The Scent of Green Papaya

Evocative film title (as above) aside, the unripened - and thus emerald green - papaya has little aroma and the very mildest of flavors. The ubiquitous Thai appetizer salad starring the fruit, if you think about it, owes virtually all its piquancy to the fish sauce/lime juice/rice vinegar dressing adorning the papaya's shredded pale flesh. Nonetheless green papayas feature prominently in cuisines ranging from Caribbean to Indian/Pakistani and throughout all of tropical South East Asia and Africa.

Green papayas contain masses of enzymes that are the active ingredient in all natural meat tenderizers so a nifty use can be made of them whenever slow-cooking particularly tough cuts of beef or pork. When unripe and fully green and lacking any sweetness, this fruit is treated as a vegetable.

The recipes below are for a) a tropical stew from Curacao that is a cinch to make and a must to serve with rice and chili relish and b) a creamy soup hailing from Tanzania . The former dish is illustrated above through snapshots from Cafe Drake's kitchen.


BEEF AND GREEN PAPAYA STEW

While naturally subtle in flavor, the green papaya soaks up the spices of this stew. Additionally it tenderizes the meat and adds a moist, exotic texture to an otherwise very familiar dish. Serve with rice and/or roti bread and perhaps a vinegary cabbage salad for a true Curacao dining experience.

Marinate about 2 lbs. of beef stewing meat in a couple of tablespoons of good soy sauce, a heaping tablespoon of ground cumin, a healthy dose of ground nutmeg and plenty of salt and cayenne pepper. After an hour or so at room temp, brown the beef well in a generous amount of vegetable oil.

Now add some fresh green chiles, a chopped green bell pepper, 2 large tomatoes (chopped) and 1 large onion (also chopped). Now peel, seed and chop into decent-sized chunks 1 green papaya. Add it to the stew.

Add water to just cover and simmer for 1-2 hours until meat is tender. Readjust seasonings to taste and add about 1-2 T. of sugar if desired. Serve very warm and garnished with sliced green onions or snipped chives if you like.



PAPAYA SOUP

Tanzanian cuisine seems to encompass a broad range of African influences from across the vast continent with a special penchant for fruit dishes. This soup is not as bizarre as it may first sound, and the resulting flavors are smooth and elegant and sure to please even a finicky palette.

1 green papaya, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces / 1 T. butter / 3 shallots, minced / 2 cups vegetable stock / salt / black pepper / 1 cup heavy cream / snipped chives or chopped parsley for garnish

1. Fry the papaya and shallots in butter without browning. Add stock and season well with salt and pepper. Simmer until the papaya is very soft - you may need to add a bit more water or stock during this process.
2. Cool slightly and then puree in a blender, along with 1/2 cup of cream, until smooth.
3. Return to pot and reheat gently, slowly stirring in the remaining cream.
4. Garnish as you wish and serve either hot or cold.