Plate 01 of 10

Pom

Name: Pom
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 105 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 8 to 10, from a 23 by 33 cm dish
Cuisine: Suriname
Ingredients: 1.2 kg Bone-in, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and halved across the bone; 120 ml Seville orange juice, or lime juice; 120 g Unsalted butter, softened; 2 medium Yellow onions, finely diced; 6 cloves Garlic, crushed to a paste with salt; 3 medium Ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped; 120 g Surinamese piccalilli, finely chopped; 240 ml Unsalted chicken stock, warm; 30 g Surinamese celery leaves, bladselderij, finely chopped; 4 g Nutmeg, freshly grated; 6 whole Allspice berries, crushed to a powder; 25 g Granulated cane sugar; 15 g Fine sea salt; 4 g Freshly ground black pepper; 1 whole Madame Jeanette pepper, whole, pierced once with a pin; 1 kg Grated pomtajer root, fresh or thawed frozen, drained of free liquid

The Surinamese celebration casserole, born where Jewish planters and Afro-Surinamese cooks met. Chicken thighs marinated in sour orange and nutmeg, browned in butter and braised with tomato, celery leaf and piccalilli, then layered between blankets of grated raw pomtajer root soured with citrus and baked ninety minutes until the top is mahogany and the centre is set.

Prep: 45 min
Cook: 1 hr 45 min
Serves: 8 to 10, from a 23 by 33 cm dish
Difficulty: Medium

Researched · Kitchen testing pending

A baking dish of golden-crusted pom with one square cut away to show layers of grated pomtajer around braised chicken, with pickled cucumber and rice beside.

Pom is the centrepiece of Surinamese celebration, served at birthdays, weddings and national holidays. It emerged in the plantations of Paramaribo and the Commewijne, where Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jewish planters trying to recreate European potato casseroles met Afro-Surinamese cooks who knew pomtajer, the tart, starchy corm of the arrowleaf elephant ear.

Chicken thighs marinated in bitter orange and nutmeg are browned in butter and braised with onion, celery leaf, tomato and piccalilli, then layered between thick blankets of grated raw pomtajer soured with citrus and the pan juices. A long, hot bake sets the starch into a moist, golden-crusted slab that cuts into clean, fragrant squares.

Ingredients

Chicken and braise
1.2 kgBone-in, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and halved across the bone
120 mlSeville orange juice, or lime juicedivided
120 gUnsalted butter, softeneddivided
2 mediumYellow onions, finely diced
6 clovesGarlic, crushed to a paste with salt
3 mediumRipe plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
120 gSurinamese piccalilli, finely chopped
240 mlUnsalted chicken stock, warm
30 gSurinamese celery leaves, bladselderij, finely chopped
4 gNutmeg, freshly grated
6 wholeAllspice berries, crushed to a powder
25 gGranulated cane sugar
15 gFine sea saltdivided
4 gFreshly ground black pepper
1 wholeMadame Jeanette pepper, whole, pierced once with a pin
Pomtajer
1 kgGrated pomtajer root, fresh or thawed frozen, drained of free liquid

The oxalate problem

Buy edible pomtajer intended for cooking from a reliable supplier and follow its preparation instructions. Do not taste it raw or substitute unidentified taro-like plants. Citrus and a fixed baking time are not a validated guarantee that an irritating root is safe. See the [Centre for Food Safety guidance on taro-like plants](https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/multimedia/multimedia_pub/multimedia_pub_fsf_124_04.html).

Why it slices

Pomtajer starch is high in amylose. As the grated root absorbs butter, braising liquor and piccalilli, the starch gelatinises between 68 and 78 °C and traps the fat and water into a tender, sliceable crumb under a crisp golden top.

The five tastes on this plate

Salt runs through the marinade, the fond and the seasoned root. Fat is butter browning the chicken and enriching the root. Acid is sour orange and mustard piccalilli, which the root chemically needs. Heat is the pin-pricked Madame Jeanette, black pepper and nutmeg. Umami is chicken bone, braised tomato and the root's caramelised crust.

Equipment

12-inch heavy sauté pan
Deep 23 by 33 cm glass or ceramic baking dish
Fine sieve
Wooden spoon

Brown the chicken in a heavy pan for the fond, then bake in a deep glass or ceramic dish. The traditional vessel is an earthenware ovenschaal.

Method

Marinate the chicken45 min
Season the chicken with 60 ml sour orange juice, the garlic paste, a teaspoon of salt, black pepper and half the nutmeg. Marinate 45 minutes at room temperature.
Season the chicken with 60 ml sour orange juice, the garlic paste, a teaspoon of salt, black pepper and half the nutmeg. Marinate 45 minutes at room temperature.
Sear10 min
Melt 60 g butter in the sauté pan over medium-high and sear the chicken in one layer 4 to 5 minutes a side until golden. Move to a platter, leaving the drippings.
Melt 60 g butter in the sauté pan over medium-high and sear the chicken in one layer 4 to 5 minutes a side until golden. Move to a platter, leaving the drippings.
Build the braising liquor7 min
Sauté the onions in the pan fat 4 minutes until translucent. Stir in the tomatoes, celery leaves, crushed allspice, sugar and the remaining nutmeg and sauté 3 minutes until the tomatoes collapse.
Sauté the onions in the pan fat 4 minutes until translucent. Stir in the tomatoes, celery leaves, crushed allspice, sugar and the remaining nutmeg and sauté 3 minutes until the tomatoes collapse.
Braise20 min
Return the chicken and its juices. Add the stock, piccalilli and the whole Madame Jeanette. Cover, reduce to low, and simmer 20 minutes to 74 °C. Discard the pepper. Strain the braising liquid into a bowl and keep the chicken and sauce separately.
Return chicken and juices; add stock, piccalilli and whole Madame Jeanette. Cover and simmer on low 20 minutes to 74 °C. Discard pepper. Strain braising liquid; reserve chicken and sauce separately.
Season the pomtajer5 min
Put the grated pomtajer in a large bowl with the remaining 60 ml sour orange juice, the remaining 60 g butter melted, a teaspoon of salt and 180 ml of the warm braising sauce. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy.
Use edible pomtajer from a reliable supplier, prepared as directed; never taste raw or substitute unidentified roots. Beat grated pomtajer with remaining 60 ml sour orange juice, 60 g melted butter, 1 teaspoon salt and 180 ml warm braising sauce until creamy. Citrus and baking time alone do not guarantee safety.
Layer8 min
Heat the oven to 175 °C and butter the dish. Spread half the seasoned root evenly over the base. Arrange the chicken across it and drizzle with the remaining sauce. Spread the rest of the root smoothly over the top to seal.
Heat oven to 175 °C; butter the dish. Spread half the seasoned root evenly over the base, arrange chicken on top and drizzle with remaining sauce. Cover smoothly with the remaining root, sealing the filling.
Bake1 hr 30 min
Bake uncovered in the centre of the oven 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, until the top is deep golden-brown, the edges bubble hard, and a skewer in the centre comes out hot and clean, about 88 °C.
Bake uncovered in the centre of the oven 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, until the top is deep golden-brown, the edges bubble hard, and a skewer in the centre comes out hot and clean, about 88 °C.
Rest and slice25 min
Rest on a rack 20 to 25 minutes, then cut into neat squares and serve warm.
Rest on a rack 20 to 25 minutes, then cut into neat squares and serve warm.
09
Sensory cues of doneness
- Visual: a rich golden-amber to mahogany top with bubbling buttery edges, and a moist, translucent yellow interior around bronze chicken.
- Auditory: vigorous quiet bubbling and a gentle sizzle round the rim in the last half hour.
- Olfactory: sweet roasted root, browning butter, fresh nutmeg, sharp citrus and celery leaf.
Look for an amber-to-mahogany top, buttery bubbling edges and moist translucent yellow root around browned chicken. Expect bubbling and sizzling during the last half hour, with roasted root, butter, nutmeg, citrus and celery aromas.

Storing it

Pom is famously better the next day. Reheat wrapped in foil at 160 °C for 20 minutes, or slice it cold into a soft roll for a broodje pom.

Troubleshooting

An itchy mouth and throat.: Stop eating and do not serve the dish. Do not try to fix irritation by adding citrus or baking it again. Contact a poison centre for advice; seek emergency help for swelling or difficulty swallowing or breathing. See [Poison Control's guidance on oxalate-containing plants](https://www.poison.org/articles/dieffenbachia-and-philodendron-202).
Dry, rubbery casserole.: Too little fat, or the root was over-drained. Use all 120 g butter and the warm braising juices.
A fiery dish.: The Madame Jeanette burst in the braise. One pinprick only, and lift it out before assembling.

Substitutions

One-to-one swaps, with the technique change each one needs.

Ingredient substitutions

Ingredient	Replace with	Culinary impact and technique adjustment
Pomtajer	Fresh grated malanga or yautía, or frozen grated yautía	The same genus. Add extra citrus to match pomtajer's acidity
Seville orange	Half lime juice, half sweet orange juice	One-to-one
Madame Jeanette	Yellow Scotch bonnet or habanero	One-to-one, still whole

Scaling

Half

Halve everything in a 20 cm square dish and bake 1 hour 15 minutes.

Double

Two separate 23 by 33 cm dishes. Double depth in one dish never reaches 88 °C at the centre.

What to serve it with

Zure komkommer, cucumber ribbons pickled with cane vinegar, sugar and allspice
White rice and sautéed kouseband beans
Broodje pom, a thick warm slice in a soft roll with pickled cucumber

Questions

Can I use malanga or taro?

Fresh white malanga is the same genus as pomtajer. Grate it fine and add a little more citrus.

Why piccalilli?

Dutch traders brought it and Creole and Jewish cooks adopted it. Its mustard, vinegar and turmeric add tang, acid and the golden colour.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes. It improves overnight. Reheat foil-wrapped at 160 °C for 20 minutes, or serve it cold in rolls.