lot less liquid in the stew than it looks like there is when it's boiling - don't let it dry out.
  6. With 15 minutes to go, place the Okras on top, and IF steaming the Dumplings on the stew, place them on top. Note that they will puff up a lot. I do the dumplings separately and may place some on the stew for the last 5 minutes or so to warm up.
  7. Just before serving: adjust liquid with boiling water if needed.
  8. Serve hot with Dumplings on the side.
NOTES:

  1. Cassava:

      [Yuca, Manioc]   This South American root vegetable is now important in the Tropics worldwide. Many ethnic markets have it in North America. While heavily waxed, it is still very perishable, so make sure it has no soft spots whatever. For details see our Cassava / Manioc / Yuca page.

  2. Sweet Potatoes:

      These should be White sweet Potatoes. The orange ones called "Yams" in North America cook too soft. They are not called "Yams" in the Caribbean where real Yams are popular.

  3. Corn:

      In Guyana the corn is usually presented as quarters of a whole cob. I have found that for Buffet Service these are avoided by just about everyone. For this reason I cut the cobs into 1 to 1-1/2 inch lengths and those I cut in half crosswise. This makes it possible to handle them with one hand. Another practical option is to use just kernels, fresh, canned, or frozen.

  4. Plantain:

      These large cooking bananas should be fully ripe, all black or nearly so. If not that ripe, use Bananas (uncooked), or just omit them. For details see our Plantains page.

  5. Scotch Bonnet Chili:

      If you are quite chili adverse, use just half of one, but no chili heat would be heresy. Scotch Bonnets are not much available any distance from the Caribbean. I use the Orange Habanero widely available in Southern California. It's the same hotness, and only a Jamaican can tell the difference in flavor. Other very hot Chilis can also be used. For details see our Caribbean Chilis page.

  6. Pink Peppercorns:

      These are grown and used in the Caribbean, and available in North America. If you don't have them, use a few black peppercorns - quite different, but something. For details see our Pink Peppercorns page.

  7. Maggi Seasoning:

      This seasoning is an important pantry item worldwide, and highly available in North America. My preference order is European, Chinese, Mexican. For details see our Maggi Seasoning page.

  8. Garam Masala:

      Preferably this will be Trinidad Garam Masala, but an Indian variety will work. See our recipe for Trinidad Garam Masala.

  9. Vegetable Bouillon:

      This is available in powder and cube form. The one I use is the very widely available Vegeta brand. For details see our Vegeta page.

  10. Coconut Milk

      Most Metemgee recipes call for fresh home made coconut milk, which is best, but I rarely have time for it so I usually use canned. If you use canned, make sure it's from Thailand - Aroy-D is a top brand. If you want to make your own, see our instruction page Coconut Milk. Some recipes allow use of store bought frozen grated coconut.

  11. Dumplings:

      The most popular dumpling for this stew in Guyana is Duff, which differs from most Caribbean dumplings in being lighter. They are not hard to make by our recipe Duff - Steamed Dumplings.

  12. Comments:

      This recipe is basically West African, but with a lot of influence from India (see History below). My list of ingredients is typical, but my preparation is a little different from Guyanese practice. There the corn and root vegetables are usually cut very large and the stew often has very little liquid. I cut smaller for easier service and easier eating, especially for buffet service. I also make it with a fair amount of liquid. You need something to sop up with those dumplings.

  13. History:

      In Guyana, 44% of the people are of India descent, brought as near slave laborers after abolition of slavery. About 17% are mixed African / Indian and 30% are descended from African slaves. Given these demographics, you can see why Indian and African influences are so mixed in the cuisine of Guyana. Trinidad, which is closely associated with Guyana, has a similar mix.
  14. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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