Caribbean Pepperpot

I’m afraid I’m still in total denial. Because life of late has been a bit of a roller-coaster (F-word wise), my fully focused NCFC brain has not even considered what time of the year it is. And because I haven’t even been out shopping for about three weeks – our ever-efficient housekeeper Julia has had to do it – I have been blissfully oblivious to all the stuff, the in-your-face Christmas and the like.This week I’m faced with the undeniable truth that Christmas is a mere six weeks away, so from now on it’s full-on: cupboards will be cleared, lists will be made, and thoughts of new recipes (rather than new mid-fielders) will be occupying my mind, and I hope over the coming weeks to have some inspiration and ideas to pass on.Meanwhile we have two delightful little bushes in the greenhouse with a prolific crop of red and yellow peppers (above right), so ideas for what to do with them have been the current order of the day. We first encountered this delightfully warming dish in a restaurant in Bridgetown, Barbados, and we think our version of it is extremely good.

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  Serves 4

Ingredients
1½ lb (700g) braising steak, cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) cubes
1 teaspoon allspice berries (see note in method)
1 heaped teaspoon black peppercorns
2 red chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 very large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
½ pint (275ml) coconut milk
½ pint (275ml) stock
2 bay leaves
2 medium red peppers, de-seeded and cut into largish strips
¾ lb (350g) butternut squash, cut into largish chunks
salt

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Method

First of all crush the allspice berries and peppercorns with a pestle and mortar, then add half the chopped chilli and combine this with a dessertspoon of oil and use this mixture to coat the pieces of meat. Leave them aside (covered) for a couple of hours to absorb the flavours.When you’re ready to start cooking, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 1, 275F, 140C. Now heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a flameproof casserole and when it’s nice and hot brown the cubes of meat – a few at a time – removing them to a plate when browned. If necessary add another dessertspoon of oil to the pan then add the onion, garlic, thyme and remaining chilli and cook for five minutes or so till it’s softened.Next return the meat to the pan, with the bay leaves and a good seasoning of salt, then pour in the stock and coconut milk. Give it all one good stir, and bring it up to simmering point before covering the pan and transferring to the lowest shelf of the oven. Cook for 2 hours, then add the peppers and squash. Give it another stir, replace the lid and continue cooking for a further half an hour, by which time the meat and vegetables should be nice and tender. This is great served with a mound of leaf spinach.Note: allspice berries can be bought online from The Spice Shop

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