Smoked Fish Stew

Ingredients

• 2 big pieces of smoked mackerel (Titus fish) or smoked catfish, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
• 1 big handful of smoked panla (herring), soaked
• 1 big handful of dried stockfish (okporoko), soaked
• 4 big ripe tomatoes, blended
• 2 Tatashe (red bell peppers), blended
• 3 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
• 1 big onion — half blended with peppers, half sliced
• 3 cooking spoons of vegetable oil or palm oil
• 3 big handfuls of ground dried crayfish
• 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
• Salt to taste

Method

1. 01

   Preparing the Smoked Fish. Soak all the smoked fish and stockfish in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes. This softens them and removes excess salt and smokiness. After soaking, carefully debone the mackerel and catfish — remove all visible bones. Break the stockfish into smaller pieces. Do not discard the soaking water entirely — taste it and if not too salty, use a small amount in the stew for extra flavour.

2. 02

   Frying the Pepper Base. Heat 3 cooking spoons of oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and fry for 2 minutes. Pour in the blended tomatoes, Tatashe, Atarodo and onion. Fry vigorously for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until deeply cooked and oil floats clearly on top.

3. 03

   Adding the Smoked Fish. Add all the prepared smoked fish and stockfish to the fried pepper base. Add ground crayfish, crushed seasoning cubes and salt. Stir gently — smoked fish is delicate and breaks apart easily. Add 2 big tablespoons of the reserved fish soaking water if desired.

4. 04

   Simmering. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring gently occasionally. The fish will further disintegrate slightly into the sauce, enriching it. The stew should be thick, richly coloured and deeply smoky-savoury. Taste and adjust all seasonings.

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