Callaloo with Duppy Trumpets

Recipe PREP 8 min, plus soaking time COOK 18 min

Callaloo with Duppy Trumpets

PREP 8 min, plus soaking time COOK 18 min

Description

Adapting family recipes to one’s new home sometimes results in new categories of cuisine. This modern take on a Jamaican classic brings together iron-rich callaloo (amaranth greens) with antioxidant-packed black trumpet mushrooms, supporting cognitive function and immune health. High in fiber, vitamins, and minerals like zinc and selenium, this dish promotes longevity and overall vitality.

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.