10-28-2024, 07:28 PM
(10-27-2024, 11:37 PM)UltraBudgie Wrote: That sounds great, like you've really refined the recipe! I like the idea of mixing coconut milk to balance/complement the heat of the Scotch Bonnets. I like to soak beans initially for 1-2 hours, then discard that bean water, then soak them again with new water, and use that to reserve and add to the recipe. I've found the beans are kinder that way; my theory is that it removes any fertilizer dust or preservatives that simple rinsing might not clear.
You've also made me realize that, to my chagrin, I've not been fully utilizing the thyme stems. I usually go leaf-only.
Rice and peas don't look right to me if there aren't a few thyme stems in it, but more than that, I really believe that the stems make a difference in the flavor. I used to discard the bean water, because I thought that water gave you the farts. It may, I don't know, but it has the color that makes the rice and peas look right. Coconut milk really belongs in rice and peas. Down here in the Caribbean, it's the law. I like to soak the beans overnight, and I skim off the white stuff that floats on the surface. I imagine that is some sort of starch. I think a long soak makes the beans more digestible.
I love this recipe. It was difficult for me to write it down, because I don't cook by measurements, so much of that was a guesstimate. I love a tad of fresh ginger and fresh garlic in almost everything. We also have something down here which we call "Jamaican Thyme", which is actually wide leaf oregano. I like to cut it fine into the beef, and I like to chew the leaf because when I do, my chronic cough goes away.
