Boonie Peppers & Recipes

Well, the holiday's are winding down! Mom and Dad tell me they have put away the tree and put all the Christmas cards through the shredder. As New Years approaches, we here at Karsten2008 thought we might share some local recipes with you to spice up your holidays.

To create these wonderfully Micronesian treats, one needs the lowly bird pepper, or boonie pepper as they are known in Micronesia. Their are two types, the red and the green, both are hot as July and will make that 2 second operation of opening your water bottle seem like a 4 seconds. They can be found growing wild in many places on Saipan. On the mainland, they are often sold in Mexican markets and sometimes general supermarkets as piquin peppers. I imagine my Uncle Matt's supermarket sells them, just ask him. So, as promised, here are a few recipes for the small but mighty boonie pepper.

Boonie Pepper Chicken

Ingredients:
1 small chicken, cleaned and quartered
1 cup carrots, julienned
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 medium or large onion, cut in medium chunks
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
9 Boonie Peppers, capped & split lengthwise
1 small cabbage cut in 6 or 8 wedges
cooked white rice (or long grain & wild rice if preferred)

Instructions:
Clean and quarter the chicken. Place the chicken pieces in an 8-quart pot and add just enough water to cover the chicken, about 4 quarts. Add salt and heat the water up to a light boil.
Add chunks of onion, black pepper, and split boonie peppers. Then add carrots, Italian seasoning, white pepper, and soy sauce. Cover the pot and allow the contents to simmer over medium heat for about 70 minutes. Add the cabbage wedges and continue simmering (covered) for another 10 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Serve chicken and vegetables over white rice. Season the rice with a bit of the stock and additional soy as desired.

Saipan Red Rice

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons achote seeds (available in Mexican markets)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
4 boonie peppers, minced
1 cup white rice
2 cups water

Instructions:

Soak the achote seeds in 1/2 cup warm water for 30 minutes. Add the salt to the mixture and press the achote seeds to get color. Strain the liquid into a bowl. Heat the oil in a pan and saute the onions until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the peppers and saute for 1 more minute.
Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Add the strained achiote liquid to the two cups of water in a pan, and bring to a boil. Add the rice and cover. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.