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Cou-cou with Bajan vegetable stew
Barbados' national dish base of cornmeal and okra, stirred smooth and served with a Bajan-seasoned tomato, pepper and butter bean stew
Cou-cou is Friday lunch in Barbados, and paired with flying fish it makes the island's national dish, served in homes and the fish fry stalls of Oistins. Fine cornmeal is stirred into okra and its cooking water with a flat wooden cou-cou stick until it is smooth, thick and pulls away from the pot, then shaped in a buttered bowl. It's soft, mild and comforting, made for soaking up the rich tomato gravy around it. Here the gravy is a stew of peppers, tomatoes, aubergine and butter beans cooked with Bajan seasoning; flying fish steamed in the same sauce is the classic for fish eaters. Chef's tip: whisk the cornmeal into cold water before it goes into the pot; adding it dry to boiling liquid is the fastest way to lumps.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the vegetable stew
For the cou-cou
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Start the stew. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and fry 1 onion and 3 tbsp Bajan seasoning for 4 minutes, until soft and fragrant.
4 minStep 2: Add 2 red and green peppers and 1 aubergine and cook for 6 minutes, stirring, until the aubergine softens and browns at the edges.
6 minStep 3: Stir in 4 ripe tomatoes and 1 tbsp tomato paste, then 14 oz tinned butter beans, ¾ cup water, 2 sprigs fresh thyme and ½ tsp salt. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the sauce is thick and red. Stir in 1 tbsp lime juice at the end. (For fish eaters, the classic is flying fish fillets laid on top and steamed in the sauce for the last 8 minutes.)
20 minStep 4: Meanwhile make the cou-cou. Simmer 7 oz okra in 3 ¼ cups water with 1 tsp salt in a heavy pot over a medium heat for 10 minutes, until tender and the water turns slightly slippery.
10 minStep 5: Whisk 7 oz fine yellow cornmeal into 1 cup cold water in a jug until smooth. Lift out half the okra with a slotted spoon and keep it aside; pour off and keep about half the okra water too.
2 minStep 6: Turn the heat to low. Pour the cornmeal mixture into the pot in a steady stream, stirring hard all the time with a wooden spoon. A common mistake is pouring it in all at once without stirring: it sets in lumps that never cook out.
2 minStep 7: Keep stirring and turning for 10–15 minutes, adding the reserved okra and splashes of the okra water whenever it gets too stiff. It's ready when it's smooth, thick and glossy, comes away from the sides in one mass and no longer tastes gritty.
15 minStep 8: Stir in 1 oz butter. Butter a small bowl, press the cou-cou into it and turn it out onto a plate. Spoon the stew around and serve hot, with Bajan pepper sauce on the side.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 12 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cou-cou with Bajan vegetable stew take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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