When the days are hot, clouds louring with the hint of rain, and the stove would just inflame your mood, choose something fresh, green, sweet, sour and peppery! You can make a chow with any fruit. Some people even put chennets in chow; that makes me shudder but if chennets are what you have, chennets you use! Think, pineapple, rose mango or any half-ripe mango, mamey apple, cucumber, pommecythere, pommerac, green plums, sweet pepper, cashew fruit … If it is tangy on the way to a sweet ripening, it probably will go well in a chow.
To season the chow, you must have hot pepper, garlic, salt. Everything else is optional. Some people must have a dash of sour - a couple teaspoons of their favourite vinegar, or lime juice. Some people must have shadon beni. Some add a touch of sugar. You can experiment until you find the chow seasoning that suits the fruit you have: is it tart or sweet? How hot is your pepper? How small should your slice the mango - how many people to dip into it?
Seasoning:
Pepper, hot or mild, bird pepper or scotch bonnet, a touch of scorpion, your choice of heat
Salt, a pinch or to taste
Garlic, one clove finely minced
Shadon beni, two or three leaves chopped up
Lime juice (or vinegar), a squeeze (or teaspoon)
Sugar (only if the fruit is very sour), a teaspoon
The fruit:
Five fingers, these are the sweet variety so no sugar was added, about five or six.
Cut off the tough strip along the edge of each finger. Then cut across into the star shapes. Mix with seasoning and let sit for five minutes.
Eat! Chows can be eaten unceremoniously, on the beach, in front the tv, in the bush under the tree, with fingers! The only side effect is the craving for more!
To season the chow, you must have hot pepper, garlic, salt. Everything else is optional. Some people must have a dash of sour - a couple teaspoons of their favourite vinegar, or lime juice. Some people must have shadon beni. Some add a touch of sugar. You can experiment until you find the chow seasoning that suits the fruit you have: is it tart or sweet? How hot is your pepper? How small should your slice the mango - how many people to dip into it?
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| Red pepper and green shadon beni in this five finger chow! |
Seasoning:
Pepper, hot or mild, bird pepper or scotch bonnet, a touch of scorpion, your choice of heat
Salt, a pinch or to taste
Garlic, one clove finely minced
Shadon beni, two or three leaves chopped up
Lime juice (or vinegar), a squeeze (or teaspoon)
Sugar (only if the fruit is very sour), a teaspoon
The fruit:
Five fingers, these are the sweet variety so no sugar was added, about five or six.
Cut off the tough strip along the edge of each finger. Then cut across into the star shapes. Mix with seasoning and let sit for five minutes.
Eat! Chows can be eaten unceremoniously, on the beach, in front the tv, in the bush under the tree, with fingers! The only side effect is the craving for more!
Thank you for the recipe. I tried it :)
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