Booya season in Minnesota

Booya expert, Melissa Westman, who has been serving booya for 27 years, joins Minnesota Live to share some of her wisdom.

Recipe:

Sweet Melissa’s Booya – One Big Pot (5 Gallons) maybe 2 (8 -10 Gallons)

Ingredients:

Oxtails – cut – 10 pounds – usually 3 packages

Chicken 1 Family size boneless breasts and 1 Family size boneless thighs

Crushed Tomatoes – 2 12oz cans

1 5lb bag of carrots peeled and cut

2 bags of celery – cut

1 5lb bag of onions – cut usually quarter size

3 cans of Green Beans

3 cans of Wax Beans

5 cans of Cream Corn

2 bags of frozen peas

2 bags of frozen bags corn

Salt

1 jar of whole allspice

1 jar of bay leaves

Put the spices in. Usually 2 – 3 crush the bay leaves and add whole allspice together. They will permeate in the Booya while cooking

Instructions

Soak the oxtails overnight in water to get the blood out

Drain blood and boil oxtails with ½ cup of salt by themselves for a few hours until scum is boiled off.

Add chicken to boil

Add spice balls

Add onions, celery and carrots

Boil until chicken starts to shred

Add Tomatoes

Boil and liberally add salt

Stir

Add Beans

Add peas and corn. Salt to taste.

Boil liberally add salt

Stir

Oxtails will fall off bone. Usually keep bone in for flavor until marrow/knuckles is falling off

If it’s too thick add water.  Also use the veggie juice for flavor.

Debone the Booya

Lastly, add Cream Corn