Today, I am posting a meal Hunter’s enjoy tremendously, Curry Stew Agouti. Cooking wild meat i.e. agouti (Dasyprocta leporina), lappe, deer, wild hog, manicou, iguana etc. in Trinidad is an art in itself and it differs a little from the normal stewing of chicken and beef. It has been a while since I had any and a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to taste some curry stew agouti and buss up shut in a lime I went to. You will notice I mentioned curry stew: this is where the cultures start to “douglarize” as I would put it and Trini cooking becomes even more interesting.
What is Curry Stewing
Curry stewing involves cooking any meat with curry and then stewing it. Let me explain. First the meat is seasoned with all your green seasonings; with the curry added. Then it is left to marinate. When it is time to cook the meat it is then stewed in the usual manner; with the brown sugar.
Because we’re cooking wild meat (sometimes a little tough) we have to soften it in some way and traditionally the best thing to use is green paw paw (papaya). The green paw paw has an enzyme that tenderizes the meat. Another way I learnt was to use nutmeg. That’s how meat was softened in Trinidad before there were pressure cookers around.
Anyhow this agouti went down good with the roti together with some curry mango, channa and aloo and a little piece of deer at the side too. Wish you could have tasted it!
Curry Stew Agouti Recipe
CURRY STEW AGOUTI
Ingredients:
2 pounds Agouti
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 tablespoons curry
1/4 pound green paw paw (papaya), peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons sugar
20 leaves chadon beni, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons oil
seasoning to taste
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Instructions:
Season the meat and leave to marinate overnight. Sauté the garlic in oil. Then remove it and place aside. We’ll be putting it back in later.
Add the sugar and allow to caramelize. Note the colour.
Add the agouti and stir, to coat evenly with the browning. Allow to simmer in its own juices. Don’t add any water as yet.
After about 5 minutes add the paw paw. Add back the garlic now and continue stirring. You may add a little water. Not too much though.
About 20 minutes after, add the coconut milk.
Allow to simmer until tender. Serve with rice or roti etc.
Hope you enjoyed the post, more to come. Ah gone!
P.S. Some of you may realize that I haven’t been posting as I usually do. I just want to say that I’ve been really busy lately and everything will be back to normal by April, so stay tuned.
Before I go here’s a video of an agouti feeding. Enjoy!
Don’t forget to leave your comment on curry stew agouti in the comment box below.
Curry Stew Agouti
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Agouti
- 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
- 2 tbsps. curry
- 1/4 lb green paw paw papaya, peeled and chopped
- 3 tbsp.. sugar
- 20 leaves chadon beni finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 3 tbsps oil
- Seasoning to taste
- Salt to taste about 1/4 tsp.
- Pepper to taste about 1 tsp
Instructions
- Season the meat and leave to marinate overnight.
- Add the sugar and allow to caramelize . Add the agouti and stir, to coat evenly with the browning. Allow to simmer in its own juices.
- After about 5 minutes add the paw paw., the cooked the garlic, and a little water.
- About 20 minutes after, add the coconut milk. Allow to simmer until tender.
- Serve with rice or roti etc.
I very much like reading your blog on Trini Cooking – it is excellent!!
Your pictures along with the naps cookbook has helped my cooking.
Thanks for all the recipes
Thank you very much and you’re welcome. Keep visiting, more recipes to come 🙂
Your blog and website are awesome! A Trini by birth and living in the US cooking and eating our amazing cuisine, and reading your site has been so much fun. With this agouti post you really have taken it to another level. Keep up all the good work.
Why you have to do this to me eh? I have not had a piece of wild meat in years!
LOL 🙂
Thank you Mr. Mrs. Ms. Anonymous for your comment. I will continue this labour of love. More wild meat to come. 🙂
I enjoy this site keep up the good work.
Thank you Xavier 🙂
Felix! I love your recipe. The agouti sounds (and looks) amazing. If you wouldn’t mind getting in touch with me I would really appreciate it as I am going to be visiting Trinidad in the next few months – I am really trying to find some authentic and local places to have meals like this food agouti.
Thank you so much and any help will be very much appreciated!
All the best –
Joel
Joel We’ll keep in touch. In the mean time I would ask around since hunting season has now opened in the country.