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Epis
Haitian green seasoning base of parsley, spring onion, garlic, peppers, thyme and cloves, blended with oil and lime
Epis is the jar that lives in every Haitian fridge, in Port-au-Prince flats and in Haitian kitchens in Miami, Montreal and Boston alike, and it's made fresh most weeks. Flat-leaf parsley, spring onion, garlic, sweet peppers and thyme are pounded or blended with a few cloves, a little scotch bonnet, oil and lime into a loose green paste. It is the first thing into the pot for rice and beans, legim and soup joumou, and it's rubbed over vegetables and tofu before they're fried. Raw it smells bright and herby; cooked it turns sweet, savoury and gently warm with clove. Chef's tip: use whole cloves and grind them yourself; just three or four give epis its signature warmth, but more turns it medicinal.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Grind 4 whole cloves to a fine powder in a mortar or spice grinder.
1 minStep 2: Put the ground cloves into a blender or food processor with 2 ⅛ oz flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stems, 6 spring onions, 10 cloves garlic, 1 green pepper, ½ red pepper, 2 shallots, 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, ½ scotch bonnet pepper, 3 tbsp lime juice and 1 tsp salt. Wear gloves for the scotch bonnet.
3 minStep 3: Pulse, then blend while pouring in ¼ cup vegetable or olive oil, until you have a thick, spoonable green paste with a little texture left. A common mistake is blending it to a smooth purée with water: it loses its fresh bite, turns sludgy and spoils faster. The oil and lime keep it bright.
2 minStep 4: Spoon into a clean jar, smooth the top and pour over a thin layer of oil. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze in ice-cube trays for 3 months.
Step 5: To use, fry 1–3 tbsp in hot oil over a medium heat for 2 minutes, until it smells sweet and the green deepens, before adding beans, vegetables or rice.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 60 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does epis take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stems?
- Curly parsley or coriander, same amount.
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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