Green Seasoning

August 16, 2012

Green Seasoning - kvalifood.com

A Trinidadian all-purpose marinade paste made from chadon beni, garlic, thyme, and aromatics, all blended raw. There is no fixed recipe – it varies by household – but the result must be green. Rub it into meat, fish, or poultry and marinate for at least an hour. It is the starting point for most Trinidadian cooking.

Makes ca. 250 ml

Ingredients

60 g chadon beni leaves (culantro), or 1 large bunch cilantro as substitute
4 scallions, roughly chopped
1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled
8 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped
2 pimento peppers, tops removed
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
1 piece fresh ginger (ca. 2.5 cm), peeled
2-4 tbsp water, as needed
1 tsp white vinegar (optional)
1/4 tsp salt

Directions

Wash all herbs and vegetables thoroughly. Shake off excess water.
Roughly chop the scallions, onion, celery, and pimento peppers. Peel the garlic and ginger. Strip the thyme leaves from their stems.
Add the garlic, ginger, and 2 tbsp water to a blender or food processor. Pulse to break down.
Add the chadon beni, scallions, onion, celery, pimento peppers, and thyme leaves. Blend until smooth, adding more water a tablespoon at a time if needed to keep the blades moving. Scrape down the sides as necessary.
Stir in the vinegar and salt.
Transfer to a clean jar. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, or freeze in ice cube trays for longer storage.

Notes

Use 1-2 tbsp per pound of meat or fish as a marinade. Rub it in and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.
The paste darkens over time – this is normal oxidation and does not affect flavour. Vinegar slows this.
If chadon beni is unavailable, cilantro works but use a larger quantity (it is milder).
For a spicier version, replace pimento peppers with 1 whole scotch bonnet.
Add a thin layer of neutral oil on top when freezing to help preservation.
Spanish thyme (Mexican mint) is preferred over common thyme when available.