Fungee is a popular cornmeal dish cooked on the islands of Antigua and Barbuda. It is eaten alongside vegetable mash and a sauce made from tomatoes, garlic, and salted codfish. Fungi can also be served with Antiguan pepper pot (a spicy meat soup).

Directions for Preparing Fungee

1. Add enough water to the dry cornmeal to ensure it becomes a wet paste. There should not be any pockets of dry cornmeal in this paste.
2. Boil 4 cups of water in a large non-stick pot.
3. Add the chopped okras and salt.
4. Use a wooden spoon and stir in the wet cornmeal paste in the pot.
5. Reduce the heat and allow to cook for about five minutes with the lid on the pot. Uncover and start stirring the cornmeal mixture continuously.
6. The mixture may become fairly difficult to stir because of its thick consistency but it is important to keep stirring as this will prevent the cornmeal from forming lumps.
7. added water occasionally as the mixture thickens. After twenty to thirty minutes, the cornmeal should be thoroughly cooked.
8. Continue to stir the mixture for about five more minutes, pressing the spoon against the sides of the pot to crush any cornmeal lumps. The soft cornmeal will appear to be more solid at this point. Turn off the heat.
9. Spoon a pat of butter or a teaspoon of olive oil into a small bowl.
10. Take some of the cooked fungi and place it into the buttered bowl.
11. Swirl the fungee in the bowl until it forms a little ball.
12. Set the ball aside on a platter.
13. Repeat with the balance of the cooked fungee.
14. The balls can be plated and served with pepper pot, vegetables, or salted codfish.