MANISH WATER

Whether serving as a prelude to a big feast or a change of pace as you 'beat two juice' at the local pub, manish water is a true Jamaican favourite. It is almost unthinkable to go through the Christmas holidays without this.

ingredients

Goat head, gut and feet (cleaned and chopped)

1 Scotch bonnet pepper

2 cloves garlic

4 stalks scallions

1 large onion

4 green bananas (chopped in quarter pieces with

skin on)

2 Irish potatoes (peeled and chopped in quarter pieces)

2 chocho (chopped in halves)

5 sprigs thyme

10 pimento seeds (allspice)

1/2lb yellow yam

1/2lb flour

Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring water to a boil in a stockpot and add a little salt to taste.

2. Add meat to boiling water and allow meat to cook until tender.

3. Add the potatoes, green bananas, yellow yam, garlic and pimento. While these ingredients are cooking, you need to make some small dumplings called 'spinners'.

4. When the yams become medium soft, add the spinners, wait two minutes and then add the other ingredients to the soup. Let this soup boil for another 10 minutes or so.

5. Taste the soup now; it should have a nice flavour. Let someone else give you a second opinion about this soup. You can add more spices if needed.

JAMAICAN 'SPINNERS' DUMPLINGS

a. Put flour in a large bowl and add a little water. Knead flour into dough-like state, adding water as necessary, like you are making bread.

b. Pinch dough into small pieces, about two inches in diameter.

c. Place pieces of dough into bowl and let sit for awhile.

d. With your palms facing each other, roll a piece of dough between them until the dough looks like a big piece of spaghetti.

e. If the Scotch bonnet pepper bursts in the soup, it will make the soup very hot and spicy. That is your choice. You may add white rum.

Recipe taken from http://www.jamaica-land-we-love.com