World Cup Special: Cameroon - Fried Fish in Peanut Sauce

Ahh! Finally some African food.... This World Cup is so inspiring... you get to try so many dishes. This time our trek leads us to Cameroon. I read online that:

In general, the Cameroonian diet is characterized by bland, starchy foods that are eaten with spicy (often very hot) sauces. Meat on skewers, fried and roasted fish, curries and peppery soups are common dishes.

Sounds good.... maybe some fish.... try some cassava.... nice and hot. We were not expecting such a success though! This is delicious food that is relatively easy to make.


Fried Fish in Peanut Sauce

Serves 2
Palm oil but you can use peanut or some vegetable oil.
2 fillets of sea bream
2/3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
one spoonful coriander
one-half spoonful ground ginger
one-half spoonful nutmeg, grated
salt
black pepper
smoked or dried shrimp or prawns (or fish); half of it ground into powder and half for garnish (we used oyster sauce?)
peanut oil
1 onion, finely sliced
1 to 3 chilli peppers, chopped
one cup peanut butter (natural or homemade) - we used raw peanuts that we crushed in a pestle and mortar

1. Heat a few spoonfuls of oil in a pan
2. Fry the fish and half of the garlic on both sides until done. Set aside on absorbent paper.
3. Grind together the coriander, ginger, nutmeg, salt, black pepper, and half the dried shrimp (or fish) if you have it....
4. In a saucepan bring four cups of water to a boil. Add the spices and ground dried shrimp (or fish) or oyster sauce in our case. Reduce heat and let simmer.
5. Heat a few spoonfuls of peanut oil in a clean pan. Fry onion and remaining garlic until browned.
6. Add chilli pepper. Reduce heat.
7. Add the fried fish to the onion-garlic mixture.
8. Strain broth if using the dried shirmp. Add the peanut butter or in our case crushed peanuts. Stir in and thicken the sauce.
9. Pour the thickened sauce into thepan over the fish and onions. Add remaining dried shrimp (of fish) if you are using. Simmer together for a few minutes.

Coconut Jolofe Rice

1 Onion, chopped
2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon tomato puree
1 chilli pepper, sliced finely
1/2 tin coconut milk
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 small slice ginger, finely chopped
1 bayleaf
1 mug of long-grain rice, washed
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Fry the Onion in hot oil, in a large saucepan, for a few minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and tomato puree for about 6 minutes.
3. Stir in the coconut milk and continue to cook until the mixture is reduced and thick.
4. Add the carrots, hot pepper, ginger, bay leaf and salt.
5. Bring to the boil, and add the rice.
6. Reduce to a low heat, cover and cook until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid. You might need to add more coconut milk or water to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Mashed Cassava with Garlic

1 cassava root, peeled and chopped roughly
1/2 bulb of garlic
nutmeg
milk
butter

1. Roast the garlic in the oven for about 20 minutes (190C).
2. Boil the cassava for 20 minutes or until soft.
3. Drain the cassava and mash - very much how you would mash potato.
4. Take your roasted garlic and squeeze out each of the garlic cloves into the mash.
5. Mash some more and add milk and butter to make a good smooth mash.
6. Grate a tiny bit of nutmeg into the mash.

Score: Food: 4 Game: 2 (we actually only heard the game after spending so much time in creating this feast but it did sound like an exciting game.