This week on our Afro Cuisine recipe is Cou Cou. It is another #TastyThursday and we want you to savor a taste of Africa. You can search for the ingredients in African stores around you; or better still take a trip to Africa and give your tastebuds a treat.
A traditional recipe passed down through generations, flying fish and cou-cou is honoured as the national dish of Barbados; and has the respect of both young and old generations.
Ingredients For Cou Cou And Flying Fish
For Cou Cou
- 2 cups cornmeal
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 cup onions (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoons thyme (minced)
- 1 1/3 cup okra (thinly sliced)
- 4 cups water (boiling)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter (plus extra for buttering dish)
For Flying Fish Stew
4 fillets of flying fish (if this isn’t available where you live, you can substitute sea bass)
Juice of a lime
Pinch of garlic powder
Salt
Black pepper
For Seasoning
1 Onion, 3 spring onions, 2 garlic cloves
1 tsp fresh ginger
1 scotch bonnet chilli
1 tbsp of thyme leaves
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1 lime
100ml vinegar
salt
For the sauce:
1/2 onion
1 tsp garlic
1 pepper
1 tomato
5g of thyme
10g of curry powder
5g of garlic powder
6 tbsp of olive oil
100g of butter
salt
pepper
Preparation
Step 1: First make the seasoning. Combine all the ingredients for the seasoning, except for the vinegar, in a food processor and pulse until well combined. Put the paste into a sealable jar and add the vinegar. Shake well and season according to your preferences. You’ll want to leave this for around two hours before you use it, so set this aside to infuse.
Step 2: Season the fish with lime, salt and pepper.
Step 3: Put the sauce ingredients into a sauce pan and bring to a simmer, with a little oil. Add one tablespoon of the seasoning you prepared earlier.
Step 4: In a separate pan, combine the ingredients for the coucou, except for the cornmeal, and bring to the boil. You’ll want this on a high heat. Once cooked, strain the mixture and discard the onion and thyme. Keep the pieces of okra to use later.
Step 5: Put the coucou pan back on the heat and add cornmeal, mixing well until you form a thick mixture. Add in the okra.
Step 6: The dish is ready to serve! Place the coucou on a plate and top each dish with a fillet of fish and a healthy helping of sauce and enjoy your taste of Barbados!
Recipe from Sandals
