Many years ago, Brian and I visited my mom and stepdad in Michigan, where they lived at the time. I don't remember the occasion—maybe it was just an impromptu summer thing—but my mom threw a grilling party, and I decided to contribute jerk chicken to the menu. (Perhaps I was trying to impress my new Jamaican boyfriend?)

I found a seemingly authentic recipe in a cookbook I will not name because for the most part it really is a great book and I don't want to disparage it publicly (plus I work for the publisher). One of the most important elements in jerk, of course, is Scotch bonnet chile, a.k.a. The Hottest Pepper on Earth. This particular marinade called for not just one or two like (I thought) sissy Americanized recipes. No, it decreed a full half-pound, unseeded, pulverized in a food processor. The first sign of trouble came when I opened the lid of the Cuisinart and fell into a violent coughing fit from the fumes. But I recovered, and plowed ahead with the recipe. The fragrance of the chicken was divine, and everyone agreed the flavor was fantastic. Sadly, no one could eat more than one bite.

 

I still use fragrant, fruity Scotch bonnets (and habaneros, which are similar), but not quite so recklessly. I often borrow a technique I learned from Brian's mom: when she cooks Jamaican rice and peas, she adds to the pot a whole, unbroken Scotch bonnet, which infuses the dish with the pepper's distinctive aroma and flavor, but imparts barely a trace of heat.

This silky soup blends sweet baked kabocha pumpkin with warm Jamaican flavors: coconut milk, thyme, Scotch bonnets. If comfort food is about bringing you back, if only for a moment, to your mother's table, perhaps that's why this soup felt so satisfying to both me and Brian. Or maybe it just tastes good. You decide.


JAMAICAN-SPICED KABOCHA SOUP

1 Kabocha pumpkin (3-4 pounds)
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 cup coconut milk
2-3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1-2 firm, whole, unbroken Scotch bonnet chiles (or habaneros)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut pumpkin in half and scrape out seeds and stringy pulp. Rub exposed surfaces with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place pumpkin halves cut side down on a baking sheet (I always line it with foil) and bake at 350 degrees until cooked and tender, about 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the flesh from the skin.
Saute onion in butter until translucent. Add thyme, pumpkin flesh, coconut milk, broth, and Scotch bonnets; simmer about 30 minutes, being careful not to break the chiles. Remove Scotch bonnets, and puree soup. Simmer pureed soup another 5 minutes or so, and season with salt and pepper.

Technorati Tags: kabocha, soup, scotch bonnet

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