PIGTAIL SOUP

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs salted pig tails (cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces) 1 sweet potato (about 1lb) 1-2 lbs yams 4 eddoes (about 1 lb) 3 medium/large potatoes 3 tablespoon chopped cilantro (if you don’t have shado beni) 1 onion 3 cloves garlic 1 carrot (cut into coins) 1/4 teaspoon blackpepper 1/4 hot pepper (adds great flavour and some bite) 1 scallion (green onions) 3 sprigs thyme 1 can black eye peas – 19 oz/540 ml (Use whatever canned beans you may have in the pantry) 6 cups hot water 3 tablespoon oil 1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon ketchup 1 tomato 1 pimento pepper (optional ..if you have) 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce Macaroni (optional)

* Feel free to add any other ground provision you may have (cassava, dasheen or green bananas). If you’re good at making dumplings, it would also make a great addition to this soup.

* I used black eye peas in this version, but my favourite is lentils which I didn’t have.

*NOTE: Try to get your butcher to cut the salted pigs tails for you, as it can do some serious damage to your knife if you try doing it for yourself.

The very first step is to cut the salted pig tails if you didn’t already get your butcher to do so. Then wash and place in a deep pot, to which you’ll add enough water to cover it by at least 1 inch. Bring this to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer. I cook this for a fairly long time (at least 1 hr), until it’s tender. This also works to remove some of the salt the pig tails were preserved in.