Potato greens

Ingredients

Greens

• 1 kgsweet potato leaves, tough stems removed, very finely shredded

Stew

• 400 gbeef chuck, cut into 2 cm cubes
• 200 gsmoked dried fish, soaked, boned and flaked
• 100 gdried shrimp, rinsed
• 180 mlred palm oil, or 120 ml vegetable oil
• 2onions, finely chopped
• 2red bell peppers, chopped
• 3habanero peppers, chopped or left whole
• 1bouillon cube
• 2 tspsalt
• 400 mlwater

To serve

• 600 glong-grain rice, steamed

Directions

1. Pull the leaves off the vines and discard any stem thicker than a matchstick. Wash in two changes of water and drain.
2. Stack the leaves into tight bundles and shred them as finely as you can with a sharp knife, then chop across the shreds. Liberian potato greens are cut almost to a mince, not left in leaves.
3. Season the beef with salt and the crumbled bouillon cube and simmer in 400 ml water for 30 minutes, until tender and the liquid has reduced by half. Keep the broth.
4. Heat the palm oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat until it loosens and turns bright orange, about 2 minutes. Do not let it smoke.
5. Fry the onion and bell pepper for 8 minutes until soft and sweet, then add the habanero, the flaked smoked fish and the dried shrimp and fry 3 minutes more.
6. Add the beef with its broth, bring to a simmer, then stir in the shredded greens in handfuls, letting each wilt before the next goes in.
7. Cover and cook over low heat for 30–40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Sweet potato leaves need far longer than spinach; they are ready when completely tender and dark, with no raw green smell.
8. Uncover and cook off any remaining liquid for the last 10 minutes, stirring, until the greens are glossy with oil and hold together in a soft heap rather than sitting in water.
9. Check the salt, and serve piled over hot white rice.

Technique

• Sweet potato leaves, not cassava leaves. They are milder, need no detoxifying boil, and hold a little more texture, which is why the dish is a weeknight favourite while cassava leaf is a project.
• The fineness of the cut is what makes it look right. A coarse chop leaves the dish looking like braised spinach and eats quite differently.
• Red palm oil gives the traditional colour and flavour; some Monrovia cooks now use vegetable oil for a lighter version, and both are accepted.
• Cooking off the water at the end is essential. A wet potato greens will not sit properly on rice.

Substitutions

• No sweet potato leaves: shredded collard greens or a mix of spinach and kale, cooked for 25 minutes, is the closest honest substitute.
• Smoked turkey or smoked mackerel can stand in for the dried fish.
• Vegetable oil replaces palm oil if you cannot find it, though the dish loses its russet colour.

Variations

• Potato greens cooked with pigs’ feet for a richer, stickier pot.
• A version with cut-up chicken instead of beef, common on Sundays.
• Collard greens Liberian-style, cooked identically when potato leaves are out of season.

History

Sweet potato is grown for both root and leaf; the leaves are chopped fine and fried with meat, fish and pepper as an everyday dish.

Frequently asked questions

What is Potato greens?

Potato greens is a soup & stew from Liberia: sweet-potato leaves fried with onions, peppers and meat; everyday favourite. Sweet potato is grown for both root and leaf; the leaves are chopped fine and fried with meat, fish and pepper as an everyday dish.

How long does Potato greens take to make?

Potato greens takes 30 min of preparation and 1 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Potato greens?

Yes, within limits. No sweet potato leaves: shredded collard greens or a mix of spinach and kale, cooked for 25 minutes, is the closest honest substitute. Smoked turkey or smoked mackerel can stand in for the dried fish. Vegetable oil replaces palm oil if you cannot find it, though the dish loses its russet colour.

What is the most important thing to get right in Potato greens?

Heat the palm oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat until it loosens and turns bright orange, about 2 minutes. Do not let it smoke.