Fungie and Pepperpot

This recipe is from http://www.recipeisland.com/blog/recipe-island/antigua-barbuda-recipes/antigua-barbuda-national-dish-recipe/ Wikipedia says that Fungie and Pepperpot is the national dish of Antigua and Barbuda The national dish of Antigua and Barbuda is fungie (pronounced as foon-gee) and pepper pot. Fungie is a dish that is similar to the Italian Polenta, and is almost completely made from cornmeal. Fungi & Pepperpot is a thick rich vegetable stew that is made with yam, salted meat, served with Antiguans’ famous fungie.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 45 mins
• Serves: 10
• Yields: 1 Recipe

Ingredients

• 4  cups water
• 2  cups cornmeal
• 1  teaspoon salt, to taste
• 6  okra, cut into small pieces
• 2  garlic cloves, chopped
•  vegetable oil
•  meat, scraps (pieces of meat, bones & skin)
• 4  cloves, cut
• 2  medium onions, chopped
• 4  tablespoons ketchup
• 4  tablespoons margarine
• 1  bunch thyme
• 1  bunch chives
• 1  lb spinach, chopped
• 2  cups  fresh green peas
• 4  taro root leaves
• 1  lb eggplant, peeled & cut
• 1  lb okra, chopped
• 1⁄2 lb pumpkin, peeled & cut
• 1  lb  salt beef, chopped
• 1  lb  pig, snout (optional)
• 1  lb papaya, cut
• 3  small squash, cut
• 1  tablespoon salt
• 1  tablespoon pepper

Directions

1. Place water, okra and salt in a pan. Bring to boil until okras are cooked. Remove half the liquid. Stir with a wooden spoon. The corn meal is mixed to a pasty batter by adding cold water then stirring & mixing this.
2. Add wet corn meal. Reduce the heat, stir continuously with a wooden spoon until mixture becomes fairly stiff.
3. When the mixture breaks away cleanly from the pan (i.e it does not stick), the fungee is ready. Butter a bowl, turn the mixture into the bowl, shaking it into the shape of the bowl, then turn it out into a serving dish.
4. Serve hot with Pepper Pot, boiled fish or stew.
5. Pepper Pot Preparation.
6. Wash all leaves and vegetables in salted water. Place cut vegetables; eggplant, squash and leaves to soak in fresh water Cook salted meat in water with no salt for 10 minutes.
7. Remove and drain. Heat vegetable cooking oil. Add salt meats. Fry for about 15 minutes, add onions and fresh meats. Fry for another 5 minutes.
8. Add all vegetables, except peas. Stir. Add just enough water to cover and cook the vegetables till tender. When the vegetables and meat are cooked, add the peas along with all seasonings.
9. Allow all ingredients to simmer under low fire for approximately 15 minutes or until thick. Serve with okra fungee rolled in butter or margarine.