green fig Archives | CaribbeanPot.com

When we did the Green Fig Salad we would have already discussed that for the most part, bananas are lovingly called FIG/s and the green ones are used in cooking in the Caribbean. There were comments when I posted the video that these were not figs, so I wanted to clarify things again.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs green cooking bananas (green fig)
1/2 lb boned salted cod (prepared)
2 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large tomato (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
4-6 cloves garlic (smashed)
2 scallions (chopped)
3-5 bird’s eye peppers (see notes below)
1 teaspoon black pepper

Notes! In doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet your gluten free dietary requirements. I used coconut oil, however you may use any oil you prefer using. While I only had Bird’s Eye peppers on hand, you may use any spicy peppers you have or prefer. Or should you not like the dish spicy, the option to leave it out is up to you. Please use the video below to follow along, especially when preparing the green cooking bananas. When shopping for the green bananas (fig) outside the Caribbean, they may be called Green COOKING Bananas.

May I recommend that you try to source boned or boneless (bones removed) salted Cod or any salted fish you can afford. However, as you shred it (after you’ve boiled or soaked) be sure to keep an eye out for tiny bones and remove. Please refer to the video below (or above) to learn how to prepare the salted fish for use, so it’s rehydrated and most of the slated it was cured with, is removed.

In the video below I explained that you could peel the green bananas before boiling, but this step is much easier. Simply cut off both ends, then using a paring knife, cut the length of the banana, the depth of the skin. Then place them in a pot with water, bring to a boil, reduce to a rolling boil and cook for 10-12 minutes.

Drain and allow it to cool before peeling off the skin.

I explained in the video that I didn’t salt the water when boiling the green figs (banana) as I’m trying to cut back on the salt intake in my diet. Traditionally, 3/4 teaspoon of salt is added to the water.

Heat the coconut oil in a wide saucepan on a medium flame, then add the prepared salted Cod and stir well. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 3 minutes to flavor the oil.

After 4 minutes, add the onion, garlic, scallions, black pepper and tomato to the pan and stir well. The goal is to soften everything and in doing so, combine all of those flavors. Should you have some fresh thyme, add a couple sprigs (not mentioned in the ingredient list). Additionally, should you want to add diced bell peppers, you’re more than welcome to do so at this point.

The cooked green bananas should be cool enough to handle at this point. remove the skin (discard) and add them to the pan with everything. Feel free to cut them into smaller pieces should you prefer. I added the Bird’s Eye peppers whole as I didn’t want the heat throughout the dish (I munched on the peppers as I ate later). Should you want the raw heat, cut the peppers into small pieces and add them when you added the onions etc.

All we have to do at this point is coat the bananas with that lovely base we created, heat them though and we’re done. Essentially you’re looking at about 4-6 minutes or a med/low flame.

This is a complete meal. Serve with a few slices of ripe avocado and enjoy!

Green Fig With Smoked Herring And Cabbage.

May 22, 2016May 22, 2016Leave a Comment

Hopefully you’ve had time to try the Smoked Herring With Cabbage recipe I shared with you last week. A truly classic dish made with subtle differences throughout the Caribbean. This time we’ll do one mom would always make for dad whenever she had leftovers from the cabbage and smoked herrings combo. Since we had a variety of banana trees in our kitchen garden at the back of the house, we always made use of the ‘cooking fig” (green cooking bananas) supply we always seemed to have.

You’ll Need…

5 green cooking bananas (green fig)
salt (optional)
1 tomato
1 tablespoon parsley
1 table spoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 bell pepper (sweet pepper)
2 cups leftover smoked herrings with cabbage

Click for the Cabbage With Smoked Herring recipe : written | video

Important: If doing this recipe gluten free be sure to go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

* It may be helpful to watch the recipe video (below) to better understand what I mean.. cut off both ends of the green cooking bananas and discard. Then using a pairing knife, cut a shallow (thickness of the banana’s skin) line the full length of each banana. This will make it easier to peel once they are fully cooked. Place them in a pot, cover with water (slightly salted) and bring to a boil. After about 15-20 minutes on a rolling boil, they will go very dark and start to float. Take off the fire, drain and allow to cool. The cut we made will open up and you can now peel the skin off.

As the bananas boil you can prep the other ingredients(chop the parsley, garlic, tomato and sweet pepper).

Once cooled and the skin is removed, cut each banana into 1 inch sized pieces and set aside.

Heat the oil in a wide sauce pan on a medium flame, then add the chopped pepper, parsley and garlic and lower the heat to LOW and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Now go in with the pieces of cooked banana and mix well, finally it’s time to add the leftover smoked herring with cabbage and heat though. Mix well and cook for about 4-5 minutes.’

Finish with the chopped tomato to brighten up the dish a bit. Serve warm..wicked one-pot dish.

Instead of green cooking bananas you can also use Sweet Potatoes, Yam, Dasheen (or Taro), Eddoes and my great aunt’s favorite.. boiled cassava. This recipe is one of those I reach for when I’m homesick for the Caribbean, as it takes me back to a happier time on the islands. I can still remember the steam spiraling off our plates, that distinct scent of smoke herrings and the freshly picked scotch bonnet pepper (half-ripe) dad would have on the side. Ever so often between bites he would crunch down on the “Caribbean Sunshine” and you’d hear that crisp sound. Followed by him sucking back air between his teeth and the familiar “this pepper hot boi”.

Seafood

Green (fig) Bananas With Cabbage and Saltfish.

July 3, 2013May 25, 201311 Comments

This green fig with saltfish recipe is a tribute to the wonderful people of St Lucia. On our first trip to St Lucia many moons ago I was fortunate to have something very similar to this meal and I remember our hosts saying that it was their national dish. I never really confirmed this, as we were too caught-up in enjoying the great food and general hospitality of St Lucia. BTW, if you ever visit St Lucia and you’re ‘convinced’ that you should go to signal hill… make sure you’re in good shape. That trek up the hill had me craving oxygen! My time would have been better spent drinking a coconut at the Castries market.

It’s funny how when you’re a child on the islands you always think whatever your mom made was her recipe or creation… not knowing that up and down the chain of islands known as the Caribbean the same dishes are prepared for kids just like us by their mom. How could this be a popular dish in St Lucia when our mom was the only one who knew how to make it?

You’ll Need…

2 lbs green cooking bananas
pinch black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
2 cups cabbage
2 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
3/4 cup saltfish
1 medium tomato

Notes. The salted fish will still have remaining salt, so keep this in mind when adding salt to the dish. Remember to wear gloves when handling scotch bonnet peppers and be sure to wash your hands with soap and water directly after. Green fig is simply green ‘cooking’ bananas.

You have 2 options when it comes to cooking the green fig (bananas), you can either peel them before boiling or peel after they’re done cooking. I’ll show you the simple method. Trim off the ends and discard, then using a sharp pairing knife cut a shallow cut (the thickness of the skin) down the length of the banana (follow one of the natural ridges). TIP: coat your hands with vegetable oil or wear gloves as the sap from the green bananas can stain or cause your hands to itch.

Place the trimmed bananas in a deep pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a rolling boil and let them cook for about 20 minutes. You’ll notice two things. They will darken (even go black) and where you made the cut, it will open up.

Drain and allow to cool so it’s easier to handle (peel).

The salt fish (salt cod in my case), was soaked in cool water, then drained. After which I placed it in a pot with about 4 cups of water and boiled for about 25 minutes. We need to rehydrate the dried salted fish and remove most of the salt it was cured in. I usually get boned salted fish, so there’s never any bones to remove. Rinse with cool water and squeeze dry. Now shred into the size flakes yo like.

Chop/shred your cabbage, onion, tomato, garlic, thyme and parsley. Then heat the vegetable oil (you can also use olive or coconut oil) on a medium flame in a deep sauce pan. Add the flaked salted fish and turn the heat down to low. Let that cook for about 4 minutes as we want to create a lovely flavor base.

Now add the onion, garlic, scotch bonnet pepper, black pepper and thyme and let it cook for a further 3 minutes.

Toss in the shredded cabbage and give it a good stir. It’s also now time to add the boiled bananas (they should be cool enough to handle). The cut we made before boiling them would have opened up, so simply peel back and remove the skin. If you see any sort of stringy things, remove those as well. Now chop into 1 inch pieces and add to the pot and sprinkle in the salt.

Turn the heat up to med/low and make sure to mix everything well so the flavors coat the green bananas. After about 4 minutes (depending how cooked you want the cabbage… I like a little crunch) toss in the diced tomato and parsley, give it a stir, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the residual heat from the pot finish cooking things.

This is a one pot dish and there’s enough here for 2-3 people as a full meal. If it’s being used as a side it will be enough for about 5 people easily. I refer to such meals as “country” meals as it takes me back to when I was a carefree kid on the islands and life was very simple in our little village in the countryside.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Seafood

Callaloo With Green Bananas, Salted Cod And Simmered In Coconut Milk.

August 1, 2012August 1, 201218 Comments

I know my Trinbagonian friends will be asking “what this fella trying to pull off as callaloo” as Callaloo in Trinidad and Tobago and a number of the other beautiful islands which make up the Caribbean, is a delicious dish and not a plant. In Jamaica the (plant) callaloo is a much loved ingredient in many of their dishes and is what other islanders will refer to as spinach and/or chorai bhagi. Now that I’ve cleared the air (any confusion), let’s take a peek at a very hearty and delicious dish with strong Caribbean roots (no matter how you call the greens we’ll be using).

BTW, the callaloo (bhagi) is fresh out of my garden and would be considered “organic” (I don’t use pesticides etc) by today’s standard.. you ever notice how much more expensive “organic” vegetables (and meat) are in the grocery store. personally I think it’s rip-off (who monitors these farmers?).

You’ll Need…

1 cup salted fish (see note below)
1 tomato
5 green bananas (cooking bananas)
1 scotch bonnet pepper
3 sprigs thyme
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 scallions
1 cup coconut milk

* 1 bundle of callaloo (about 8 cups when chopped)

Notes: I used salted cod fish (which is dry and salted) but you can use your favourite salted fish (Alaskan,Pollock..etc). In the video clip below I’ll show you how to prep the salted cod for use in this dish (soak, boil and shred). The green bananas will be called “green fig” and/or “cooking bananas” in your fav grocery store.

Wash the callaloo bush repeatedly under cool water to remove any sand or dirt. Then trim off the leaves and tender stems. I then peeled back on the stems to remove the exterior (this way it’s not stringy when cooked). Make small bundles with the now trimmed leaves (1/2 inch thick) and cut into ribbons. Place in a bowl with water to remain fresh. When it’s near time to cook it, drain thoroughly.

Next up we need to prep the salted fish for use. This may mean (depending on the variety you use) soaking for a few hours in cool water, then discard that water and place the salted fish into a pot covered with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 25 minutes, then drain, rinse with cool water and then trim/shred. This is to re hydrate the dried salted fish and to remove most of the salt it was cured in.Then it’s just a matter of using a fork (or your fingers) to shred it.

We’ve got to cook the green bananas before we can add them to the pot with the other ingredients. Basically all you have to do is trim off the ends of each banana, place them in a deep pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. As it comes to a boil, add the salt and allow it to cook for about 20-25 minutes. Then drain, allow to cool and peel off the skin, then cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces. If you know how to peel green bananas, you can certainly peel before boiling, but I find it’s much easier to boil with the skin on and peel after. When the green banana is fully cooked, you’ll notice the skin (banana peel) will crack and start separating from the flesh.

As the banana cooks, it will go from that brilliant green to a dark (almost black) colour.. that is normal. The next step is to chop the tomato (set aside for later), onion,, scotch bonnet pepper, scallion, garlic and thyme. Remember when using scotch bonnet peppers, to wear gloves, wash your hands with soap immediately after use and don’t include the seeds if you can’t handle the raw heat.

Now that everything is prepped, it’ time to drain the chopped callaloo and heat the oil on a medium flame (deep pan). Then add the shredded saltfish to the pot and lower your flame to low. Allow this to cook for about 5 minutes, until the pieces of cod gets a bit crispy and flavors the entire pan. It will start to stick to the bottom of your pan..scrape and stir. Now add the chopped onion, garlic, scotch bonnet pepper, thyme, scallion and black pepper to the pan and allow to soften up and build that lovely flavor base (about 3 minutes).

Now it’s time to add the chopped callaloo to the pot and give it a good stir. At first it may seem a lot for the pot, but as it cooks down it will wilt and you’ll have enough room. Top with the coconut milk and salt.. cover the pot and let that cook on a medium/low heat for about 15-20 minutes.

Remove the lid (remember to keep stirring), add the the pieces of cooked green banana and give it a good stir. It’s natural for the callaloo to spring it’s own juices, so turn up the heat and try to burn off any remaining liquid in the pot. Should take about 5 minutes. Taste for salt, top with the chopped tomato and you’re done.

For the amount of callaloo I had, I could have easily put about 4 more green bananas in the pot.. but I love me some callaloo, so I didn’t make it an issue. The lovely flavor base we made with the salted cod and the other ingredients, will certainly rock your taste buds. If you’ve never had cooked green banana the texture will be similar to a very firm potato (like a baked potato) and the callaloo will be almost the same as spinach.. but with a unique flavor of it’s own.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Seafood Vegetarian

A Tasty Caribbean Recipe Using Green Bananas.

March 5, 2012October 13, 201175 Comments

This recipe is a combination of many things. It’s a take on a recipe my mom would make but instead of using canned salmon as I did, she would normally use pieces of salted cod. Then about a year ago I saw Levis Roots of “Reggae Reggae Sauce” sauce fame cook up a batch of this with the help of some kids… if you’re from the UK and watch the Dragon’s Den you’ll know who I mean. I think he also calls himself the “Dragon Slayer”! But he used fresh caught mackerel in his dish.

Knowing that I had green fig (bananas) in the fridge, I had a severe craving for this sort of “country” dish about 8 pm last night. With no salted fish in the fridge, nor mackerel… the wheels of creativity went spinning and I decided on using the canned salmon that peeked at me from behind the can of corned beef in the cupboard (Mr. Salmon learned not to play hide and seek with a grown man). There’s no better motivation in the kitchen than a craving and hunger!

You’ll Need…

5-7 green bananas (known as green fig or cooking bananas in the Caribbean)
1/2 teaspoon salt (for boiling the green bananas)

1 medium tomato
1 medium onion
1 scallion (green onion / spring onion)
1 clove garlic
1/4 habanero pepper (scotch bonnet or any hot pepper you like)
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil (any cooking oil you like)
1 sprig thyme (dash dried thyme)
Salt – optional (add as needed)
1 can pink salmon

Note: If you’re shopping for green bananas in North America, they will be called cooking bananas. If you can’t find them in your grocery store, do ask a clerk and don’t buy ordinary bananas that are not ripe yet. You’re looking for ones that are really firm, brilliant green in color and no blemishes. If you’re peeling these as I did before boiling, do wear gloves or coat your hands with cooking oil to prevent the sort of ‘milk’ to cause your hands to be sticky and possibly itch. Don’t get that ‘milk’ (sap) onto your clothes.

Since the green fig will require the most time to cook, go ahead and peel, scrape and rinse them. You can also cook them in the skin and peel after they’ve been boiled. In a deep pot put enough water to cover the bananas and bring to a boil. Then add the bananas and salt.. bring back to a rolling boil and allow to cook for about 20 minutes.

While this cooks, lets prepare the other ingredients. Wash and chop the tomato, scallion, habanero pepper, thyme.. don’t forget the garlic and onion as well.

With the bananas fully cooked, drain and allow to cool while we get things really started. In a large saucepan put the olive oil to heat on a medium heat, then add the onion, garlic and thyme. Let them cook on the medium/low heat for about 3-5 minutes. We’re trying to get the onion translucent and release the rich flavors of the garlic and thyme. Next add the green onion, pepper, tomato and black pepper. Let that cook for about 3 minutes.

The next step is to add the can of salmon, including the water it was packaged in and ketchup. Break it up into flaky chunks, give it a good stir and allow to come back up to a gentle simmer… cook for another couple minutes.

While this cooks, the bananas should be cool enough to touch. Cut them into bite-sized pieces and get ready to toss them into the pot.

The final step is to toss in the cut pieces of cooked bananas into the pot, give it a good stir and allow it to heat through with all the other ingredients in the pot (about -35 minutes) and you’re done.

Since the canned salmon is usually packaged with a ton of sodium I don’t feel the need to add any salt, but do taste ad add accordingly as I’m sure your tolerance for salt will be different than mine.

This is one of those versatile dishes that works for any time of the day (or night as in my case)… even breakfast. Growing up on the islands you know we love our BIG breakfast, so though you may find this a bit heavy to start the day.. a Caribbean man would appreciate this (hint ladies). BTW, there’s enough here for 3-4 people if you have some coconut bake or toast on the side or a complete meal for two people.

To make this dish fully vegetarian, you can omit the canned fish, but add a little butter when cooking the onion and garlic at the start.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

Happy Cooking!

Chris…

green fig

Green Fig (cooking banana) With Saltfish.

Green Fig With Smoked Herring And Cabbage.

Green (fig) Bananas With Cabbage and Saltfish.

Callaloo With Green Bananas, Salted Cod And Simmered In Coconut Milk.

A Tasty Caribbean Recipe Using Green Bananas.

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