Rella’s Callaloo

Ingredients

• 1½ bundles callaloo bush
  8 -10 ochroes
  2 cups cubed pumpkin
  2 tsp fresh green seasoning (chive, chadon beni, thyme, celery)
  1 tsp pimento pepper sauce
  2 whole cloves garlic
  3 cloves garlic, minced
  1 hot pepper (scotch bonnet)
  2 – 3 pieces salted pig tail or salt meat
  2 – 3 cups coconut milk
  2 cups water
  1 – 2 tbsp butter
  2 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions

1. Clean bush and break stems into pieces. Wash leaves, roll and chop into small pieces.
2. Begin to swizzle the callaloo halfway through cooking when the mixture begins to come together and the callaoo begins to completely soften and breakdown. Cook until the leaves are soft and most of liquid has evaporated, swizzling intermittently. If using a blender to puree the callaloo, remove the hot pepper and pigtail and then blend. Return when finished. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot.
3. Let come to a boil then turn heat down to moderate with pot half covered. Stir intermittently being careful not to let the liquid reduce to much that the callaloo begins to stick. Add more water or coconut milk if necessary.
4. Add the callaloo in parts, mixing after each addition. The callaloo will begin to cook down. When all the callaloo is added, add the coconut milk and water as well as the butter and hot pepper. The liquid should just cover the callaloo mixture.
5. Add the pumpkin to the hot oil and cook for 1 minute. Add the ochroes. Season with a little salt and black pepper. Add the green seasoning, garlic, pimento sauce and mix well.
6. Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the 2 whole garlic cloves and burn in the hot oil. When the garlic has blackened, add the pigtail and let sear in the oil, rendering the fat from the pigtail. Remove the garlic.
7. Cut up ochroes; peel and cube pumpkin and set aside.

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