EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Grilled Fish with Three Sauces (Pescado Con Tres Salsas) and Boiled Sweet Potatoes

I was teetering with this one. Depending on the search I did, I heard it was either fully authentic or created online about 2015. But one reference noted it came from a Spanish-language Equatorial Guinea cookbook prior to the advent of the Internet. And it sounded perfect for a summer night. The three sauces (peanut, avocado, and spinach) are quicker to both shop for an prepare together, as single divided dish, but it takes some brain power to track cooking them concurrently, so bear with me....

Grilled Fish with Three Sauces (Pescado Con Tres Salsas)

Fish

1 lb firm fish fillets with skin on, such as red snapper or bass

1 garlic cloves

1 habanero or scotch bonnet chili

4 limes

3 tablespoons coconut or palm oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Three Sauces

2 tablespoons red palm or canola oil

1 large onion

1 garlic clove

2 habanero or scotch bonnet chilis

4 cups chicken stock

2 large avocados

1 medium tomato

8 ounces baby spinach

1¼ cups freshly ground peanut butter*

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

*Most whole foods ground on-site, but you can also substitute any store-bought natural peanut butter

Fish

1. Season the fish liberally with salt and pepper and place in non reactive baling dish. Finely mince the garlic and chilies and sprinkle atop the fish. Squeeze the lime juice over the top. Turn a few times to ensure they’re evenly coated, cover, and place in the fridge to marinate for 1-1½ hours.

2. When ready to cook the fish, heat a grill or barbecue to medium high heat. Drain the fish, pat it dry, then brush with the oil. Cook for about 4 mins per side, arrange on a plate and serve with the sauces.

Three Sauces

1. Place 3 small saucepans on the stove. Add the oil to one and turn to medium low heat. Chop the onion finely and add to the pot. Sauté, stirring often, until translucent, about 10 minutes.

2. Mince the garlic and one of the chili peppers, keeping them separated on the chopping board.

3. Remove half the cooked onion into one of the other saucepans, keeping it off the heat while you build the peanut sauce.

4. In the pot with the remaining cooked onion, make the peanut butter sauce. Add in he minced garlic and the tomato paste. Sauté an additional minute. Add in 2 cups of chicken stock, 1 cup of peanut butter, and half of the minced chili (~1/2 chili), then squeeze in the juice of one lemon. Bring to a simmer keep over low heat until it thickens to the desired consistency, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Turn the saucepan to which you transferred half of the onions to low heat, to start on your spinach sauce. Chop the spinach finely. Add it to the onions, along with 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Cut a slit in the whole habanero or scotch bonnet chili and add it to the pot. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

6. Once the spinach sauce is underway, start on the avocado sauce. Add the remaining 2 cups broth, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, and minced chili (~1/2 chili), then squeeze in the juice of one lemon to the third saucepan and place over medium heat. Chop the avocado into medium dice, and core the tomato and chop into the same size pieces. Once the mixture comes to a boil, add in tomato and avocado and reduce to a simmer. Simmer about 10 minutes.

Boiled Sweet Potato

2-3 medium sweet potatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1-2 tablespoons of palm oil or butter

1. Wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly. Cut them into bite-sized chunks (~2 inches).

2. Place the sweet potatoes in a large saucepan or pot and add cold water so that it just covers them. Add the salt.

3. Place the pot on high heat and bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Let potatoes cook for 20-25 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the centers with a fork.

4. Drain the water. You can serve the chunks whole alongside a meal, or mash them directly in the pot with a potato masher, adding in the palm oil (or butter) and an extra pinch of salt to taste.

5. 
   

#grilledfish #pescadocontressalsas #equatorialguinea #cookingtheworld

FUN FACTS:

• Equatorial Guinea is the only African country with Spanish as an official language.

• Equatorial Guinea is one of two countries home to the Goliath frog, the largest frog species on Earth. Goliath frogs can grow up to 13 inches long and weigh more than 7 lbs (almost the size of an average newborn baby)!

• The village of Ureca in Equatorial Guinea is the wettest place in Africa and one of the wettest in the world, with up 450 inches of rain falling each year.