Pepperpot Soup
The Healing Pot
A heavy Dutch oven sits on the burner. The beef hisses. A can of full-fat coconut milk stands open. This yard-style healing pot builds on cured meats, earthy dark greens, and the sweet, fruity menace of a whole floating Scotch bonnet pepper. It takes patience to coax out the collagen and let the pumpkin melt. But when those chewy, hand-rolled spinners hit the bowl, you pull that same Dutch oven off the heat, and the healing begins as the dense dough soaks up the velvety, golden-green broth.
Before you start
Desalt the cured meat.
If using authentic salted pig tails or salt beef, rinse under cold water, boil in a large pot of water for 15 minutes, then drain and discard the liquid to remove the harsh curing salt. Skip this step entirely if using smoked turkey wings.
Ingredients
- salted pig tails or smoked turkey wings1 lb
- fresh beef soup bones or beef chuck1 lb
- cold water10 cup
- yellow onion1 large
- garlic cloves4 med
- scallions3 med
- fresh thyme sprigs6 small
- Scotch bonnet pepper or habanero1 med
- whole pimento berries10 small
- canned Jamaican callaloo or frozen spinach19 oz
- pumpkin or butternut squash1 cup
- yellow yam or russet potato1 cup
- cho cho or chayote1 med
- full-fat coconut milk13.5 oz
- all-purpose flour1 cup
- salt1/4 tsp
- cold water1/3 cup
- okra1 cup
Method
- 01
Build the foundational broth.
Return the desalted meat or smoked turkey to a large stockpot along with the beef chuck and the 10 cups of fresh cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and let cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the meats are fork-tender and the collagen has fortified the liquid.
- 02
Incorporate the heavy provisions.
Add the diced pumpkin, yellow yam, and cho cho. As the soup boils, the pumpkin will begin to melt, acting as a natural thickener and giving the broth a velvety, golden body.
- 03
Layer the yard-style aromatics.
Stir in the chopped onion, crushed garlic, scallions, fresh thyme, and pimento berries. Gently drop the whole Scotch bonnet pepper into the pot to float, treating it with extreme respect—if punctured, the soup will become fiercely spicy instead of just fragrant.
- 04
Emulsify the greens.
Pour in the coconut milk and add the callaloo or spinach. Use an immersion blender to quickly pulse the soup three or four times; you want to break down about half of the greens to dye the broth a deep, earthy green while leaving the rest intact for texture. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- 05
Roll the spinners.
In a small bowl, mix the flour and salt, then slowly add the 1/3 cup cold water. Knead into a firm, tacky dough. Pinch off marble-sized pieces and rub them vigorously between your palms to form tapered, two-inch cigar shapes, dropping them one by one into the bubbling soup.
- 06
Thicken and finish the pot.
Stir in the sliced okra, which, along with the starch from the spinners, will provide the final luxurious thickness. Simmer for a final 15 minutes until the dumplings float, then carefully remove the whole Scotch bonnet and thyme sprigs before ladling into deep bowls.
Notes
The Weeknight Accelerated Method.
To cut a two-and-a-half-hour process down to under an hour, pressure cook the fresh beef and desalted meats in the water for 35 minutes. Release the pressure, switch to the sauté function, and proceed with adding the vegetables, aromatics, coconut milk, and spinners.
The Ital Variation.
For an authentic Rastafarian vegan version, omit all meats. Sauté the aromatics in coconut oil, swap the water for a high-quality vegetable broth, and add kidney beans or black-eyed peas for protein and body.
From Cook Jamaican in America.