"Epis"
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Epis, pronounced “eh-pees”, translated from the Haitian-Kreyol language means seasoning or spice. In our home, we usually make a large container of this stuff and keep it in the refrigerator to use as needed. This is one of the most important spices used in traditional Haitian meals. Throw a little bit of this into anything and voila, you’ve created a Haitian-inspired dish. Well, not really but I’m sure you get the point.
This is usually one of the ingredients you’ll typically find in many of my recipes listed on this site. Therefore, I highly recommend that this is one of the first things you make. Even if you’re not making a Haitian dish, you can always add a little bit of this to anything like sautéed vegetables or even as a marinade in chicken or meats. Keep in mind, this isn't something you eat straight out of the container. It has to be cooked with whatever meal you prepare. Last thing I need is someone stating how horrible this tastes because they mistakenly ate it raw!
What’s awesome about this is that you can always make it your own by playing around with the amount of ingredients. It also lasts in the refrigerator for a very long time. This version is the way I learned from my mother. My aunt makes hers a bit different lending it a different color. You can also kick it up a notch by adding in a couple scotch bonnet peppers and make a spicy version for those heat lovers out there. Either way, the base is always the same and this is my version which yielded approximately 9 cups.
This is usually one of the ingredients you’ll typically find in many of my recipes listed on this site. Therefore, I highly recommend that this is one of the first things you make. Even if you’re not making a Haitian dish, you can always add a little bit of this to anything like sautéed vegetables or even as a marinade in chicken or meats. Keep in mind, this isn't something you eat straight out of the container. It has to be cooked with whatever meal you prepare. Last thing I need is someone stating how horrible this tastes because they mistakenly ate it raw!
What’s awesome about this is that you can always make it your own by playing around with the amount of ingredients. It also lasts in the refrigerator for a very long time. This version is the way I learned from my mother. My aunt makes hers a bit different lending it a different color. You can also kick it up a notch by adding in a couple scotch bonnet peppers and make a spicy version for those heat lovers out there. Either way, the base is always the same and this is my version which yielded approximately 9 cups.
Ingredients:
Directions:
1. You need scallions, lots and lots of scallions. I used about 5 bunches. After cutting off the roots, you can cut them in half to make it easier for the blender. Thoroughly wash your scallions and set them aside.
*You can replant the roots and grow more scallions at home! 2. For your parsley, you can either use flat leaf/Italian or curly. I’ve sometimes used a combination of both. This time around, I’ve decided to use 2 bunches of flat leaf. Cut off the stems of your parsley, thoroughly wash, and set aside. 3. Peel and quarter about 3-4 small to medium sized onions and set aside. |
4. Peel several cloves of garlic, trim off the ends and set aside. The amount is highly based on your preference. I’m a garlic lover so I used quite a good amount. Plus, garlic is good for you!
5. Wash and cut 3-4 medium sweet peppers and set aside. You can either use red, green, or a combination of both. I used 2 green and 1 red. 6. You will also need about 6 Maggie Chicken Bouillon cubes removed from wrapper. This is optional, especially if you are watching your salt content. In most of my recent trials of making this, I've omitted the Maggie. |
7. In a large blender, pour in 1 cup of vegetable oil and begin to stuff the blender with as much of the above ingredients as possible.
8. Blend on high until you have more space to place in the remaining ingredients. You may have to do this a few times to get all the ingredients in. You may add another ½ cup of vegetable oil if needed in order to get it to fully blend. DO NOT add water. |
9. If you like some heat in your foods, you can blend in 2 - 3 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers with the stems removed. Or, separate the batch, making half of it spicy and keep the other as is. Because I use this in almost everything and have a toddler at home, I omitted the hot peppers this time around.
In the end, you end up with something that looks like this:
In the end, you end up with something that looks like this:
10. Pour it in a container and keep it stored in the refrigerator. You can also keep some in the freezer for future use. Some people like putting them in ice trays so that they freeze as cubes. That way, you can easily add to recipes as needed.
I use this quite frequently in my cooking and this large batch still lasts quite some time. However, for those who don’t need such a large quantity, you can easily make a smaller batch just by using less of each ingredient. Play around with the different amounts or even add additional herbs and spices to make it your own. I've tried it with cloves (jirof), all spice, and in other trials of this I've cut back on the parsley and had more green onions.
I use this quite frequently in my cooking and this large batch still lasts quite some time. However, for those who don’t need such a large quantity, you can easily make a smaller batch just by using less of each ingredient. Play around with the different amounts or even add additional herbs and spices to make it your own. I've tried it with cloves (jirof), all spice, and in other trials of this I've cut back on the parsley and had more green onions.
Here, I have a sample of my aunt’s version of Epice. Notice it isn’t green like mines. Hers lends a slightly different flavor which I also love and I use this one in certain dishes when I don’t want too much of the “green” coming thru. If you’re interested in this version, you can find it here.
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Check out the video below on how to make epis!
What do you think of epis? If you've made it before, what's your version?
Let me know and comment below!
Let me know and comment below!