Haitian Spice Marinade Epis
This is the foundation for most the cooking you will be doing in this book. Even in recipes that do not call for it specifically, it often time can be added.
For most savory dishes, epis just makes sense. It is a blend of onions, scallions, garlic, parsley, bell peppers, and other spices. I added basil to this one because of the fresh taste that I find it provides. you may also add thyme leaves(Fresh).
Many Haitians have this in their refrigerator. In haiti a pestle and mortar is used to mash all the ingredients together. But you can make a big batch and keep the rest in the refrigerator.
1 small onion
6 scallions
6 garlic cloves
1/cup roughly chopped parsley
10 leaves of basil
½ a green pepper
½ red pepper
½ yellow pepper
1/2 cup olive or canola oil
Thoroughly wash, chop, and dice everything into a large container.
Add your ingredients into food processor and Mix on High. (You may also use a blender)
While the process is taking place, pour in the oil.
* Once your seasoning reaches a smooth consistent texture, stop the Blender or Food Processor and pour the content into jar or plastic container.
This can be used as your base for most of your savory dishes and especially for seasoning meats and fish. I don’t add salt or salty seasonings because I flavor different dishes differently.