Greens Soup
Credit: Christopher Hirsheimer
SERVES 8 - 10
This is a seafood and pork version of a dish named for the young green leaves of plants like tannia and taro. It can also be made with other greens.
1 pig's knuckle, cut into 6 pieces
1/2 lb. salt pork, diced
1 yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 scotch bonnet or other fresh hot chile, stemmed,
seeded, and finely chopped
1 eggplant, peeled and finely chopped
2 cups trimmed and chopped fresh or frozen okra
2 cups finely chopped chinese spinach, spinach,
or collard or mustard greens
2 lbs. crabmeat, picked over
12 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups hot fungi (see recipe below)
1. Soak pig's knuckles in a bowl of cold water, changing water every few hours until it remains clear, 8 hours or overnight. Drain again; then put knuckles and 20 cups water into a large pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, skimming any foam that rises to the surface, until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 hours.
2. Put salt pork into a large, heavy-bottomed pot, and fry over medium heat until fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Add onions, celery, and garlic, and cook until soft, 7-10 minutes. Add chiles, eggplant, and okra, and cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add hot pork stock and knuckles to pot with vegetables, and stir to combine; then add greens and cook until soup begins to thicken, about 1 1/2 hours. Add crabmeat, and cook for 30 minutes more. Keep warm over low heat.
3. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add shrimp, and boil until cooked through, 1–2 minutes. Drain.
4. Put fungi in the center of a large serving bowl. Ladle kallaloo around fungi, discarding pig's knuckles, and arrange shrimp on top of kallaloo.
FOR THE FUNGI:
Bring 1 cup salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh or frozen okra, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer okra and cooking liquid to a small bowl, and set aside. Bring 12/3 cup white cornmeal, whisking constantly. Stir in reserved okra and liquid, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until cornmeal is soft, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat, add 2 tbsp. butter, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to mix well. Season to taste with salt. Mold fungi into small mounds with a large, wet serving spoon. Makes 3 cups.
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