Callaloo (Callaloo) — Trinidadian Coconut Greens with Crab

• 500 gyoung dasheen leaves (callaloo bush, stems removed and leaves thoroughly washed)
• 12okra (trimmed and sliced into 1 cm rounds)
• 200 gcalabaza pumpkin (peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes)
• 1large onion (finely chopped)
• 4scallions (thinly sliced)
• 4 clovegarlic (minced)
• 6 sprigfresh thyme
• 6 sprigchado beni (also called culantro, finely chopped)
• 1Scotch bonnet pepper (left whole for aroma and moderate heat)
• 2blue crabs (cleaned, cracked, and halved)
• 1 canunsweetened coconut milk (400 ml can)
• 500 mlwater
• 1 tbspvegetable oil
• 1.25 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspground black pepper
• 1 tbspfresh lime juice

Instructions

1. 1

   Wash the dasheen leaves in several changes of cool water, rubbing away any grit from the ribs and edges. Remove the tough stems, then roughly chop the leaves so they wilt evenly in the pot.

2. 2

   Rinse the cleaned blue crabs under cold running water and crack the claws lightly so their flavor can season the callaloo. Pat them dry with paper towel, then keep them chilled while you start the vegetables.

3. 3

   Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy 4 l pot over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the onion, scallions, garlic, thyme, and chado beni, then cook for 4 minutes until fragrant but not browned.

4. 4

   Add the sliced okra, pumpkin, chopped dasheen leaves, whole Scotch bonnet pepper, coconut milk, water, salt, and black pepper. Stir firmly to compress the greens, because the pot will look very full before the callaloo bush wilts.

5. 5

   Nestle the crab pieces into the greens and bring the pot to a steady simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook for 35 minutes until the dasheen leaves are fully tender and the pumpkin is soft.

6. 6

   Remove the crab pieces and the whole Scotch bonnet pepper from the pot with tongs. Discard the pepper if you want mild callaloo, or mash 0.25 of the pepper into the pot if you want a hotter Trinidadian finish.

7. 7

   Swizzle the callaloo in the pot with a traditional swizzle stick for 3 minutes, or pulse it carefully with an immersion blender for 20 seconds. The finished texture should be thick, green, and silky, with visible body from the okra rather than a thin soup.

8. 8

   Return the crab pieces to the pot and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes so the seafood warms through again. Stir in the lime juice, check that the salt level is balanced, and serve the callaloo hot.