Recipe #90: Fante-Fante (Fresh Fish Soup), Versions I and II

I always think of Fante-Fante as a red soup/sauce made only with very fresh fish. When I asked people in Ghana how to make this dish, which originated among the coastal Fanti people of the Western Region, I got multiple answers: one we prepared at Flair Catering, which was similar to a stew where some of the ingredients were first fried ; one I was told to do with similar ingredients as Flair's, but without frying them first (but "you never fry the fish"); finally, I was told it could be made it like a simple fish light soup without any palm oil. Some people said to grind the ingredients, others to grate them; some to add ground shrimp, others not to; some to steam the fish first separately in a little salted water and onion; some used ginger, but most did not; people often said to use seasoning cubes. It was somewhat confusing.

However, after sifting through all of the information, here are 2 versions. The first one, the one I made tonight, does not involve any frying; the second does.

Basic Fante Fante, Version I

Ingredients

• 1 - 1 1/2 pounds of fresh fish (red snapper seems popular [that's what I used today], along with grouper, or cassava fish or even octopus [octopus requires some special treatment, so I'm not recommending it here.] Also, usually people use "white fleshy fish," but it is also apparently made with "dark fish," in which case one should use a "white" oil as opposed to the traditional red palm oil.)
• an onion
• fresh red chili pepper to taste (seeded and with membranes removed, if desired. I used a very hot habanero, and needed no dried ground red pepper.
• 2 good-sized tomatoes, seeded, if desired (I always core the tomato, and remove the seeds over a strainer placed over a bowl so that I can add the juice.
• 1 Tablespoon of tomato paste (or more or less, as desired, or substitute more fresh tomato)
• 4 Tablespoons of good quality palm oil (spiced dzomi oil if available--ginger is one of the spices infused in dzomi)
• salt to taste (or seasoned salt, or a little ginger and/or garlic and/or no salt seasoning)

Preparation:

1. Scale (if necessary) and clean the fish, cut it into 4 pieces (or in halves if using 2 fish), and wash it with a little water with lemon squeezed in it.
2. [Optional: put the fish in a saucepan with a little chopped onion and some salt, and a little water  and steam it for about 3 minutes. I omitted this step today.]
3. Seed the tomatoes if desired, and puree the tomatoes, tomato paste, pepper  (fresh and some dried red pepper, too) and onion in a blender. I find that if I chop the onion, pepper, and tomato coarsely, put everything a bowl, and begin adding it a bit at a time to a blender container while pulsing, it's easiest. Eventually add the tomato paste.
4. Add 3/4 cup of water to a soup pot (use part of the water you steamed the fish in, if you steamed it), add the fish pieces to the pot in a single layer, sprinkle them with salt, and pour the pureed ingredients over the fish, using another 1/4 cup of water to rinse out your blender container. Bring the water in the pot to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for four minutes.
5. Add the 4 tablespoons of palm oil (Ghanaians would probably use twice that much) and shake the pan gently to mix everything without breaking the fish apart. Let simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes and adjust seasonings. Continue cooking until the fish flakes easily.

Variation: Omit the palm oil.

Fante Fante goes well with Fante kenkey, banku, yam, rice, potatoes, etc.

Fante Fante Version II (Flair)

When we prepared this dish at Flair Catering, we used basically the same ingredients, but grated the onion and omitted the fresh tomatoes, increased the palm oil to 1/2 cup, and reduced the amount of water.

After washing the fish with the lemon water, we shook off the extra water and seasoned the fish with: 

• a clove of garlic, 
• 1 heaping teaspoon grated onion 
• 1  teaspoon grated ginger 
• half of a large shrimp-flavored seasoning cube (I would substitute some dried ground shrimp/crayfish) 
• some fresh chili pepper (we used kpakpo shito)

While it marinated, we continued:

1. Next we heated the palm oil in a frying pan (seasoning the oil first with a few slices of onion, and removing it before proceeding), then added 1/2 cup of well-packed grated onion, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, and a little more fresh pepper, and cooked it together for about 5 minutes. 
2. We added another teaspoon of grated ginger and the other half of the seasoning cube, and adjusted the seasoning, adding about 1/2 teaspoon salt and some dried red chili pepper.
3. We placed the fish in a single layer in the pan, added 1/3 cup of water and shook the pan to stir it, adding a few more kpakpo shito and another 1/2 teaspoon salt. We covered the pan and simmered it until the fish cooked, about 15 minutes. We checked during the cooking to make sure the water had not evaporated.

 Let me hear from you. What version of Fante Fante do you use?

Kenkey Must-Have: Kenam (Fried Fish), 2 ways, Recipe #89

The first time I traveled to Ghana (1971) I lived in Nungua, where I taught school . It was there that I learned to love Ga kenkey (aka dokono), shito, and fried fish (kenam or kyenam). Though kenam and its accompaniments are easy to obtain in Ghana, I have to make all three of those myself in central Pennsylvania where I live. That classic meal was one of the first birthday dinners my nephews requested when they came to live with us in 2002. 

Unless you're used to cleaning your own fish, this task may seem a little daunting at first, but if I can do it, anyone can. That's the only "hard" part.

Recipe #89: Ghana Fried Fish Version I (salted)

The Ga people living along the coast traditionally just rubbed salt over the fish before shallow fat frying it, and that's the first way I'll present. Most any fish will work: in Ghana we made it with red snapper, but I chose the least expensive and smallest fresh fish I could find at my local grocery today, which were croakers and porgies. Vendors in Ghana often use smallish fish.

• If the fish are not descaled, you must do that. Most likely they've already been cleaned. You'll need to shorten the tail, and remove all of the fins (and I remove the gills and gill coverings). This requires care and a sharp knife (those fins can be like needles). For larger fish, you can cut them in two or 3 pieces. Yes, include the head. 
• After cleaning them and removing all the fins,gills, etc., rinse the fish with a cup or two of water in which you've squeezed a half or a whole lemon. Cut a slit or 2 in the each side of a whole fish. (I suppose that in North America we could use filleted whole fish, but that seems kind of wrong, somehow). And it also would prevent Ghanaians from having access to any bones. You'll need a whole fish or two per person if they're small, or several pieces if they're larger.
• Let the fish drain in a colander for a few minutes while you heat up oil about 1/2 inch of oil in a large heavy pan (I use my largest cast iron frying pan, heated to medium high on my electric stove).
• Blot the fish dry if necessary with a little paper towel, then carefully put them in the hot oil to avoid splattering.
• Cook about 5 minutes on one side, then carefully turn the fish over and cook the other side about 5 minutes as well.

Vendors in Ghana often cook the fish longer, until it is very hard, because it will keep from spoiling longer, but the fish can also be cooked so that the inside is still soft, or medium hard if you prefer. As I said before, this is wonderful with any kenkey (Ga or Fanti), and fresh pepper sauces or shito, or even just some sliced onion and tomato.

Kenam, Version II (seasoned and stuffed)

This is probably a more common way to make kenam nowadays. Follow the same procedure for cleaning and preparing the fish. However, leave the fish whole and do not cut it into pieces, but do make a slit or two diagonally on each side:

• Make a seasoning paste by grinding about a tablespoon of peeled shallots (or red onion, if available, or else yellow onion and 
• about an inch piece of fresh peeled ginger (enough to get almost 1 teaspoon ground) and
• a teaspoon of ground red chili pepper

Sprinkle a little salt over both sides of each fish. Stuff the slits with the spice mixture and close the slits up. Shallow fry the fish as for version I above (about 5 minutes on each side, more if desired). You'll see my pan was a little too small and I had to force the fish to fit. Drain the fish on paper or paper towels before serving.

Bon Appétit.

On Ghana's "Kofi Brokeman," "shandies" and Charcoal Grilled Chicken

Some time ago I discussed how to make roasted ripe plantain in the oven. Now that summer weather is here in central Pennsylvania, and everyone is bringing out their grills, I'd like to add a postscript.

Recipe #86: "Kofi Brokeman" (grilled plantain slices)

Where just-ripe plantains are plentiful in Ghana, roadside vendors sell grilled slices along with small paper- or plastic-wrapped packages of shelled roasted peanuts with their skins still on. A complete meal in itself, it is inexpensive and filling, and goes by the popular nickname "Kofi Brokeman." (in other words,  Kofi has no money).

To do it yourself, build a fire in a charcoal grill (or fire up your gas grill), and be sure to brush oil on the grill rack to keep the plantain from sticking. Alternatively, use some "no stick" aluminum foil and put the plantain directly on that. If you have the chance to get a fan from Ghana like the one in the photo above, they're very handy for fanning the charcoal when starting the fire.

While the fire is burning down (about 45 minutes for me), prepare the plantain: cut the ends off, make a shallow cut just through the peel from end to end on one side, peel it and remove any stringy fibers, then cut the plantain on the diagonal (making ovals on the cut ends) to make several slices.  Ghanaians would not salt them.

Spread out the coals, and set the grill a few inches over the charcoal. Grill the plantain pieces until they are brown and cooked on each side (perhaps 5-10 minutes per side) . Be careful  the slices do not burn (see my p.s. below). If they seem to be getting dark too quickly, raise the grill, or move slices to the outside of the grill away from the direct heat. Best eaten warm off the grill.

I'm getting ready to go light a fire myself now, but it's hot outside, so first I think I'll go and buy a bottle of beer and one of ginger ale, and make a "shandy." While I've no idea where the "shandy" (short for "shandygaff") originated or how it found its way to Ghana (maybe via the British?) it's a cooling drink, where beer is mixed with ginger ale or ginger beer or ginger drink in roughly equal quantities. I gather beer can also be mixed with citrus drinks like lemon squash or lemonade. Also, I think perhaps it's most popular with women in Ghana ("real men" drink beer, don't they?) It's a refreshing chilled drink, and sounds like the perfect accompaniment today to grilled plantain. To all you purists horrified that I would dilute my beer, I give you my unrepentant apologies. Now, if only I had some Star or Club here. . .

Recipe #87: Shandy Drink 

Directions: Simply mix together part lager beer and part ginger ale (or other soft drink or citrus drink) in whatever proportion you desire. Make sure the drinks are very well chilled first, and use ice cubes if you wish (people likely would not in Ghana). I made mine from Corona beer and Goya ginger beer (stronger, but sweeter, than ginger ale) and lots of ice, and garnished with a lemon slice.

P.S. A confession on my grilling today:
I'm sorry to say that the only plantain I had in the house was riper than it should have been, my portable barbeque had no way to raise the grill, and my husband telephoned from Nigeria just as I put the food on to cook and I chose to talk to him, with the result that my plantain became glazed and then much of the outside burned (also the chicken as you'll see from the picture below). They  look more like charcoal that charcoal grilled. None the less, everything was very tasty.

Recipe #88: Ghana-style charcoal grilled chicken

One of the basic "building blocks" of Ghana's cuisine is a spicy wet seasoning used, with slight variations, on chicken, fish, pork, etc. The same combination of ground ingredients show up repeatedly: ginger, hot chili peppers, onion or shallots, garlic, tomatoes/tomato paste, salt, dried red pepper, and, generally, generous quantities of Maggi or Royco seasoning cubes. Ghanaians also select from various herbs and spices including curry powder, thyme, anise, dawadawa (from fermented locust beans), ground dried shrimp and herrings, and so forth. As I prefer not to use seasoning cubes, I rely on seasoned salts, and increased quantities of herbs and other spices, or dried shrimp, etc.

Here is my version of a basic seasoning marinade that can be used in this recipe, or also on roasted poultry:

In a small blender container mix together to a paste:

• 1 peeled onion, any type (or several peeled shallots) cut into large chunks
• a fresh chili pepper (e.g., jalapeno, or spicier habanero), seeded and membranes removed if desired, cut into several chunks (use more or less according to how hot you want the marinade)
• 2 good-sized cloves of garlic
• a couple of tablespoons of water, just enough to blend

After blending, stir in:

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of dried ground red pepper
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste (optional)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons of your choice of poultry seasoning (I used and recommend Afro-Foods Poultry Seasoning. If you don't know about Yeti, who was featured on Betumi in 2007, she is doing great things with her Afrofood and her Afrofoodtv sites)

Set the seasoning aside while you cut up and prepare a chicken (unless you buy already cut-up chicken pieces). I used a fryer, and removed and discarded the extra fat and liver. (I used part of the back, neck, and giblets for chicken stock to use another day.

Mix the chicken and marinade well (if you have a study ziplock plastic bag that works wonderfully, as would a plastic container with a plastic lid you could shake to mix). I only had a glass baking dish handy, so I used that and covered it with plastic wrap. Ideally, I would have let this marinade for a couple of hours (in the refrigerator), but due to time pressure, only let it marinate for half an hour. The flavor still managed to permeate the chicken.

When you are ready to grill the chicken, make sure the grill is clean and oiled to prevent sticking. As I mentioned above, I rushed my charcoal and the fire was too hot. I should have taken my own advice (removed the chicken for awhile or shifted its position--my grill was too small for this--or lifted the grill a couple of inches, which I also could not do). Baste the chicken with the excess marinade as it cooks, turning it from time to time. And voila! The unmistakable taste of Ghana.

Recipe #85: Ghana's famous "red-red"

Any visitor to Ghana will likely be introduced to one of the recipes most popular with foreigners: "red-red," the name of an (appropriately) red stew, served with ripe plantains,  aka "red plantains." The "red" also refers to the (red) palm oil used to prepare the stew. Because I'm quite fond of tomatoes, I use tomato paste in mine, which further enhances its color. "Red-red" (don't you love the African use of reduplication, or "echo words"?)  is most commonly made with black-eyed peas or other cowpeas, but it is also delicious when  made with aduki (or your choice of) beans. Along with other common dishes such as chicken groundnut soup with omo tuo (rice balls),  jollof rice, and kelewele, most Ghanaians feel comfortable introducing visitors to this dish. If you've been following this blog, you'll see the recipe is also quite straightforward and easy.

Recipe #85: Red-red (black-eyed pea stew with fried ripe plantain)

NOTE: This recipe can easily be doubled. Vegetarians can omit the fish and substitute their choice of vegetables, perhaps increasing the salt.

Ingredients:

• In order to prepare this dish, make sure you have several nicely ripened (but not overly ripe; they should still be firm) plantains
• 1 cup of black-eyed peas, uncooked (or about 3 cups cooked or frozen)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste, smoked fish is salty)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• ~1/2 pound smoked fish (e.g., whiting, mackerel, haddock, tuna, salmon, whitefish. Do not use smoked herrings unless you desalt them first, and use only half as much, or 4 oz). If the fish has already been filleted, you may also use less than 8 ounces. You may substitute fresh fish, but you will not get the distinctive flavor to the stew. If using fresh fish,try adding a tablespoon or so of ground shrimp if you can
• 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce (as always, you can use several fresh [or canned] tomatoes, ground, to replace this, which I was I did today)
• 1/3 cup red palm oil (dzomi, if available, or other vegetable oil)
• fresh minced or ground chili pepper or ground red pepper to taste (begin with about 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• vegetable oil (like canola) for frying the plantain
• other seasonings if desired, but totally optional (e.g., ginger, garlic, herbs, powdered shrimps)
• dry gari (optional)
• a tablespoon or two of tomato paste (optional)

To make the stew:

1. Either wash and soak the beans several hours or the night before, or use the "quick" method:
2. Rinse and pick over the beans, removing any stones or discolored beans, then put them in a pot, cover them with at least an inch of water, bring it to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, then remove it from the heat and let it sit for an hour. Then, drain off the water and put fresh water in, bring it to a boil, and cook until tender, about an hour or so.
3. While the beans are simmering, prepare the onion and other ingredients.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and saute for about 10 minutes
5. Add the seasonings (but leave the salt until the end since the smoked fish will increase the saltiness of the stew), and fry a few more minutes over medium heat.
6. Add the ground tomatoes and fry together for a few minutes. Add tomato paste if you wish to use it, or wait until the end as you are adjusting the seasonings.
7. (If you're me) remove any skin and bones and add the smoked fish, stir, and add the beans (without the water). A little water from the pot may be added if the stew cooks down too much. After simmering for about 10 minutes. Check the seasonings (especially the salt and pepper) and adjust to taste. Break the fish up to pieces as the stew cooks down.

Let simmer or remove from heat while you prepare the ripe plantains.

1. Peel the ripe plantains and remove any stringy fibers on them. I like to cut them horizontally lengthwise, and then into several pieces cut on the diagonal.
2. Use shallow fat frying to fry these: heat enough oil in the bottom of a large frying pan to cover it well (to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch) but not to cover the entire pieces of plantain. I move back and forth between medium high and medium on my electric stove.
3. Place them into the pan without crowding them (you may need to cook in batches), using a turner to avoid having hot oil splatter on you, turning them over when they are well-browned on one side.
4. Remove them to drain on paper towels in a basket or on a platter.
5. Serve warm with the stew.
6. Gari is often sprinkled on top of the bean stew as a condiment (sort of like you'd sprinkle Parmesan cheese on pizza), or on the side moistened with water.

Variation: Note: aduki beans take longer to cook, so extra time must be allowed if using them.

Serving suggestion: Though it is not traditional, I like to serve this with a cooked vegetable (spinach, okra, etc. as a side dish).

The light alternative:

As health considerations loom more and more important in our lives, my husband and I are content to have a simpler version:

Instead of frying the ripe plantain, I boil it as for ampesi, while my husband prefers to have it roasted in our little toaster oven, or even, in a pinch in the microwave.

In place of the fried stew, simply cook the beans and then add some chopped onion, tomato, pepper, etc., without frying anything, and, for good measure I like to throw in a few fresh okra that have been tailed or chopped. While I love the smoked fish, if there's a low-salt diet in your life (as in mine), either skip the fish altogether and make a vegetarian version, or substitute fresh fish. Still a wonderful taste.

Recipes #83: corned beef stew with #84: ampesi (boiled starchy vegetables)

One of our household standbys for unexpected guests, corned beef stew is also one of the first recipes I taught all my children when they were learning to cook. 

Historically, when folks in Ghana returned to their hometowns for holidays, they would often carry "tinned" goods from the urban areas to give as gifts, such as "tinned milk," "sardines," "mackerel" and "Exeter corned beef." This stew, sort of like a hash or chowder without the milk or potatoes, still carries a sense of being special. 

When my children were young, they used dried ginger and red pepper, but it tastes better using fresh seasonings. Also, they used an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce instead of fresh tomatoes. It's your own call on exactly what you use.

Recipe #83: Corned Beef Stew

Assemble ingredients:

• 1 can of corned beef
•  about a 1" piece of fresh grated, peeled ginger (or about a half teaspoon of dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon of curry power (more if you like a zestier flavor)
• dried ground red pepper to taste (begin with about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon and add more if you want it spicier), OR fresh hot minced or ground chili peppers (with or without seeds and membranes) of your choice
• Additional seasoning of choice (I added a little optional Mrs. Dash no-salt seasoning)
• 1 large onion, sliced or chopped
• 1/3 cup of peanut oil (or other vegetable oil)
• a few cloves of garlic, crushed or minced (optional)
• salt to taste (depends on fresh or canned tomatoes, and personal preference, but I'd begin with 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce (OR 4-5 fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded and chopped or pureed, if desired, OR substitute canned tomatoes, pureed or chopped).
• a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste (optional)
• 2 eggs
• Garnish of your choice: a small onion and fresh bell pepper slices sauteed in a little oil, fresh steamed or sauteed vegetables, etc. (I had some green beans fresh from the garden, so I used those.)

Directions:

1.  As for most Ghanaian stews, begin with making a gravy: prepare the onion, ginger, pepper (if using fresh) and garlic if using. I was rushing today, so I threw the onion in a mini food processor, emptied it out, and then added fresh coarsely chopped ginger, pepper and garlic. Unfortunately, I didn't like the texture of those at all. I suggest that if you wish to use a machine, you use a blender to grind the spices finely instead, and I still prefer chopping onions for stews by hand.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy pan, then fry the chopped onions for a few minutes.
3. Add the spices and salt and cook a few more minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes (I pureed canned tomatoes in a blender, but strained out the seeds before I added it to the stew), stir well, and let the stew continue to simmer.
5. Break the eggs into a small bowl and beat them with a fork, and stir into the stew, and let all simmer together for 10 minutes. Most of the water should evaporated so the stew is not runny. If it is too dry, add a little water to keep it from sticking.
6. While the stew simmers, prepare any garnish.

This stew goes very well with plain rice, or rice and beans (waakye), as well as the ampesi recipe that follows.

Variation: other "tinned" foods, like tinned mackerel, could be substituted for the beef.

Recipe #84: Ampesi (boiled starchy vegetables) 

While frying is a popular cooking mode in Ghana, healthy and simple boiled starchy vegetables are also very common. When I think of my favorite meals, I remember the small green plantains (apim or apem) that often accompany nknotomire stew, or  the larger plantains (apantu) that are more commonly served ripe, the boiled yam slices that go with most any stew, as well as  boiled cocoyams (taro) or cassava (manioc). Boiled sweet potatoes (usually white) are a less common form of ampesi.

When I first went to Ghana I was taught to put the heavier root vegetables that would take longer to cook on the bottom of the cooking pot, and the faster-cooking ones on top. In the U.S. I just put them all in together in a jumble. A good addition/substitution in the U.S. is russet potatoes.

Directions:

Assemble ingredients. The amount depends on the quantity of vegetables you're preparing and how many people you plan to serve.

1. Peel the yam, cut it into rounds about half an inch thick, and cut each round in half. If using green plantains, peel them and cut  them in half lengthwise (horizontally). If using ripe plantains, sweet potato, cassava (manioc), potatoes, or cocoyam (taro), peel and cut each in several pieces.
2. Put them into a large pot, cover with water, and add a little salt if you like.
3. Bring the water to a boil and cook until the vegetables are soft but not mushy (if the ripe plantains cook more quickly, you can remove them with a slotted spoon while the other vegetables finish cooking).
4. Drain the water off when they are cooked (about 20 minutes), and serve immediately with any stew, such as corned beef stew.

 

Recipes #81 and #82: Squid and Octopus Appetizers

Octopus and squid are known as "blõsa" (bosa?) among the Ewe people. While this recipe was not part of the traditional diet, Barbara has adopted traditional seasoning and deep-frying cooking techniques to produce what has proven to be one of Flair's popular appetizers. While the recipe calls for octopus or squid, or a combination, other firm fish, or shrimp, could be substituted. Here are 2 ways of preparing this dish: one without a batter, and one with.

Recipe #81: Squid or Octopus Appetizer

In Ghana we used a kilo (a little over 2 pounds) of squid, and also a kilo of octopus. However, I believe that was before everything was cleaned and prepared, and I remember that we did not use the tentacles of the octopus. Barbara said that the kilo provided enough for 9 to 18 people.

However, when I prepared it in Pennsylvania, I was only able to find already cleaned and prepared baby squid (I did not buy the tentacles, just the tubular part of the body), and also baby octopus, which was quite a bit softer than the octopus we used in Ghana. 

I recommend a pound of the squid (over a pound of the octopus, since I did not cook the tentacles from them, but only if you have another use for them. Or, you could try coating them as well. I did not.).

Assemble the ingredients:

• 1 pound of squid (or substitute octopus, or a half pound of each)
• 1 lemon
• water for washing the squid

For the seasoning:

• 1 heaping teaspoon dried ground cayenne pepper
• 1 heaping teaspoon fresh ground ginger
• 1 heaping teaspoon ground shallots (or onion)
• 1 teaspoon ground fresh garlic
• 1-2 teaspoons of salt (to taste)
• 1 heaping teaspoon fish seasoning (I used a fish masala)

To fry the squid/octopus: 

• vegetable oil like canola for deep frying
• a little flour (optional)

To prepare:

1. Cut the squid into small strips the long way, about 1/2 inch wide, and cut the strips in half or thirds. When we used the large octopus, we cut them into strips about 1 1/2 inches by 1 1/4 inches. However, with the baby octopus, I simply cut them into small pieces as shown.
2. Add 2 cups of water to a small bowl, and squeeze the lemon into the water. Wash the squid/octopus pieces in the liquid, swishing them around well, shake the excess water off, and place them in a colander lined with paper towels to drain. 
3. Prepare the seasoning paste. To simplify matters, I simply put the peeled shallots, coaresly chopped fresh ginger, and several cloves of garlic in a small blender container, but had to add a tablespoon or two of water to get it to grind thoroughly. Then before I made the paste, I poured the blended ingredients into a fine strainer to get the water out, and used that water to flavor a gravy for stew. I was afraid the paste would be too thin if the water was not removed, and would splatter when frying.
4. Mix the blended ingredients with the dried red pepper, salt and fish seasoning to make a paste.
5. When we were in Ghana, I believe we simply coated the squid/octopus pieces with the paste and fried them in a heated deep pot of oil, but I found several problems when I tried that: the paste did not properly stick to the pieces, and also they splattered excessively when I put them in the oil, so I added another step: dry the pieces well with paper towels, and lightly dust them with flour before coating them with the paste.  Carefully put them in the hot oil using a long-handled spoon or tongs and be careful of splatters (It's a good idea to wear a full apron if you have one, and follow standard deep frying procedure--e.g., don't overfill the pot, make sure the oil is hot enough---about 360 degrees F). As soon as the first batch is in, cover the pot or fryer for a couple of minutes, then remove the lid and stir the pieces to make sure they brown on both sides. 
6. When they are nice and crispy, remove to another paper lined colander or tray to drain. When we cooked this in Ghana, the octopus was much thicker and took longer to cook than the squid. When I used the baby squid and octopus, it cooked in just a few minutes. Repeat until all are cooked.

Serving: At Flair they often dip the pieces in a gravy and serve them on a skewer like a kebab, alternating the fried octopus with fried squid, sweet bell pepper,  tomato, and/or onion slices. I made a basic Ghana gravy (with hot pepper), dipped the fried pieces in it, and threaded them on skewers that way, as shown in the photo at the top. Another way they eat them is with little steamed cassava "pancakes" called yakayake, but I have neither the dough nor the equipment to make those. Sometimes, when they cook a large fish at Flair, they sprinkled the fried squid or octopus over it as a garnish.

Recipe #82: Batter-coated Squid and Octopus Appetizer
 

The  way I got cautious Sam to be willing to try (and like) squid and octopus, was to dip them in batter before frying them.

For this recipe, you follow the same instructions as for #81, but there is an additional step. Actually, it's a good idea to make the batter first, then let it rest while you prepare the squid/octopus. As I noted above, in Ghana we made a double batch of this, but I'm cutting the recipe in half here.

Assemble the ingredients:

• 8 ounces of flour (about 1 3/4 cup)
• 2 eggs (actually, one and a half, but that's kind of awkward)
• 1/4 cup of evaporated milk (if using fresh milk, simply decrease the water below accordingly)
• 1 cup water (or 3/4 cup if not using evaporated milk) (or more as necessary, described below)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 heaping teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried ground red pepper (or more to taste)

To prepare:

1. Sift the flour into a large bowl.
2. Crack and add the 2 eggs.
3. Shake, then open and add the evaporated (or fresh) milk and mix all well with a wire whisk.
4. In Ghana they added part of a shrimp-flavored seasoning cube, crushed, but I used a no-salt seasoning substitute, or perhaps you could substitute some ground shrimp powder.
5. Add the baking powder, salt, and dried gorund red pepper.
6. Mix again with the wire whisk, then add more water if necessary. I had to add about 1/4 cup to get it the right consistency.
7. This batter can be used to coat squid, octopus, or any fish before frying it. As was the case in recipe #81, I suggest dusting the fish lightly with a powder of flour before dipping it in the batter. If you accidentally make the batter too thin, add more flour. 

To serve: I served this with a couple of different sauces: a hot sauce and a horseradish cocktail sauce. It would also go well with shito or ketchup. It goes well with any drink (beer, red or white wine, soda, juices) as an appetizer, or as a savory snack with tea or coffee.

Isn't it about time you had a party?

More winning ways with (African) yam: Recipes #79 and 80

I'm jealously guarding the Ghanaian yam from Washington DC. I used part of it to make the oto I wrote about on Saturday. I also made Sam some yam chips, and today I made some "coated yam" (or what Barbara playfully calls "African French Toast").


Here are 2 recipes, both quite simple to prepare.

It seems almost easier to get what are called "potato chips" in Ghana (what we know as "French fries" in the U.S.), imported frozen from abroad, than it is to get freshly made, tasty indigenous yam chips, aka fried yam (yєlє ni ashi). It makes me sad. As an aside, while plantain chips are readily available, both from green and ripe plantains, both salted and spiced, I don't believe I have ever noticed any chips being sold made from other root vegetables such as (likely white) sweet potatoes (atomo), or cassava (duade) though traditionally both are made. (Fried cassava is very common in Brazil.) Occasionally one may see fried cocoyams (koliko) for sale.

Recipe #79: Ghana-style Yam Chips

Please remember that you must use a proper African yam (or similar), not a "sweet potato.")

• It is quite simple to  make yam chips: peel and cut the yam as you would for French fries (as thick or thin as you like) and leave them in salted water for about half an hour or so.
• Heat your deep fryer or cooking pot with enough vegetable oil to cover the fries (chips) to about 360-375 degrees F. Do not over-fill the pot so that it will boil over when you add the yam into it.
• Drain the water off the yam fries before you put them in the water (I usually blot them with paper towels to limit the splattering.
• Cook them in batches until they are golden, stirring occasionally, and remove with a slotted spoon.
• Salt them if necessary, and drain on paper or paper towels. 

 If you make this, most Ghanaian males away from home will become your friend for life, especially if you serve them with some shito or fresh pepper sauce (or a tasty stew). No hamburgers, please.

Recipe #80: Coated Yam (or Savory Yam "French toast"-style) with onion omelet

The novelty in this dish is that instead of bread, yam is used, and also, it is, as is often the case in Ghana, savory, not sweet. This is also an excellent use of leftover yam, because then there is no need to precook it.

Assemble the ingredients:

• yam (enough for each person to have ~4  pieces)
• 2 eggs per person
• water for cooking the yam
• salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper (I would rather substitute black or red pepper), or to taste
• 1/2 thinly sliced onion (for 4 people), more or less as desired
• for garnish: tomatoes, bell peppers, etc., as desired

Directions:

1. Peel, cut and rinse 4 slices of yam, each about 1/2 inch thick. Cut each round slice in half, and put them into a saucepan with enough water to cover the yam and 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste.
2. Bring the water to a boil, covered, and allow the yam to cook for about 10 or 15 minutes. Drain off the water (you can save this to use in soup another day if you like) and set the yam aside.
3. Break the eggs into a bowl add 1/2 teaspoon of pepper of your choice (white, black, red) and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and mix all well with a fork or wire whisk.
4. Heat a frying pan (nonstick if available) and add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Dip the yam slices, a few at a time in the beaten egg, turning to coat them. When the oil in the pan is hot, add the yam slices to the pan and allow them to brown on the bottom. Drizzle just a little of the egg mixture on the top of the slices (less that 1/2 teaspoon per piece). They are not supposed to be "wet." When the bottom is nicely browned, turn it over and allow the other side to brown.
5. Remove the cooked yam to a warm plate (or low oven) and saute the onion in the pan. Add a pinch of salt. Pour the remaining egg on top of the onion slices in the pan and cook until set. Turn and flip the egg mixture in half to make an omelet. East while warm.

To serve: this looks lovely when half the plate or platter holds the yam slices, the other half the omelet, and is garnished with tomato, green pepper, and perhaps a little ketchup or hot sauce drizzled over it. Obviously, this "French toast" is NOT to be eaten with syrup.

It is simple and satisfying.

Homage to Oto: Recipe #78

Before presenting Recipe #78, here is some background. Rather than rewrite what I've said elsewhere about the ceremonial dish yam oto (the actual Akan orthography would be ɔtɔ), allow me to quote myself (the references can be found at the linked article above):

 * * * *
    Oto, a sacred dish made from hard-boiled eggs, mashed yam, and palm oil, is an Akan as well as a Ga tradition. Oto is commonly served at the naming ceremony for a new baby (an "outdooring") or the purification of the mother after birth; at puberty ceremonies for girls; at festivals associated with twins, whom the Akan and Ga people consider sacred; at special occasions after the birth of the third, seventh or tenth child of the same sex (sacred numbers in the Akan and Ga cultures); at harvest celebrations; after the first and third weeks of deaths in a family, when not only family members eat oto, but the house is sprinkled with oto to satisfy the dead; and on special days in the Akan calendar known as "Bad Days" or Dabone. [32] Dabone is based on the belief that on particular days the spirits inhabiting forest or farmland will be offended if anyone invades their territory, so people stay home and away from their farms to avoid meeting or offending the spirits. Thus, oto is served to both the living and the dead. In addition, on other special occasions in normal adult life, e.g., recovery from illness, escape from accidents, birthdays, oto is the customary dish prepared to thank the nsamanfo (spirits) by sharing a meal, oto, with them. The nsamanfo are believed to dislike food which is highly seasoned. Hence oto is given without salt or pepper. [33]

  For ceremonial uses, oto is prepared without onions (or tomatoes) because "these products are foreign and are not in keeping with the fetish rites." [34] 
One cannot speak about oto without talking about eggs and the role of eggs in Ghanaian society:         

Oto  is always accompanied by hard-boiled eggs. Eggs, a key symbol in Ghanaian culture, are often used for sacrifices, at purification rites, as pacification fees, gifts, for thanksgiving after illness, and at numerous other occasions. [35]

  The very oval form of the egg is the symbol of female beauty and, at the same time, bears an element of 'cleansing power.' The egg is laid by the hen with what the Ghanaian considers to be amazing ease; it is therefore made to symbolize easy labour and fecundity. [36]
 
When eggs are carved on the staff of a "linguist" (the king's spokesperson), they proclaim that the king "wants peace with everyone (for there is no bone or any hard substance in an egg) and that he is a careful, patient, and prudent person (for an egg is so fragile that without these qualities it would be broken)." [37] 
 

During a visit to Ghana once, my son was given a wooden carving of a hand holding an egg; his friend used this proverb to explain the carving: "Power is like an egg: if you hold it too tightly it breaks, and if you hold it too loosely, it drops and breaks." 

 * * * * * * * * *

I am especially excited to present this recipe. About 3 decades ago, I was thrilled to discover my first postcard of food in Ghana--a postcard celebrating oto with a photo of this traditional Ghanaian dish (see the top of the blog posting). The back simply said in English (and also in French): "African Gourmet" (Gourmet Africain), and gave very simple directions on preparing it. Many years later I received a card from Barbara Baeta, and the photo was part of her stationery. Here is my tribute to that card by duplicating, as best I can in my own home this afternoon (in a very quick photo shoot), the original photo, and here is Flair Catering's version of yam oto.
When we made it in Ghana, this was said to be enough for 2 people, but it would likely stretch further with American portion sizes.


Assemble ingredients:


1 piece of African yam (about a pound)
1 onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/2 cup dzomi oil or palm oil 
2 eggs (or 1 per person to serve)


Directions:

1. Hard boil the eggs, peel, and set aside.
2. Wash, peel and slice the yam, cutting off any bad spots. Cut the yam in half lengthwise, then slice it into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Put the slices in a medium-size pot and cover the yam with water. Add a teaspoon of salt, cover the pot, bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and cook for about 15 minutes, depending on how thick the yam slices are.
3. While the yam is cooking, chop the onion. Heat the palm oil in a pan (add a slice of onion, or ginger or bay leaf first and fry briefly to season the oil, then remove it) and add the chopped onion to the oil and fry it briefly. Use dzomi, or the best quality palm oil you can find. Remove from heat.
4. Drain the yam and put it into an asanka or other bowl and mash with a wooden masher or potato masher then mix it with a wooden spoon. Do not mash the yam as thoroughly as you would potatoes. One does not want a paste or a smooth "whipped" mass, but a denser, more textured one.
5. Continue to mash the yam as you add the palm oil and onion mixture into the bowl (switching to a fork may make it easier to blend without smashing it).
6. Garnish with an egg for each person.

The day we made this, Barbara mentioned she had recently had oto at a celebration in Accra for the 70th birthday of a Fante friend. To thank God they first went to a church service in the morning, then began their breakfast at 8:30 a.m. with oto, topped with a hard boiled egg for each person. The oto was followed by an extensive banquet of Ghanaian and Western dishes, that continued on until lunch.

 P.S. There is a lovely posting about brides and oto at The Skinny Gourmet.
P.P.S. My special thank you to Sam and Ernest Osseo-Asare for traveling to Washington DC to bring me some fresh Ghana yam. I wish you were here today to enjoy the fruits of your labors.









 
   


  

Recipe #77: Krakro (kaklo) spicy plantain balls with corn dough

Stop! Do NOT throw out those squishy, moldy plantains. They're perfect for lots of things, especially this recipe, which is reminiscent of both tatale and bofrot. While I'm partial to kelewele and tatale, many Ghanaians choose this as a favorite snack or side dish, especially when served with a peppery sauce like gravy or shito. It also pairs well as an entrée with bean stew. While the seasoning ingredients are similar to those for tatale, the texture is quite different. Here are 2 versions from Flair Catering:

Recipe #77:  Krakro (kaklo) [Spicy plantain balls with corn dough], Version 1

Assemble ingredients:

• ~3 over-ripe plantains, enough to yield at least 2 cups when pounded
• 3 Tablespoons of finely grated onion
• 1 rounded teaspoon of any fresh hot pepper, grated or finely minced (or substitute additional dried red pepper)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried ground red pepper
• a scant 1/2 cup of unfermented corn dough (or 4 oz)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup water
• ~2 Tablespoons of wheat flour
• 1 heaping teaspoon of baking powder

Directions:

1. Peel and pound the plantains (You can use a metal bowl and a sturdy glass or cup or even wooden spoon to smash them well. I used the wooden mashing tool from my asanka). You should have a good 2 cups.
2. Sprinkle over the plantains the grated onion, *fresh pepper, salt, and dried pepper, along with a few tablespoons of the water (*NOTE: I didn't have fresh red pepper, so I increased the amount of dried red pepper).
3. Add just enough water to the corn dough to make it smooth, and add it to the bowl with the plantain and seasonings.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the dough and the teaspoon of baking powder, and stir well. If the dough seems very soft, add a little more dough; if it seems too dry, a little more water.
5. Allow the mixture to sit for 20 or 30 minutes before deep frying it in small balls, following the directions for Recipe 28A or 28B. Because of the high sugar content of the over ripe plantains, I set my deep fryer at a slightly lower heat (about 360 degrees F) than I would for donuts. Drain well on paper towels or paper.

Variations: If corn dough is unavailable,  this can also be made using a combination of rice and wheat flours, and adjusting the water as necessary. Some earlier recipes omit the wheat flour and the baking powder altogether. If you choose to, you will need to decrease the amount of water, or omit it altogether. Also, some recipes include fresh ginger (I like to use a bit in mine), and some even include a little sugar as an optional addition.

Version 2: Krakro (kaklo) [Plantain balls with roasted cornmeal, aka

Ablemamu Krakro, Kyekyire Krakro]

In this version  roasted cornmeal (ablemamu), [somewhat difficult to prepare if you cannot find some at an African market] is substituted for the cornmeal. Follow the recipe above, but replace the corn dough with a cup of  the toasted corn flour, and about 1/3 cup of water. As before, if the dough is too soft to hold its shape, add a little more water, if it is too thick, add water a spoonful at a time.

Looking at some historic Ghana cookbooks (Alice Dede's Ghanaian Favorite Dishes, 1969 and Ghana Recipe Book, 1970), creative Ghanaian cooks have never limited themselves to making these fried balls with corn dough or flour: there are also recipes using cassava (after grating it and squeezing out the juice and omitting the plantain, and serving it with coconut); using mashed sweet potatoes, eggs, butter or fat, water or milk, and coating the balls with bread crumbs, then frying them and serving with meat or fish stew; and with gari. Yam balls (yele kakro), are also quite popular.

Why not try something different today?

Recipe #76: Cassava (yucca) Dough

The Ewe people number between 3 and 6 million people (I've seen figures citing both),  mostly living in Southeastern Ghana in the Volta Region and also southern parts of neighboring Togo and Benin. While my collaborator Barbara Baeta can and does prepare dishes from all 10 regions in the country, she is an Ewe woman, and her heart belongs to places like Keta along the coast. On her own table, she displays a love of dishes featuring the  riches of the sea and coast, fresh and dried seafood, garlic, okra, and dishes including cassava dough, such as akple, the Ewe answer to banku. The main difference between the two is fermentation and the  cassava dough (banku is all or mostly made from fermented corn dough; akple is made from unfermented corn dough and cassava dough).

One of the challenges in writing our Ghanaian cookbook for folks outside of Ghana  is the difficulty in duplicating some of the ingredients easily found in any open-air market there,  such as corn dough and cassava dough, or even fresh cassava. However, the name of this blog and network, "BETUMI," comes from the Akan word "tumi," meaning "to be able to."

So, in the spirit of "can do," here is my approach to creating the doughs. I've already explained how to make fermented corn dough using white Indian Head corn meal (see the link to banku above), and 2 days ago I decided to try using dried hominy corn to make a smoother corn dough. That's the whiter one in the photo to the right and the  one I may use when I make the akple after my cassava dough is ready in a couple of days (Incidentally, the Goya corn I ground doesn't seem to be fermenting anyway. I wonder if it was treated with lime or something?) Or, you can make the dough as for banku (the one on the right in the photo), but without letting it ferment.

To make akple you need to combine twice as much corn dough as cassava dough. Today's recipe, following the sketchy directions in my notes, is for cassava dough:

"Peel cassava, wash it, grate it very fine, mix water if not too wet, put in a sack and put a stone or heavy pot on it and let drain for 2-3 days."

Recipe #76: Cassava (yucca) dough

• Finding fresh cassava is the first challenge. It is a root and will probably be called yucca in the market. It will be likely coated in wax. Unapologetically ask someone in the produce department to cut a few tubers in half before you buy them to make sure they are not rotten (I usually find they are when I shop).  When you get them home (I bought 3 and still had to discard part of one), peel them and drop them in some water. I usually cut the ends off, cut them in half at the center, then use a sharp knife to kind of peel back the dark bark. I ended up with about a pound of peeled cassava.
• The next step is not for the fainthearted. Roll up your sleeves and use some elbow grease to grate the cassava into a clean bowl. I used the "fine" side of a box grater. It's possible that a food processor could also do this, but I'm sticking exactly to my notes this time. If you also cut the pieces horizontally, you'll see a kind of stringy piece that runs down the cassava. I pulled a few of those out, but also grated some of them along with the rest of the cassava.
• "Mix water if it is not too wet" was cryptic, so I decided to add some water, reasoning that if it was too much it would just drain out eventually. To my 2 1/2 cups of grated cassava, I added about a half cup of water in the bowl and swished it around in the stainless steel bowl I was using.
• How to drain it? I decided to put the grated cassava into a clean pillowcase, set a stainless steel bowl weighted down with rocks on top of it, placed the pillowcase on a patio chair with a plastic pan under it to catch the starchy water draining out. Not too elegant, but it seems to work. I also doubled the pillow case, and put a paper towel between the chair. If rain threatens, I'll move the chair into the garage, but I've got it outside during the day.
• On Saturday I'll take it out and see what we have. . .