午間食客 C'est Qiutian

這又是一道來自西印度群島的朋友教的菜色，若他沒有煮給我們吃的話，我大概一輩子也不可能吃到這道菜。這次不僅學到作法

還學到關於這道菜的歷史呢。@@

這道菜因為有加了椰奶，所以吃起來除了有鹹味外還帶著一點椰香。有興趣的朋友不妨一試。

**以下是由朋友與我共同撰寫&翻譯的。

<關於Callaloo (sometimes calaloo or kallaloo)>

Callaoo是源自西非的一道濃稠如濃湯般的蔬菜湯。在西非，這道菜是使用全株的莧菜，包含葉與莖去進行烹煮。當Callaoo這道菜從西非，越過大西洋傳自西印度群島後，湯品中的食材開始有了不同的改變。人們開始以隨手可得的作物來取代食譜上難以取得的材料；此外人們還會加入其他當地的食材。因此，這道菜的濃郁、口感、與風味會因著地區的不同而有著極大的差異。

在多明尼加、聖文森‧格林那丁斯及其他地區，人們會使用芋頭葉來烹調此道菜餚，使這道菜產生出獨特的風味。芋頭葉帶著些微的苦味以及一種草味是著一種難以言喻的味道。當沒有芋頭葉可以進行料理的時候，也可使用菠菜來料理這道菜。

[About] 

Callaloo is a thick, creamy vegetable soup which originated in West Africa where its main ingredient is Amaranth leaves and stalks. After callaloo made its way across the Atlantic, its composition changed as the people began substituting or adding ingredients based on what crops were readily available on the islands. The thickness, texture and flavour vary a great deal across the islands. 

In Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and many other locales, Dasheen (Taro) leaves are used, giving the dish a unique taste. Dasheen leaves are slightly bitter and have a green 'bushy', taste for lack of a better description. When dasheen is not available spinach can be used instead. 

  Amaranth (various colours)  莧菜                                           Dasheen (Taro) Leaves芋頭葉

Callaloo有兩種料理的方式，一種是煮得非常濃稠如濃湯般，以用來搭配米飯，或當成配菜食用；一種是在湯中加入了牛肉、雞肉或蟹肉，使之成為一道湯品。

Sometimes callaloo is first prepared as a very thicksoup, and then finally puréed before serving it on top of rice or as a side-dish. Other times beef, chicken or crab meat may be added; and in such cases it is served as a soup.

   Crab and Callaloo Soup                                              Callaloo With Dumplings and Rice

    蟹肉與 Callaloo湯                                                       Callaloo搭配水餃(圖中黃色球體)及米飯

*上述這種水餃主要是由麵粉、鹽、少許黑 胡椒、椰肉、樹薯粉、玉米粉、糖(可有可無做成，)吃起來有嚼勁

dumpling is mainly flour, salt, a sprinkling of black pepper (not sure of this one), coconut or cassava or corn meal, sugar (optional)

基本材料

這道菜的基本材料有:芋頭葉(可用菠菜替代)、地瓜、洋蔥、不辣的辣椒、黑胡椒(哈瓦那辣椒(使用此種辣椒時，不要將其撥開，整根下去烹煮即可)、辣椒醬亦可)、大蒜、咖哩、百里香、椰奶、甜椒、秋葵、紅蘿蔔、青蔥、南瓜

*地瓜及椰奶是讓此道菜餚產生甜味與乳脂般濃郁風味的重要角色

[Basic Ingredients]

Dasheen leaves, sweet potatoes, onion, flavour peppers, black pepper (flavour peppers are preferred but habanero peppers or pepper sauceis fine. Don't burst the habanero, just let it cook in the soup), garlic, curry, thyme, coconut milk, sweet pepper, okra, carrots, green onion, pumpkin. 

The sweet potatoes and the coconut milk are must if you like sweet, creamy soups.

材料/比例

[Proportion] 

1. tablespoon (15cc)olive oil: 一茶匙(15cc)橄欖油

2. 300g of chopped spinach: 300克(半斤)波菜切段(5~6cm)備用

3. 450g of pumpkin cubed: 450克南瓜切成塊狀備用(可調整成跟地瓜同樣分量)

4. 300g of sweet potato cubed: 300克地瓜(半斤)切成塊狀備用

4. 300g okra , sliced in pieces:300克秋葵，切成片狀

5. 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced: 中型紅蘿蔔,切成薄片狀

6. 1 medium onion, diced: 中型洋蔥，切丁狀

7. 4-5 green onion, chopped : 4~5根蔥，切成0.5cm的蔥段

8. 1 bunch thyme (or just leaves):完整的一把，或百里香葉

9. 6 large garlic, minced:6大瓣大蒜切碎備用

10. 1 can of coconut milk:椰奶(約400~500ml)

11. Salt and pepper:鹽&黑胡椒

12. Habanero pepper:哈瓦那辣椒(可省略)

13.1 sweet pepper chopped: 彩椒一顆，切成丁狀(或是黃、紅彩椒各半顆)

14. Coriander, small bunch, chopped : 香菜,切碎備用

15. Water, deliberate use:開水適量

[準備工作]

依上述材料備妥、處理食材(建議最後再處理大蒜、洋蔥)。第一步先將洋蔥炒香。

若使用芋頭葉料理時，要將交芋頭葉捲起來，並使用剪刀來將葉子剪成細長條。若是使用波菜的話，可以徒手將波菜折成數段備用，不一定要使用刀子。

[Preparation] 

 Start by cutting and slicing the sweet potatoes, peppers and other ingredients into small pieces. Next finely chop your onions and garlic. You will sauté the onions before you start cooking anything else. Roll up the dasheen leaves and use a scissors to snip them into thin strips. If you're using broad leaf spinach, just rip the leaves with your hands.

[烹調步驟]

1.在鍋中倒入一茶匙(15cc)的橄欖油，接著加入洋蔥及大蒜。拌炒一下後，再撒一些黑胡椒及百里香。

Begin with some oil to grease the pot, then add the onions, and garlic that you chopped earlier.  As that sautés, sprinkle some black pepper and thyme.

2.當洋蔥開始變色後，加入罐裝椰奶(400~500ml)。(若是使用自製的椰奶的話，那麼只需要約一顆椰子做出來的椰奶份量就夠了)。接著加入青蔥、波菜，將菠菜煮到軟化並開始縮水，這樣鍋內就有空間可以繼續加入更多的食材。這時要注意火侯，以免椰奶煮焦了。

Once the onions begin turning translucent, pour in a whole can of coconut milk. If you make your own coconut milk, one coconut is enough. Let the green onion, spinach leaves cook in that milk until they begin to soften and shrink enough so that there's room in the pot for the other ingredients. The heat shouldn't be to avoid burning the coconut milk.

3.加入剛剛處理好的其他食材。

Add the remainder of the ingredients.

4. 讓所有的食材慢慢燉煮，不定時攪拌一下，以免鍋底沾黏燒焦。當所有的食材都已加進鍋中，也煮得差不多的時候，再加入黑胡椒及鹽巴調味；亦可加入一些咖哩粉來調整味道。當地瓜、南瓜或紅蘿蔔(有加入肉類的話就是以肉類為判斷的依據)熟透的時候，這道菜就完成了。

**若你希望Callaloo中的材料更加軟爛/濃稠，或是你烹調的時間有限，無法讓裡面的材料燉到軟爛的話，你也可以在使用調理機攪打食材，使之擁有濃湯般的稠度。

Let everything cook, stirring occasionally to keep the bottom of the pot from burning. About this time is when some salt and more pepper - and perhaps a touch of curry - should be added to fine-tune the taste. It will be finished when the meat and carrots are done cooking. You may purée everything in a blender before serving or take a short-cut by serving it as is.

更多介紹:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callaloo

圖片來源: google