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Dried Fish Sauce

Also known as Dried Fish Sauce (Obe Eja Gbigbe)

Obe Eja Gbigbe — dried fish sauce — is a concentrated, intensely flavoured Yoruba sauce made entirely from dried smoked fish soaked and cooked in a deeply fried pepper base. It is a simpler, more concentrated version of Smoked Fish Stew (Recipe #197) and represents the Yoruba genius for creating maximally flavourful food from minimal, shelf-stable ingredients.

Dried Fish Sauce, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 2 big pieces of smoked dried fish (panla or eja gbigbe), soaked in warm water and deboned
  • 1 big piece of stockfish, soaked and shredded
  • 3 big ripe tomatoes, blended
  • 2 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
  • 1 big onion, sliced
  • 2 cooking spoons of palm oil
  • 2 big handfuls of ground crayfish
  • 2 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. 01

    Preparing the Fish. Soak smoked fish and stockfish in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain and debone carefully. Break into medium pieces.

  2. 02

    Frying the Pepper Base. Heat palm oil in a pan. Add sliced onion and fry 2 minutes. Add blended tomatoes and Atarodo. Fry for 15 to 20 minutes until deeply cooked and oil floats on top.

  3. 03

    Adding Fish and Finishing. Add the prepared smoked fish and stockfish. Add ground crayfish, seasoning cubes and salt. Stir gently. Cook for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust all seasonings.

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