Photography by Angèle van Diessen |
I find there are two things that ensure the dish does not taste bitter from the browned sugar. The chicken needs to be salted adequately (Alton Brown gives a quick explanation of how salt affects bitterness. The most pertinent part is between 0:36 and 2:00 - although I encourage you to watch this entire episode of Good Eats.) and the tomatoes in the end must not be skipped.
The macaroni pie is a baked dish of cooked macaroni, evaporated milk, eggs, and cheddar cheese and it's topped with more cheddar cheese. I prefer sharp cheddar.
The callaloo is a purée made by simmering chopped spinach, chopped okra, onion, and garlic in coconut milk and water until the okra seeds turn a dark pink. I like it best when it's seasoned/flavored with salt, black pepper, basil, thyme, oregano, chives and smoked pork hocks. Just let these simmer along with everything else. When the mixture has cooked and cooled sufficiently, it's puréed briefly (without the hocks if you used them!) in a blender. Voila! You have callaloo...which most often is macaroni pie's other half, but is delicious on all your food.
Note: Macaroni pie and callaloo freeze very well
My new Etsy shop, Receptivity, is now open! www.etsy.com/shop/Receptivity I'll be adding more listings, so check back often! :)