Coo-Coo - Fungi
by Anne-Marie Whittaker
Coo-Coo and Flying Fish is the national dish
of Barbados. In Dominica, Antigua and the Virgin Islands it is know as
'Fungi'. The Italians make a similar dish called 'Polenta'.
Plain Fungi is made by omitting the okras.
Yield:
4 servings
Ingredients:
- 15 okras soaked in 4 cups water
- 1 lb cornmeal
- 6 cups water
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 3 Tbs margarine
- 1 onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
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Method:
Wash the okras and cut off the heads and tails. Cut into cartwheels and
place in a pot with 2 cups water and all the other ingredients except the
cornmeal. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 15 minutes.
In the meantime, place the cornmeal in a bowl and pour over 4 cups water
to saturate the meal. Stir to make sure it is wet throughout.
After the 15 minutes pour out about three quarters of the okras and the
cooking liquid and set aside.
Return the pot to a very low heat and pour in the wet cornmeal. Stir
constantly to break up any lumps. Add the reserved okras and liquid a
little at a time ... stirring to make sure the mixture is smooth. A
coo-coo stick is normally used for this purpose - it resembles a small
cricket bat. However, a wooden spoon also does the job quite well.
Continue to stir and cook on very low heat for about 10 minutes. When
finished the Coo-Coo should be smooth and stiff. Transfer to a buttered
dish. Serve hot with
Steamed Flying Fish
or your favourite stew...
More
recipes by
Anne-Marie Whittaker Ms. Anne-Marie Whittaker's website:
Native Treasures
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