Learn from a local how to make an Oil Down recipe for Granada’s national dish. Discover the unique ingredients that make this celebratory dish iconic in Grenada. Be sure to watch the video below, too, to see the making of Oil Down in action.

Save this article to Pinterest to inspire you to make Oil Down. Photos by Pamela Dittmer McKuen. Graphic by Real Food Traveler.

Celebrating with Oil Down in Grenada

After spending even a short amount of time in the Caribbean nation, on a Grenada vacation, you will hear someone rave about “Oil Down.” Listen closely: The local pronunciation is something like “all-don.”

Oil Down is a hearty one-pot casserole that harkens back to colonial days. It’s also Grenada’s national dish.

“We make it every chance we get,” said Karim Maycock, executive chef at the luxe boutique hotel Mount Cinnamon Resort and Beach Club on Grand Anse Beach. “Today is a national holiday, but Granadians don’t need a reason to cook oil down.”

That holiday was Thanksgiving Day, celebrated on October 25 each year, in recognition of the 1983 American and Caribbean joint military forces who quashed a communist takeover and restored constitutional government. It’s only fitting that Oil Down is on the menu at homes and restaurants throughout the tri-island country. (The other two are Carriacou and Petite Martinique.)

The Oil Down recipe has untold variations, depending on who is making it, but breadfruit is a must. Without it, you’re making stew, not Oil Down, Kareem told us.

Chef Janice Edwards assembles the ingredients for cooking oil down on the beach.

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How to Make Oil Down

While two assistants built a wood fire on the beach between several small boulders, Mount Cinnamon kitchen supervisor Janice Edwards deftly showed us how it was done. Her ingredients: Chunks of bone-on chicken and pig tails; a melange of cut-up carrots, pumpkin and cabbage; and ribbons of callaloo, which is similar to spinach. And, of course, breadfruit.

The undelicious-sounding name, Oil Down, refers to the coconut oil and meat juices that trickle down and permeate the rest of the ingredients.

While the meat marinated in a soup of coconut oil, onion, garlic, sugar, sage, thyme, cinnamon, curry, turmeric and other spices, Janice prepared the breadfruit. She cut it into wedges and discarded the skin and seeds, which she called the “guts.” Uncooked breadfruit tastes similar to a potato with a consistency to match. Watch this video for her demonstration of how to cut breadfruit for Oil Down.

Chef Janice Edwards demonstrates how to cut the breadfruit for oil down.

“You pack it, not stir it,” she said. The reason is, when serving Oil Down, you normally scoop from the sides, and that way every ladle-full will contain breadfruit.

After lining the pot with wedges of breadfruit, Janice pours marinated meats into the center.

Vegetables are laid over the meat.

Ribbons of Callaloo go on top of the vegetables and meat.

The pot was covered and placed on the open fire. The next step was to make dumplings from a dough of flour, salt and water. Janice enlisted our help in rolling small hunks into three dozen three-inch cigar shapes. When the Oil Down started boiling, she uncovered the pot and arranged the dumplings on top. She also dipped a spoon into the mix and tasted it. “Needs salt,” she declared, and added a heap before re-covering the pot.

Hand-rolled dumplings are the last step before the pot is covered.

“Now it is time for rum punch,” Kareem said, leading the way to the Beach Cabana. We had no argument with that.

An hour later, our authentic Grenada meal, Oil Down, was served. Superb!

It’s time for a rum punch while the oil down cooks on an open fire in the sand.

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Carlene Woodroffe, Mount Cinnamon’s assistant general manager, makes a seafood version of Oil Down for her family, she told us. Instead of meat, she uses lambie, which is conch; sea egg, which is sea urchin; and lobster. She also adds okra.

Whatever ingredients you choose, make enough Oil Down to assure there will be leftovers.

“They say it tastes better the day after,” Kareem said.

Chef Janice Edwards shows off the plated dish, Oil Down.

— Story and photos by Pamela Dittmer McKuen

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