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Eja Osan

Also known as Eja Osan (Baked Nigerian Fish)

Eja Osan — baked Nigerian fish — is a modern Lagos home-cooking preparation that applies the characteristic bold Nigerian seasoning and marinade to fish that is baked in the oven rather than fried. The result maintains all the intense Nigerian flavour from the marinade while producing a healthier preparation with less oil.

Eja Osan, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 2 big fresh tilapia or croaker fish, cleaned and scaled
  • Lemon juice and salt for cleaning FOR THE NIGERIAN BAKING MARINADE:
  • 2 big tablespoons of vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons of curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon of thyme
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon of ground Cameroon pepper
  • 2 Atarodo, blended
  • 1 medium onion — half sliced for stuffing, half blended for marinade
  • 2 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. 01

    Cleaning and Scoring the Fish. Clean, scale and gut the fish. Rub with lemon juice and salt, rinse well. Make deep diagonal slashes — 4 to 5 cuts — on both sides of each fish.

  2. 02

    Making the Marinade Paste. Combine vegetable oil, curry, thyme, garlic powder, Cameroon pepper, blended Atarodo, blended onion, seasoning cubes and salt into a thick paste.

  3. 03

    Marinating. Rub the marinade paste generously all over the fish — inside the cavity, into the slashes on both sides. Stuff the cavity with the sliced onion. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator (overnight is best).

  4. 04

    Baking. Preheat the oven to maximum oven heat. Place the marinated fish on a lightly oiled baking tray or wrapped in foil for the first 20 minutes. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes total, removing the foil for the final 15 minutes to allow the skin to caramelise and char slightly.

  5. 05

    Serving. Remove from the oven. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot with pepper sauce alongside.

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