Carry la patte coccon: a way to make delicious Creole food that warms the heart
Two versions of pig’s trotter curry (carry) from Réunion Island

Carry la patte coccon is a Creole dish that makes your soul vibrate. The pig’s trotter is tender, melts in your mouth, and the sauce is nicely spiced. To make this curry, you can choose between two methods. The first is traditional: you boil the trotters in water, then simmer everything together in a pot for a long time. This makes the meat very tender, and all the flavors blend perfectly.

The second method involves browning the meat first. This gives the curry a slightly caramelized, stronger flavor. The meat takes on a golden color, adding a new dimension to your curry.

Don’t forget to serve this curry with hot white rice and local grains like lentils, pigeon peas, or kidney beans. Add greens, spicy rougail, pickles (achards), and if you like, a bit of gratin chayote or jacquet bread for dipping the sauce.

This dish warms the heart, reminds us of our land, and brings the family together. Our Creole food is still alive thanks to this pig’s trotter curry.

Ingredients for both versions (for 4 to 6 people):

• 1.5 kg pig’s trotters, cut into pieces

• 2 large onions

• 4 garlic cloves

• 1 piece of ginger (3 cm)

• 3 ripe tomatoes (or 1 can of crushed tomatoes)

• 1 sprig of thyme

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tablespoon turmeric

• 1 chili pepper (optional)

• Salt, pepper

• Vegetable oil (sunflower, grape seed, etc.)

• White vinegar or lemon (for cleaning)

Preparation:

1. Cleaning
Burn off any hairs still on the trotters.
Wash the pieces in warm water with some vinegar or lemon.

2. Pre-cooking (blanching)
Boil the trotters for 30 minutes in a large pot of salted water.
Drain and set aside.

3. Aromatic base
Slice the onions.
Crush the garlic, ginger, and chili together.
Cut the tomatoes into cubes.

VERSION 1 – Classic pig’s trotter curry (without browning)

Traditional cooking (1.5 to 2 hours)
In a pot, sauté the onions in a little oil.
Add the garlic/ginger/chili paste, then tomatoes, turmeric, thyme, and bay leaves.
Let simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the pig’s trotter pieces.
Cover halfway with hot water.
Simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours until the meat is very tender.

VERSION 2 – Browned pig’s trotter curry (with searing)

Preparation:

1. Cleaning – same as above.

2. Searing – In a large pot with some oil, brown the pig’s trotter pieces on all sides (about 15 minutes).
   Remove once well colored. (This replaces the blanching step.)

3. Aromatic base – In the same pot, sauté the onions in the leftover fat.
   Add garlic/ginger/chili, turmeric, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves.
   Cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add the browned meat back in.
   Salt and pepper.
   Mix well, then add some hot water to cover halfway.
   Cook gently, covered, for 1.5 hours until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.

To serve with:

• Hot white rice

• Local grains: lentils, pigeon peas, gros pois, kidney beans

• Greens: moringa leaves, pumpkin leaves, chayote leaves, or others depending on the season

• Spicy rougail: tomato, green mango, lemon — spiced with a good Rodrigues chili or bird’s eye chili, finely crushed

• Homemade achards: crunchy pickled vegetables for some crunch

• Gratin or purée of chayote (christophine)

• Jacquet (dense local bread)

• Warm vegetable salad (mixed warm vegetables)

• Small stuffed vegetables (ti farcis)