Thomasina Miers’ recipe for Caribbean mutton curry and a spicy banana relish

Thirty years ago, my mother-in-law set sail on an around-the-world trip that would see her land on Antigua, where she has remained to this day. On a recent visit, I once again fell for the fish and conch rotis, and mouthwatering jerk chicken, and I particularly love the use of spicing, with turmeric-stained curries scented with allspice, coriander seeds, fenugreek and cinnamon. Those curries are mostly mildly hot, and served with mounds of steaming rice and beans to mop up their juices, as well as chutneys made with local fruit. Sunny flavours for the bleak midwinter.

Caribbean mutton curry (pictured top)

Goat and mutton are popular throughout the Caribbean, and their flavour mellows and sweetens with slow cooking. Both are stunning in this soothing, aromatic curry.

Prep 15 min
Cook 2 hr 30 min+
Serves 6

1.2kg mutton shoulder, or goat, cut into 10-12 large pieces
Salt and black pepper
4-5 tbsp vegetable oil, or butter
2 onions, peeled and sliced
1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger
4cm piece fresh turmeric root, or 2 tsp ground turmeric
1 scotch bonnet chilli
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 cinnamon stick
4 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 lime, plus extra, quartered, to serve
Spiced banana and date chutney (see recipe below)

Bring the meat to room temperature, then season generously. Put a large casserole on a high heat, add one and a half tablespoons of the oil, then sear the meat in two or three batches, until nicely golden on all sides, adding a little more oil with each new batch. Once browned, transfer the meat to a large bowl.

Turn down the heat to medium, add the onions to the pan with a final tablespoon of oil (or a large knob of butter), and cook, stirring, for 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, scrape the skin off the ginger and turmeric roots, then finely chop both and add to the onion pan. Stir and season well.

Deseed the scotch bonnet, then finely chop it and the garlic, and stir both into the onions, along with the cinnamon stick. In a separate small pan, gently toast the remaining spices for a minute, then grind to a powder in a spice grinder (if you don’t have one, tie up the whole spices in a muslin bundle). Add the ground spices (or spice bag) to the onion mix, and stir to spread them about.

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Return the meat to the pan, pour in enough cold water just to cover, and bring slowly up to a simmer. Leave to cook very gently for two to three hours, until the meat is soft and falling apart.

The flavours improve over time, so make the curry in advance, skim off the excess fat once it is cooled and reheat gently. Check for seasoning, add more salt and pepper, if necessary, as well as the juice of a lime, then serve with rice and beans, some steamed greens, and the banana chutney below.

Spiced banana and date chutney

Thomasina Miers’ spiced banana and date chutney.

Traditionally made with plantain, this chutney is also delicious with banana and is a great way to use up any that are threatening to spoil. It also goes beautifully with the curry above.

Prep 10 min
Cook 35 min
Makes 1 large jam jar

3 medium bananas
150g dates, pitted if necessary
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 white onion, peeled and finely chopped
½ scotch bonnet chilli (optional)
2½cm piece fresh ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp medium curry powder
75g brown sugar
125ml brown or malt vinegar

Peel the bananas, then dice them and the dates, and set aside. Put a medium saucepan on a medium heat, and add the oil and chopped onion. Deseed and finely chop the scotch bonnet, if using, and peel and finely chop the ginger. Add the ginger, half the chilli, salt, turmeric and curry powder to the pan, and sweat the onions, stirring often, for 12-14 minutes, until they are soft and aromatic.

Add the banana and dates to the pan, stir for a few minutes, then add the sugar and vinegar, and cook gently for 10 minutes, to allow the flavours to mingle. Taste and add the remaining chilli, if you like, or more sugar, salt or vinegar to balance the flavours.

Decant the chutney mix into a clean, sterilised jar while it’s still warm, then seal and store in the fridge, where it will keep for three to four weeks.