Guyanese “Cook Up” (Rice and Peas with Coconut Milk and Meats)
There are more variations of Cook Up than there are Guyanese cooks. Consider this recipe a starting point. You can use more kinds or different meat, such as diced corned beef or pickled pork (essentially made the same was as corned beef but with pork). Typically, in Guyana, the meats and black-eyed peas would be cooked in the same pot, being added when appropriate to finish cooking at the same time. Liquid would be adjusted by sight and the rice and other ingredients added and the cooking finished. When I made this frequently, I had all the timing down and got quite good at estimating the volume of liquid in the pot. These days, I cook the different ingredients in steps, and actually measure the liquid, as described below.
Servings Prep Time
8people 15minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
3 1/2hours 1hour
Servings Prep Time
8people 15minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
3 1/2hours 1hour
Ingredients
Seasoned Chicken
Smoked Meat Broth
Final Assembly
Instructions
Seasoned Chicken
  1. Combine chicken thighs with all chicken seasoning ingredients.
  2. Mix well. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Smoked Meat Broth
  1. Make the smoked meat broth using the ham shanks or ham hock and water. You can do this by simmering them, covered, for 4-5 hours; cooking in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot for 60 minutes; or using a slow cooker set on low for 6-8 hours.
  2. When the broth is done, remove and reserve the ham shanks or ham hock. Skim the fat from the broth, add water to make 8 cups, and refrigerate if not using immediately.
  3. Dice the meat from the ham shanks or ham hock and reserve.
Final Assembly
  1. Dice the bacon.
  2. In a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or stockpot with a tight-fitting lid, brown the bacon.
  3. Remove and reserve the bacon.
  4. Brown the seasoned chicken pieces well, in batches, in a the bacon fat in the Dutch oven.
  6. As the chicken pieces are browned, remove them to a platter.
  7. After browning and removing all the chicken, add the onions to the Dutch oven and sauté until softened. If the onions do not release enough liquid to loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, add a few tablespoons of broth or water.
  8. After loosening the brown bits, continue to sauté the onions until translucent.
  9. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
  10. Return the chicken to the pot with the onions and garlic. Add any accumulated juices as well as any marinade that might be left in the bowl. Add 4 cups of broth. Cover the pot and simmer approximately one hour, until the chicken is tender.
  11. Remove and reserve the chicken.
  12. Add the black-eyed peas and bacon to the pot in which the chicken was cooked along with the remaining 4 cups of broth. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, partially covered, until the peas are cooked, approximately 30-45 minutes, adding two teaspoons of salt after about 15 minutes of cooking.
  14. When the peas are cooked drain them, reserving the cooking liquid.
  15. Measure the cooking liquid and either add water or boil it down to make four cups.
  16. Return the cooking liquid to the Dutch oven along with the cooked black-eyed peas and bacon, diced pork from the broth, rice, coconut milk and 4 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil, stirring a few times. Put the chicken pieces on top of the rice, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes without opening the pot.
  17. Remove the rice from the heat and allow it to rest for 15 minutes without removing the lid.
  18. After 15 minutes taste a bit of the rice. It should be cooked, but if not, add a bit more water and cook briefly on low heat, covered, until the rice is fully cooked.
  19. Arrange the chicken on a serving platter.
  20. Stir the rice and put on the platter with the chicken or on a different one. Serve immediately with West Indian hot sauce.
Recipe Notes

Smoked ham shanks are the boney ends of smoked ham. They have a gentle smoke flavor, just like ham. Smoked ham hocks are much more aggressively smoked and one would be sufficient for this quantity of rice.

Copyright © 2018 by Villa Sentieri, LLC. All rights reserved.