Callaloo with Duppy Trumpets

Recipe 8 min, plus soaking timePreparation Time 18 minCooking Time

Callaloo with Duppy Trumpets

8 min, plus soaking timePreparation Time 18 min Cooking Time

About this Recipe

“Troublemaking” in family recipes — that is, adapting them to one’s new home — sometimes results in new categories of cuisine. Back home in Jamaica, a savory preparation of callaloo, or wild amaranth, was served alongside ackee and saltfish or fried breadfruit. Black trumpet mushrooms also go well with this, however, and midsummer in New England is the perfect time to forage both the greens and mushrooms. In other regions you might have to figure out local substitutes — which is half the fun. In Jamaican patois, mushrooms have two names, junjo or duppy umbrella. A “duppy” is a ghost or spirit (see the Bob Marley song “Duppy Conqueror”), so “duppy umbrella” is as whimsical as “toadstool,” if a little more eerie.

The Benefits

Black Trumpet mushrooms are a good source of fiber, minerals (potassium, zinc and selenium), and vitamins, including vitamin B12 — more than most mushroom varieties. Amaranth greens are full of fiber, vitamins (A, Bs, C), iron, and even heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Note: To rehydrate dried black trumpet mushrooms, soak them in hot water for about 15 to 20 minutes.

READ | FORAGE: Dia(spore)ic Cooking

Ingredients

4 to 6 SERVES

¼ cup (60 ml) coconut oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound (450g) chopped wild amaranth leaves (in my case, Amaranthus palmeri)
1/2 cup (120 ml) of the water used to rehydrate mushrooms (if mushrooms were fresh, use 1 cup/ 240 ml veggie broth)
4 sprigs thyme
1 smashed Scotch bonnet pepper (“seeds removed!” my mother admonished me)
2 handfuls (around 15g) dried black trumpet mushrooms, rehydrated
1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice

Directions

Step 1

Heat the coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, sauté the garlic, onion, and tomato until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Add the greens and pour in the mushroom liquid.
Step 2

Put the thyme and Scotch bonnet on top of the greens, add salt and pepper to taste, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Steam until the greens reach desired tenderness, about 8 minutes, sneaking the black trumpets into the pot 5 minutes before turning off the heat. Squeeze in some fresh lemon juice, stir, and serve.

Substitutions: Any hearty edible green such as kale, Swiss chard, or mustard greens work if you can’t find amaranth.