Dahomey Fish Stew

Dahomey was an African kingdom (part of the region called the "Slave Coast") that flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries in what is now Benin. The modern nation of Benin was known as Dahomey in the early 1970's when this recipe was published.
stilthouses built over water in benin

What you need

* two porgies (or sea bream, scrup, tilapia, or any firm, low-fat flesh fish), one to two pounds each; cleaned
* flour
* salt, black pepper, to taste
* one quarter cup palm oil or vegetable oil
* two onions, finely chopped
* two tomatoes, chopped
* one cup fish stock or water
* red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper (optional)

What you do

* Cut the fish crosswise, into two-inch sections. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Roll the fish in the flour mixture.
* Heat the oil in a skillet. Cook the fish in the oil, turning it until it is golden brown all over. Remove the fish and set aside.
* Fry the onions in the skillet for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes. Stir and cook for about ten minutes. Add the fish stock (or water). Reduce heat, cover and simmer for ten minutes more.
* Return the fish to the skillet. Add red pepper if desired. Simmer for twenty to thirty minutes. Serve with Rice.

Adapted from The New York Times International Cook Book by Craig Claiborne (Harper & Row, 1971).

Maryse Condé
What a strange fruit it was, the tomato!

Tomatoes, both fresh and canned, are so commonplace in African cooking today that many Africans might be surprised to learn that tomatoes originated in the Americas and were brought to Africa soon after Columbus sailed to the new world. It is easy to imagine Italians feeling the same way. In Segu (New York: Viking Press, 1987), Maryse Condé recounts traditional Bambara beliefs concerning the tomato. (Segu, once a Bambara empire, is a city today's Mali.)

Naba put his tomatoes carefully into a large gourd. What a strange fruit it was, the tomato! The god Faro used it to make women pregnant. It contained the germ of the embryo, for its seeds were multiples of seven, the figure linked to the twinning which lay at the origins if the human race. In Segu, beside her hut, Nya had a little bed of tomatoes which was dedicated to Faro; she used to crush the fruit and offer them up to the god in the altar hut. And so whenever he picked his own tomatoes Naba felt himself back near his mother, back in her smell and warmth.
(Part One: The Word That Descends by Night)

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Chapati

Chapatis or Chappatis (singular Chapati or Chappati) are round, flat, unleavened bread common in West Asia, particularly India. They are also popular in Eastern Africa, especially among the Swahili people and in Swahili-speaking countries. The Malay and Indian populations of South Africa also eat chapatis. Serve chapatis with any African curries.

What you need

• two cups all-purpose flour (or whole-wheat flour, or a mixture of the two), sifted
• one teaspoon salt
• warm water
• cooking oil

What you do

• All ingredients should be allowed to come to room temperature if they have been in the refrigerator. Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Slowly mix in enough water to make a thick dough. Mix in one spoonful oil. Knead dough on a cool surface for a few minutes, adding a few spoonfuls of dry flour. Return dough to the bowl, cover with a clean cloth, and let it rest for thirty minutes.
• Lightly grease (with cooking oil) and pre-heat a skillet or griddle.
• Divide the dough into orange-sized balls. Flatten them into six-inch circles. Fry them in the skillet or griddle, turning once, until each side is golden brown and spotted.
• Cover the finished chapatis and place them in a warm oven until they are all done.
• Serve with butter, and any curry, soup, or stew.

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Okra & Greens

Okra is generally thought to have originated in the wild in Northern or Northeastern Africa. It has been cultivated throughout Africa, the Middle East, and Asia for centuries, where it is used to give a mucilaginous thickening quality to soups and stews. It can be used fresh, or dried for storage. Okra was brought from Africa to the Americas by enslaved Africans. Africans also brought their names for okra. The English word okra comes from the West African Twi (or Tshi) language's nkruman or nkruma which was shortened in English to okra. In many Bantu languages of Central Africa, okra is called ngumbo, or ngombo, from which the Louisiana Creole-Cajun Gumbo soup-stew made from okra gets its name. See the early Gumbo recipes among the Rare Recipes of Mrs. M. Randolph, Mrs. L. Bryan, and Mrs. A. Fisher.

What you need

• one onion, chopped
• two tablespoons of palm oil or any cooking oil, (palm oil gives the most authentic taste)
• one cup water
• one pound greens, cleaned, stems removed, ,and shredded: cassava leaves ( Feuilles de Manioc), kale, collards, or similar)
• twenty okra
• two cups palm butter or nyembwe sauce, or canned palm soup base -- peanut butter can be substituted
• two or three chile peppers, chopped (or cayenne pepper)

What you do

• Heat oil in large pot. Saute onions until clear. Add water and bring to boil.
• Add all remaining ingredients. Cook until all is tender, stirring often.

Canned palm soup base is usually available only in large cans; if you have more than needed, make some Poulet Nyembwe.

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Pan Fried Cassava Bread

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 13 minutes
Serves: 2
Country: Jamaica

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 cup fresh *cassava meal
* 1 1/2 tsps. all purpose flour
* 1 tsp. baking powder
* 1 Tbsp. sugar
* 1 medium egg
* 3/4 cup milk
* 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
* 1 tsp. lime juice

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix together all dry ingredients, then add egg and sufficient milk to produce a thick batter.
2. Stir in oil and lime juice.
3. Pour the batter into a well greased 20 cm / 8" frying pan.
4. Cook over a moderate heat for about 10 minutes, making sure it does not burn at the bottom, turn over and cook for a further 3 minutes.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

Serve cold. This recipe may be made without sugar and can serve as a savoury accompaniment to any meal.

RECIPE NOTES:

*Cassava is a staple found in Africa and the Caribbean. It has a starchy texture and is used to make the famous Jamaican bammies.