Caribbean Comfort Foods

By Minna LaFortune

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Jan. 27, 2017: Comfort food is what we turn to in times of anxiety and uncertainty. In the Caribbean cuisine there are many dishes and good items that can be called comfort foods.
For example, turn cornmeal, polenta or Mayi Moulie with meat or fish is a comfort food, Jamaican stew peas and rice is also a comfort food. Trinidadian  Doubles and chicken or goat Roti is a comfort food as is roast bread fruit with cook up codfish.

Some of my favorite comfort foods are cornmeal dumpling and curry Chicken, Cowfoot stew and rice and peas, macaroni and cheese casserole, cook up corned beef and dumplings and Goat head soup.

So what is your favorite Caribbean comfort food? I would like to hear from you. Today I will share with you one of my favorite comfort food that I eat with my Dominican Republican friends when I visit with them is Pig Trotters Stew with  white rice and Plantains.

Pig Trotters Stew Recipe
Ingredients
4 lbs pig trotters (cut up)
1/4 cup lime juice
14 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 qt water
3 sprigs of thyme
3 sprigs of fresh oregano,
3 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
4 garlic cloves, (minced)
3 large red onion, (chopped)
2 long pieces of celery (diced)
4 small tomatoes, (chopped)
1 large red bell pepper, (diced)
2 cups of cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup of tomato sauce
3  potatoes, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 small Scotch bonnet pepper ( minced)

INSTRUCTIONS
Season the pig trotters with all half of seasonings and with lime juice.
Allow to marinate overnight.
Heat oil in a heavy Dutch pot.

Remove trotters from marinate.
Brown the trotters and place in a bowl when golden brown.
Add pig trotters to Dutch pot along with half of the water and thyme and oregano.
Simmer trotters until they are very tender. This may take one hour or so.
Add the other half of the seasonings garlic and onions etc.

Then add the tomatoes, bell pepper, chickpeas, tomato sauce, potatoes, carrot and Scotch bonnet pepper.
Simmer covered over low heat until the potatoes and carrots are cooked.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with white rice and plantains.

Bon Appetite!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Minna LaFortune is a trained Caribbean caterer and also president, Society for the Advancement of the Caribbean Diaspora (SACD). Check out her food group on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/bestfoodscaribbean/