This Comforting Breadfruit Oil Down recipe shares a few similarities with a dish known as Run Down, enjoyed throughout parts of the Caribbean and along the Caribbean coast of Central America. However, it should never be confused with Grenadian Oil Down, the national dish of Grenada. Their version is traditionally thicker and drier, packed with a wider variety of meats, ground provisions, dumplings, and vegetables, creating a hearty one-pot meal that has become a true symbol of Grenadian cuisine.
Our Trinidad and Tobago version has a history worth celebrating too. This Breadfruit Oil Down recipe can be traced back well over 150 years in my family, to my great-grandmother, who prepared it for my grandmother and her siblings in the forested area along Lemong Road in Tabaquite, Trinidad, where our family’s cocoa and coffee estate was located. If those generations were still here today, I’m sure they could trace its roots back even further. While Grenada proudly claims its Oil Down as the national dish, I believe Trinidad and Tobago has its own rich pedigree when it comes to this style of cooking, and there’s room to appreciate both traditions without turning it into a “who does it better” debate.
Breadfruit is truly the heart of this recipe. Originally brought to the Caribbean from the South Pacific in the late 1700s, it quickly became one of the region’s most important staple foods because of its productivity, versatility, and ability to feed entire communities. Today, breadfruit remains deeply woven into Caribbean food culture, especially in dishes like this Breadfruit Oil Down, where its creamy texture and ability to soak up the rich coconut broth make it absolutely irresistible.
This Breadfruit Oil Down is meant to be cooked in a big pot and shared with family and friends. Like so many traditional Caribbean recipes, it brings people together around the table. The leftovers freeze beautifully too, making it one of those comforting meals you’ll be thankful to have waiting on busy days when you’re craving a taste of home.
Ingredient Guide
Olive Oil Creates the flavor base and helps soften the aromatics before the stew simmers.
Onion Adds sweetness and depth to the finished dish.
Scallions Bring a mild onion flavor that is common in Caribbean cooking.
Garlic Provides a rich savory foundation that complements the coconut milk.
Fresh Thyme Adds an unmistakable earthy Caribbean aroma.
Pimento Peppers Deliver wonderful pepper flavor without significant heat.
Black Pepper Adds gentle warmth and enhances the natural flavors.
Breadfruit The star ingredient, offering a creamy, starchy texture that thickens the stew naturally as it cooks.
Salted Pigtail Brings smoky, savory richness and traditional Caribbean flavor.
Pumpkin Adds natural sweetness and helps create a silky consistency.
Carrot Provides sweetness, texture, and color.
Salt Balances and enhances the flavors.
Spinach A convenient substitute for dasheen bush, adding color, nutrition, and body.
Coconut Milk Creates the rich, velvety broth that defines this comforting dish.
Water Allows the ingredients to slowly simmer together while developing flavor.
Caribbean Green Seasoning Infuses the stew with fresh herbs and classic Caribbean seasoning.
Scotch Bonnet Pepper Adds authentic Caribbean heat and fruity aroma.
Fresh Ginger Brightens the rich coconut base with gentle warmth.
Celery Contributes fresh herbal notes and subtle depth.
Okra (Optional) Naturally thickens the broth while adding texture.
Shopping Made Easy
- Mature breadfruit is often available at Caribbean, West Indian, or Latin grocery stores.
- Salted pigtail can usually be found in the refrigerated or frozen section of Caribbean supermarkets.
- Pimento peppers may also be labeled seasoning peppers.
- Caribbean green seasoning is available bottled, or you can make your own at home.
- Dasheen bush can replace spinach when it is available.
- Choose full-fat coconut milk for the richest flavor and texture.
- Fresh thyme delivers the best flavor, though dried thyme can be used if necessary.
Cooking Notes from the Kitchen
- Washing and pre-boiling the salted pigtail removes excess salt and helps tenderize the meat.
- Mature breadfruit cooks up creamy without becoming bitter.
- Keep the breadfruit pieces fairly large so they hold together during the long simmer.
- Leaving the Scotch Bonnet pepper whole adds flavor with only mild heat.
- Every breadfruit absorbs liquid differently, so adjust the consistency near the end of cooking.
- The stew will continue to thicken as it cools.
- This recipe freezes exceptionally well for future meals.
Comforting Breadfruit Oil Down
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 scallions chopped
- 7 cloves garlic smashed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 pimento peppers chopped
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 5 to 6 pounds mature breadfruit peeled and chopped
- 2 pounds salted pigtail prepared
- 3/4 pound pumpkin cut into chunks
- 1 large carrot chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 1 pound spinach washed and chopped
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 6 cups water
- 2 tablespoons Caribbean green seasoning
- 1 small Scotch Bonnet pepper whole or sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 1/4 cup celery mostly leaves, chopped
- 12 to 15 okra trimmed and halved, optional
Instructions
- Wash the salted pigtail with the juice of a lime or lemon. Drain, place in a pot, cover with water, and simmer for about 50 minutes to help tenderize the meat while removing much of the curing salt. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, scallions, garlic, thyme, pimento peppers, and black pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
- Add the prepared mature breadfruit (try to get a mature breadfruit, as younger ones can have a bitterness to them), the prepared salted pigtail, pumpkin, carrot, salt, spinach, and coconut milk. Stir everything together to combine.
- Pour in the water, ensuring all the ingredients are covered.
- Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce to a gentle simmer. Stir in the Caribbean green seasoning, Scotch Bonnet pepper, grated ginger, and celery.
- Cook for approximately 75 minutes, adding additional water if necessary.
- Once the breadfruit is almost fully cooked, stir in the okra.
- Continue cooking for another 10 to 15 minutes until the breadfruit, vegetables, and pigtail are tender.
- Taste and adjust the salt if necessary. Remember that the salted pigtail will have a salty element to them, even after pre-boiling.
- Serve with the consistency you prefer, whether slightly thick. Keep in mind the oil down will continue to thicken as it cools.
- If you enjoy this recipe and have a true appreciation for breadfruit, be sure to try my Breadfruit Pie, Breadfruit Salad, Fried Breadfruit, Roasted Breadfruit with Stewed Saltfish, and one of my longtime favorites, Breadfruit Simmered with Stewed Pork, a dish my mom has been making for our family since I was a little fella growing up in Trinidad and Tobago.
As I sat down to enjoy a massive plate of this scrumptious dish, I was taken back to my childhood when my great uncle would come over to our home to play cards with my dad and grandfather. It was the norm back then that whenever he visited my mom had to prepare this “oil-down” dish since he looked forward to it every visit. Additionally… as a boy my dad grew up on the family’s cocoa and coffee estate, so breadfruit was one of the staple foods my great grandmother would prepare for him along with green banana’s and other ground provisions (yam, dasheen, eddoes.. etc). He passed on his love for this “put meat on your bones” type of food to me and my brother. My sister’s are a different story.
