Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine April 2017 | Page 87

PREPARATION
Put grated sweet potato in a large bowl. Add
seasoning, onion, sugar, Crisco, margarine,
black pepper, paprika and the herbs (dried
or fresh) and 1\2 tsp of salt at this time.
Mix ingredients thoroughly.
Add the hot water, then the clove. Stir
thoroughly. Taste and adjust the salt if
needed.
Allow mixture to rest for 5 -10 minutes.
Taste again, this time for the clove. There
should be the taste of clove but it should
not be overpowering. If the taste is not
detected add about a ¼ tsp more clove.
Mixture should be of a loose consistency.
A little more water can be added to make
mixture loose. Pour into a greased bowl
for cooking. Cover tightly with a double
thickness of foil paper, so that no water gets
into mixture whilst it is cooking.
Light stove. Put water in large saucepan,
big enough to accommodate bowl. The
water should reach about 2 or 3 inches up
the bowl when it is placed in the saucepan.
Cover the saucepan and cook for about 1
hour.
Uncover and stir thoroughly. Replace bowl.
Check occasionally to ensure water does
not dry out of the saucepan. Replenish the
water when necessary.
Continue cooking until the mixture begins
to gel together. Stirring occasionally tends
to shorten the cooking time, because the
mixture cooks from the outside in.
When it is finished the color darkens and
there should be no uncooked strands of
potato or fresh herbs visible. Allow to cool
slightly before serving as it tends to cut
better and hold its shape when it is cooled
Serve on its own or with pickled cucumber.
N.B. If you do not have bajan seasoning
increase the dried herbs to ½ tsp or the
fresh herbs by ½ tsp.
@ Gperry 2017