Meaning
To simmer food slowly in coconut milk or a seasoned liquid until it thickens and the flavours blend and reduce — the method behind dishes like rundown and many one-pot meals. To 'cook down' the fish or the peas is to let the pot bubble low until the gravy is rich and the food is tender and full of taste. It is one of the core techniques of the Jamaican kitchen.
Examples
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Cook down di mackerel inna coconut milk.
Cook the mackerel down in coconut milk.
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Mek di peas cook down till it soft.
Let the peas cook down until they're soft.
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Di gravy cook down nice an thick.
The gravy cooked down nice and thick.
Origin
From English 'cook' + 'down' (reduce); to simmer/reduce in seasoned liquid. See [[rundown]], [[season-up]].
How it’s used
To simmer/reduce food in coconut milk or gravy until rich. See [[rundown]], [[season-up]].