Hull One World Shop Logo Fairtrade Label

The Fair Trade Cook Book
The FAIRTRADE COOKBOOK
Fair Trade Recipes for a Fairer World

Sancocho Dominica

Sancocho means blistering hot or stewed, and in a culinary context, can be anything from a simple chicken soup to a full "Bollito Misto".
However, the preparation and cooking is specific to the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean whilst being a member of the world-wide family of stews.
Sancocho recipes like this are also ascribed to Puerto Rico, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela , so possibly generically to the area from < b> Mexico to Brazil.
The word seems to relate to the Caribbean area, so this dish is a sort of "Caribbean Puchero". As with Puchero, the process is time efficient, y ou prepare and cook once and then you have food for several meals.

The recipe that follows is a celebration meal with bright (Caribbean) flavours, and ascribed to the Dominican Republic.
The meat quantity gives approximately 16 portions.

Ingredients

Necessities

4 FAIRTRADE lemons
750 ml FAIRTRADE Red Wine

Meats

1,000 gm stewing beef
500 gm pork meat
1,000 gm pork ribs
500 gm goat meat
750 gm chicken flesh
500 gm Pork Sausage

Vegetables

2 large green peppers (capsicum)
2 medium onions
500 gm cassava
500 gm yam
2 stalks celery
3 unripe plantain
500 gm FAIRTRADE potatoes

Seasonings

4 cloves garlic
50 gm capers
5 ml oregano
5 ml thyme
5 ml coriander
10 ml vinegar
10 ml tabasco
FAIRTRADE Sources
FAIRTRADE Fresh fruit and veg
Lemons
Wine
Rice
Quinoa
Herbs and Spices

Method

Preparation

Meats

Wash the meats in warm water, and trim off any unwanted fat etc.
Cut the lemons and scrub the meat with the lemons.
Cut the meat into small pieces.

Vegetables

De-pith and cut the peppers into pieces.
Top, tail, de-skin and chop the onions into eighths (3 cuts).
Peel the cassava and cut into 2 to 3 cm pieces.
Peel the yam and cut into 3 cm pieces.
Trim and clean the celery and cut into 2 cm pieces.
Cut two of the three plantains into 3 cm pieces.
Peel the potatoes and cut into 3 cm pieces.
Peel and crush the garlic.

Cooking

Stage 1

Heat up a large iron pot (big Le Creuset).
Add a little cooking oil and then the herbs, garlic, capers and vinegar.
Mix the flavourings around and then add the beef.
Over medium to low heat stir fry for a minute or so until the beef is browned.
If and when the meat starts to stick add a glug of red wine or cold water and carry on stirring.
Cover. Cook the beef this way for about 30 minutes, checking for sticking frequently.
Add the pork meats and simmer as above for 15 minutes.
Add the chicken and sausage and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stage 2

Add 1 litre of water to the pot and bring to the boil.
Reduce to a simmer.
Skim off any fatty scum that rises.
Add the yam and chopped plaintains and simmer for 15 minutes.
Grate the third plaintain into the pot and add the remaining vegetables.
Simmer for 20 minutes, stiring regularly to prevent sticking.

Stage 3

Remove two large scoops of vegetables, and blend these in a food mixer to form a paste.
Return the paste to the Sancocho and stir.
Simmer uncovered a little longer to thicken the juices. Adjust salt and pepper seasonong to taste.
Add Tabasco sauce to taste.

To serve

Serve hot over a white rice or plain quinoa with either some green leaves or a crisp green salad.
The FAIRTRADE red wine goes well with this meal if you have any left after the cooking.

Variation

1) Cut out the meats except for the beef and make traditional sancocho.
2) Cut out the meats except for the chicken, reduce the quantities of vegetables, and make chicken soup.
3) Use Worcester Sauce in place of Tabasco.