Mannish Water
A traditional Jamaican soup, Mannish Water is a rich and hearty dish made by simmering goat meat until incredibly tender. Loaded with root vegetables, aromatics like scotch bonnet and pimento, and finished with small, chewy dumplings called 'spinners', this soup is deeply flavorful and satisfying.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 3 hr
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
Allergen information: may contain gluten. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.
Mise en place
Ingredients
Converted for display; the recipe amounts stay equivalent.
Ingredients
- 1,000 ggoat meat, bone-in, cut into 2-inch (5.1 cm) chunks
- 3,000 mlwater
- 1 pcsyellow onion, roughly chopped
- 5 clovegarlic, minced
- 50 gscallion, chopped
- 1 pcsscotch bonnet pepper, whole
- 5 gfresh thyme, whole sprigs
- 2 tsppimento berry, whole
- 2 pcsgreen banana, peeled and sliced 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick
- 2 pcscarrot, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 2 pcspotato, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 pcschayote, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 tbspsalt
- 1 tspblack pepper, freshly ground
- 2 tbspjamaican white rum(optional)
Dumplings
- 1 cupall-purpose flour
- 60 mlwater, for dumplings
- 1 pinchsalt
Equipment
ladle · mixing bowl · cutting board · knife · large stockpot
The method
Step by step
- 1
Place the goat meat in a large stockpot and cover with the water.
About 2 min
Cook’s note: For a cleaner broth, you can rinse the goat meat under cold water before adding it to the pot.
- 2
Add the onion, garlic, scallions, whole scotch bonnet pepper, thyme sprigs, and pimento berries to the pot.
About 3 min
Cook’s note: Leaving the scotch bonnet whole imparts flavor without overwhelming heat. Be careful not to break it open.
- 3
Bring the pot to a rolling boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer.
About 15 min
Cook’s note: Skim off any foam or scum that rises to the surface during the initial boil for a clearer soup.
- 4
Cover the pot and let the soup simmer for at least 2 hours, or until the goat meat is very tender and falling off the bone.
About 2 hr
Cook’s note: Check the water level occasionally and top up with hot water if it reduces too much.
- 5
While the meat simmers, prepare the vegetables by peeling and chopping the green bananas, carrots, potatoes, and chayote.
Cook’s note: Keep the chopped potatoes and bananas in a bowl of cold water to prevent them from browning before you add them to the soup.
- 6
Add all the prepared vegetables to the pot with the tender goat meat.
About 2 min
- 7
In a small bowl, mix the flour and salt for the dumplings, then gradually add the water and mix until a stiff dough forms.
About 5 min
- 8
Pinch off small pieces of the dough and roll them between your palms to form small, elongated dumplings known as 'spinners'.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Keep the spinners small as they will swell up when cooked.
- 9
Drop the spinners into the simmering soup one by one, along with the vegetables.
About 3 min
- 10
Continue to simmer for another 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the dumplings float to the top and are cooked through.
About 20 min
- 11
Carefully remove and discard the whole scotch bonnet pepper and the thyme sprigs.
About 1 min
- 12
Stir in the salt, black pepper, and optional Jamaican white rum. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed before serving.
About 1 min
Keep it good
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot throughout.
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