Red Red

Ingredients

• 400g dried black-eyed peas
• 120ml red palm oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 30g ground dried crayfish
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper
• 600ml stock or water
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 very ripe plantains
• 200ml vegetable oil for frying
• 3 spring onions, sliced

Before you cook

• Soak the black-eyed peas in cold water overnight, then drain them.
• Dice the onion, grate the ginger and mince the garlic.
• Chop the tomatoes.
• Peel the plantains and slice them diagonally about 1cm thick.
• Slice the spring onions.

Steps

1. Put the drained peas in a pot, cover them with fresh water by 5cm, and bring it to the boil.
2. Simmer for 45 minutes, until the beans are tender but still holding their shape, then drain them.
3. Warm the palm oil in a wide pot over medium heat for 2 minutes.
4. Fry the onion for 4 minutes until soft and translucent.
5. Stir in the ginger, garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato purée and smoked paprika.
6. Cook for 10 minutes until the tomato darkens and the oil separates around the edge.
7. Add the crayfish, the whole scotch bonnet and the stock.
8. Tip in the drained beans and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring now and then.
9. Season with the salt and fish out the scotch bonnet.
10. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan to 180C.
11. Fry the plantain slices for 2 minutes a side, until the edges are dark caramel.
12. Drain the plantain on kitchen paper and sprinkle it lightly with salt.
13. Scatter the spring onions over the beans and serve the plantain alongside.