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Jamaican Pepper Pot

A hearty Jamaican stew of tofu, vegetables, and spices simmered in a savory broth.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 18 ingredients
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Why it works: Celery and carrot match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 10,173 recipes. Both carry myristicin, which smells spice, warm. The science ↓

Jamaican Pepper Pot

Time25 to 30 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the tofu and bacon

  1. Cut tofu into 1/2-inch-thick slices, then blot well between layers of paper towel and cut into 1/2-inch dice.

  2. In a wide skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add tofu and "pepperoni" and cook, stirring often, until tofu is golden on most sides and "pepperoni" is crisp.

  3. Remove to a plate.

Make the stew

  1. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat and add onion and celery. Cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, 10 minutes.

  2. Add leeks, potatoes, carrots, bell pepper, chile pepper if using and 4 cups water and bring to a simmer.

  3. Add bouillon cube, bay leaves, thyme, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Simmer gently, covered, until vegetables are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

  4. Stir in reserved tofu and "pepperoni" slices. Remove bay leaves.

Thicken and serve

  1. In a small saucepan, melt margarine. Slowly stir in flour. When mixture is smooth, stir it slowly into stew.

  2. Cook until sauce thickens, uncovered, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley.

  3. Serve hot.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1212Calories
33 gProtein
49 gFat
163 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 17 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Potato1 medium (173g) baked161
Vegetable1 tbsp (14g)120
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Tofu100g firm76
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Bacon1 slice cooked (8g)43
Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Carrot1 medium (61g)25
Soy Sauce1 tbsp (15ml)9
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Celery1 stalk (40g)6
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Thyme1 tsp dried (1.4g)4
Bay Leaf1 leaf (0.6g)2
Parsley1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)1

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Celery + carrottop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together10,173 recipes

    Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).

  2. Leek + carrottop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,310 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

  3. Onion + potatotop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together9,023 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  4. Celery + leektop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,093 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

  5. Onion + leektop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,326 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl butyrate (apple, fruity).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Extra-firm tofu
Holds its shape and browns on the outside while staying firm inside the stew.
Onion
Softens as it cooks, building a sweet, savory base for the stew.
Potatoes
Break down slightly as they cook, adding body and thickening the stew.
All-purpose flour
Thickens the stew into a smooth sauce when cooked with the margarine.
Carrots
Add sweetness and hold their shape through the long simmer.
Soy margarine
Adds fat and richness and carries the flour into a smooth roux.

The step that matters

Stirring the flour into the stew. Flour clumps if added directly to hot liquid. Making it a smooth paste with melted fat first, then stirring it slowly into the stew, lets the starch disperse evenly so the sauce thickens without lumps.

Swap the leek

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tofu, olive, onion, celery, potato, carrot, pepper):

  1. Tomatofits better
  2. Capsicumfits better
  3. Spinachfits better
  4. Leekthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against tofu, olive, onion, celery, potato, carrot, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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