Metemgee

Althea Brown’s metemgee is a Guyanese ground-provision stew cooked in coconut milk made from grated coconut and water. This selected plain base combines cassava, Japanese sweet potato, yam and ripe yellow plantain, with onion and garlic.

The ground provisions are peeled and cut, rinsed, placed in a water bath and set aside. The supplied grated coconut is blended with the recipe water. A wire mesh strainer over a large bowl separates the coconut milk from the husk.

The coconut milk, supplied diced yellow onion and finely chopped garlic go into a large, deep pot and come to a boil. Cassava and salt are added and stirred through, then boiled uncovered until the cassava is partly tender.

The sweet potato and yam are added and stirred through before the ripe plantains join them. The pot is covered and the heat reduced. Scallions, fresh thyme, wiri wiri peppers and black pepper are the other listed seasonings.

The root vegetables are checked for fork tenderness. The broth finishes thick and creamy, with visible curdles. The finished plain stew is served.