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Labouyi farin
Labouyi farin: Haitian spiced wheat flour porridge with milk and lime zest
HaitianIn Port-au-Prince and in towns across Haiti, a pot of labouyi farin is a cheap, filling breakfast that children grow up on: wheat flour simmered smooth with evaporated milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise and a little lime zest, then sweetened and finished with vanilla. It should be pourable and silky, somewhere between custard and porridge. The common mistake is adding the flour straight to hot liquid, which makes lumps that never cook out; mix it into cold water first. Chef's tip: let it bubble gently for a full 10 minutes after it thickens, stirring, or it keeps a raw floury taste.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ⅛ oz plain flour
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 1 limezest only, in wide strips
- 1 pinch salt
- 14 ½ oz evaporated milk1 tin
- 2 ½ oz sugar
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ oz butter
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Whisk 2 ⅛ oz plain flour into 1 cup cold water until completely smooth, with no lumps.
Step 2: Bring 1 ¾ cups water to the boil in a saucepan with 1 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, 1 lime and 1 pinch salt, and simmer for 3 minutes so the water is scented.
3 minStep 3: Lower the heat and pour in the flour mixture in a thin stream, whisking all the time. It will thicken within a minute or two.
2 minStep 4: Whisk in 14 ½ oz evaporated milk and 2 ½ oz sugar, then cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until silky, glossy and no longer tasting of raw flour.
10 minStep 5: Take off the heat, lift out the spices and zest, and stir in ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp vanilla extract and ½ oz butter. Serve warm in bowls or mugs; add a splash of water if it gets too thick on standing.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does labouyi farin take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
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