Pom recipe

A Surinamese oven casserole where grated pomtajer root, soured with orange and lemon juice, encloses a layer of chicken and salted beef.

15 hours and 50 minutesmedium12 ingredients

Ingredients

• 1500 g pomtajer (taro root)
• 1000 g chicken thighs
• 300 g salted beef
• 100 ml orange juice
• 60 ml lemon juice
• 2 onions
• 4 tomatoes
• 3 clove garlic
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 100 g butter
• 2 chicken stock cube
• 1 tsp salt

How to make Pom

1. Soak 300 g of salted beef in cold water for 12 hours, changing the water twice, then simmer it 45 minutes until tender and dice it.
2. Season 1 kg of chicken thighs with salt and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg and brown them in 100 g of butter; set aside.
3. In the same pot cook 2 chopped onions, 4 chopped tomatoes and 3 crushed garlic cloves, return the chicken and the beef, add 400 ml of water and 2 stock cubes, and simmer covered 30 minutes. Keep every drop of the cooking liquid.
4. Peel and finely grate 1.5 kg of pomtajer (Xanthosoma root, sold as pomtayer or malanga; taro is the closest stand-in). Potato is not a substitute - it collapses instead of setting.
5. Mix the grated root with the reserved cooking liquid, 60 ml of orange juice and 60 ml of lemon juice; the acidity is what stops the root from greying and gives pom its tang.
6. Butter a deep dish, spread half the root mixture, cover with the meat and its onions, then top with the rest of the root mixture and dot with the remaining butter.
7. Bake covered at 220 °C for 1 hour, then uncovered at 175 °C for another hour until the top is golden and the inside is set.
8. Rest 15 minutes, cut into squares, and serve with rice or inside a soft bun.

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