Soooooo, I was reading this article about “Humble Beginnings” when it comes to the foundation of some of the world’s greatest dishes. It was such a wonderful article. It talked about the ingredients that do all the work yet dissipates into the recipe and allows other ingredients to be the hero; like the holy trinity of a Jambalaya when we drool over the tender shrimp and those amazingly, delicious andouille sausages.
This article was authored by Lindsey Howald Patton on the Serious Eats website. You can read all about it here. It mentioned the French mirepoix that I love to use when starting my turkey gravy, Italian batutto as well as Spanish sofrito which I use in my arroz con grandules, Puerto Rican recaíto, the Cajun holy trinity that is in every gumbo recipe, and other comparable European counterparts. But… no… GREEN SEASONING!!! Like whaaaaat????
Imagine how saddened I was when I didn’t see a West Indian green seasoning on there so here we go.
WEST INDIAN GREEN SEASONING
Green seasoning is behind the bold flavor of West Indian/ Caribbean cooking. It is the silent partner in everything delicious. I call it that because you often can’t look at a dish and see it. It is that ingredient that just falls into the background but is responsible for that wow factor when you dig in.
Every country has its own variation but there is essentially a large overlap when it comes to the base ingredients which are usually onions, hot peppers, green onions, celery, and garlic. Other additions are made based on where it is from. Your green seasoning may also vary depending on what you are cooking. If I am making a brown stew, I will include lots of culantro but otherwise, I don’t.
The bottom line here is that this recipe should act as a guide and you should follow your culinary instincts (trust me you have one) and just add whatever you feel is going to deliver the flavor profile you are trying to achieve.
So as always, let’s talk about the ingredients.
Ingredients, Substitutions and Additions:
Onions – This creates the base of the seasoning. Yellow onions offer a sharp, pungent flavor with a hint of sweetness. They are perfect for savory dishes and the more they are cooked the more sweet they start to become. They are easy to find and perfect for our green seasoning base. No substitutions needed.
Green Onions – These offer up a fresh, grassy taste in the stalks and a mild onion-like flavor in their bulbs. This will add depth of flavor and freshness
Celery – In Guyana, leaf celery, also known as Chinese celery, is what is most commonly available. In the US, you can find this at your Asian grocer. They resemble parsley with their thin stalks and leafy heads. But using the typical western celery found at your local grocer is just fine. I do it all the time. I usually look for a nice, leafy bunch and use almost all of the leaves and some of the stalk if needed.
Thyme – I use what we call “fine leaf thyme” as opposed to “broad leaf thyme” which is also known by many other names including Spanish thyme. “Fine leaf thyme” is usually what you will find at the grocery store or plant shop. That will work perfectly. If I am at the plant shop, I specifically look for “English thyme” as it most closely resembles the flavor of what my mom always used and planted growing up.
Garlic – I am an advocate for fresh garlic always. No garlic powder here. This is a recipe that requires fresh ingredients so none of that garlic mince or puree you find at the store. Please I beg you, use real, fresh garlic.
Hot Peppers – These include peppers like wiri-wiri, habaneros, scorpion peppers, ghost peppers, tiger teeth. My go-to is always wiri-wiri peppers that are small and round and very hot but I understand in the US and other places this may not be readily available. However, habaneros are quite easy to find and would be my second option. Jalapenos are not quite the right peppers. They have a very strong, unique flavor and don’t provide much heat. They stray too much from the authenticity of this seasoning but if you feel like it would work for you, then go for it.
Additional Ingredients – You can add whatever you feel is going to bring out the best in your dish. Additions from other West Indian countries include parsley, cilantro, bell peppers, ginger, culantro (aka. chandon beni, bandhania, Mexican coriander, ngo gai, recao sawtooth herb), and broad leaf thyme (aka. indian borage, Cuban oregano, Spanish thyme).
Making Green Seasoning
To make this seasoning, all you need to do is give everything a rough chop and toss it in the blender or food processor. If you want a nice smooth texture like I prefer, then you will use the blender but if you want something a bit more chunky then the food processor will do the job. You will need to add some liquid to get it going and there are two ways I usually do this: water or oil.
Back in the days of my grandmother or even the early parts of my mother’s marriage, the ingredients were ground to a paste by hand on an Indian grinding stone called a “sil-batta” The sil is the flat stone in which you put the food you want to grind and the batta being the cylindrical stone that you will rock back and forth to do the actual grinding. It is a flat version of a mortar and pestle. The onions and other fresh foods will release their juices when ground and create a paste. This method required no water or liquid to help with the grinding.
With time, blenders and food processors became more affordable, and making green seasoning became easier. In Guyana, we tend to lose power fairly often but the good old grinding stone still saves the day from time to time.
So let me tell you a little about when to use water and when to use oil.
WATER METHOD:
This is the authentic way to do this. You will add just enough water to get everything blended. You want it to be thick and not watery. The water method is best for stews, curries, or adding to a batter, like pholourie (split peas fritters). You can also use this method for freezing. Just fill into an ice cube tray and freeze. Remove when frozen and store in a freezer bag and use as needed. This is not best for storing for more than 3 days in the fridge because it usually separates, starts to discolor, and loses much of the fresh flavor.
OIL METHOD:
In place of the water, you will add oil. I usually use and extra virgin olive oil but any oil will do. This is perfect for seasoning meats especially if the meat will be cooked with a dry heat like the grill or oven. It can make the meat non-stick but it also helps to bring out the flavors in those fat-soluble ingredients that may be present in your marinade. The oil also helps it to coat the meat better rather than sit on top of the meat, which makes it better for steaming meat. This method is also perfect for refrigeration. The oil acts as an oxygen barrier and keeps the ingredients fresh. It doesn’t separate and can stay for several weeks in an air-tight jar. Similar to the water method, you can fill into ice cube trays and freeze.
Making vs. Buying Green Seasoning
Making your own seasoning, no matter what it is, gives you total control of the flavors. You can change the quantities to make a certain ingredient more prominent or add and remove ingredients to your liking. You can make it one way today and another tomorrow. There is such beauty in having that sort of freedom in the kitchen. You also will have the freshest ingredients giving a more pronounced and flavorful seasoning that is free of preservatives.
I really hope you make this one. If you have any of your own tips and tricks, please share them with a comment.
West Indian Green Seasoning
Description
This staple in Caribbean cooking is so easy to make and is the flavor behind many Caribbean and West Indian recipes. The versatility will have you making this every weekend.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor with 1/4 cup of water or oil and blend until it has reached the desired texture.
Note
- Using a food processor will give a more chunky seasoning while a blender will yield a smooth texture.
- Use water when making curries, stew, or adding to batters like pholourie (split pea fritters)
- Use oil when marinating meats as it helps to hold it to the meat and allows it to brown nicely.
- Use oil when storing in the fridge for more than 3 days. This helps it stay fresher longer and does not separate.
- When freezing you can use either oil or water.
