Red Red

Red Red and Kelewele

This dish peaked my interest after fellow blogger, Chi-Chi, noticed a photo in the NYAM! flickr group that bore an uncanny resemblance to her own presentation of Red-Red, even down to the plate pattern! How funny is that?!

Since I'm always looking for different ways to fit beans into my diet, Red Red / Red Stew was the perfect addition to my list of recipes to try...



Red Red is a spicy black-eyed pea stew popular in Ghana and Nigeria, most likely named for the red chili pepper and tomato seasonings . Usually, smoked fish and dried shrimp lend their flavor to the dish, but the stew is pretty flexible...check out Chi-Chi's tasty looking vegan version!

For the fish, I used salted smoked herring fillets and tiny dried shrimp (which can be found in most asian and caribbean markets). Smoked herring is extremely salty, so you should definitely soak it a bit before adding it to the peas. It also has very fine bones, which really aren't too bothersome...I just wanted to give a heads up :)



I didn't have red palm oil, so I used homemade achiote oil for color, although it lacks red palm oil's distinctive flavor. Ah well, so much for authenticity, lol...here's my interpretation of Red stew...


Red Red

2 cups dried black-eyed peas
Fresh thyme
1 whole habanero pepper ( optional)
1/4 cup red palm oil, or vegetable oil ( or achiote oil)
1 onion, finely sliced
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
14.5 0z. can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
2 teaspoons Adobo seasoning salt
2 salted smoked herring fillets, soaked and chopped
1 tablespoon dried shrimp, very finely chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt & pepper to taste
chopped scallion for garnish



Start by picking over the black-eyed peas, then rinse and drain once. Cover the peas in around 5 cups of water and set to soak for at least an hour ( overnight is fine as well).

Lightly rinse the herring and soak in a small bowl of water until ready to cook.

Once soaked, pour the peas and soaking liquid into a large pot. Add enough water just to cover the peas, if necessary.
Toss in a few thyme sprigs and a whole scotch bonnet pepper (it won't be very hot, only if it bursts, so keep an eye on it as the peas cook).

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 35-40 minutes, uncovered.

Meanwhile:

Drain / finely chop the herring, prepare the onions, shrimp and garlic for the sauce.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the onions, garlic, a pinch of salt, and cook for a few minutes until the onions start to brown slightly.
Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the tomato paste...continue to cook until it darkens a bit, around another minute or two.


Add the diced tomatoes (including liquid), chopped fish/shrimp, adobo, and ginger. Cook for about 20 minutes.

After the 30-40 minutes, the peas will have softened and absorbed most of the water. Remove the scotch bonnet pepper, then pour the entire pot of peas into the simmering tomato sauce. Stir in the pepper flakes and cook everything down for another 15-20 minutes.

The Red Red is done once the sauce has thickened up and the peas have absorbed the flavor. Taste for salt and pepper. That's it!

Red Red is usually served with a side of sweet plantains, or the spicier Kelewele.

Everyone loved this by the way! So it's definitely a keeper for me (thanks for the inspiration Chi-Chi!).

It tastes even better the next day too! I made a Red Red & Kelewele burrito that was delicious!! I just warmed up the leftover beans and plantains in a flour tortilla, added some chopped watercress, and a drizzle of italian dressing. So good!

Enjoy!

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