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Poisson braisé
Charcoal-grilled fish
Cameroonian charcoal-grilled fish with a ginger, garlic and herb paste
On the roadside grills of Douala and Yaoundé, women split tilapia or mackerel, smear them with a green paste of ginger, garlic, onion and herbs, and grill them over charcoal while people wait with a cold drink; it is late-evening food, eaten with fried plantain, bobolo (cassava sticks) or miondo and a fiery tomato pepper sauce. At home a very hot grill or a barbecue does the job. The mistake is turning the fish too early, so it sticks and breaks: wait until the skin is crisp and releases. Chef's tip: oil the fish and the grill bars, not just one of them.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the herb paste
- 1 onionroughly chopped
- 1 ⅜ oz fresh ginger
- ⅔ oz parsley
- 1 celery stickwith leaves
- ⅓ oz basil leaves
- 1 scotch bonnet chilliseeded
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
Fish and to serve
- 4 whole tilapia or mackerel400 g each, gutted and scaled
- 2 limes1 juiced, 1 in wedges
- 2 ripe plantainssliced and fried, to serve
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Blend 1 onion, 5 garlic cloves, 1 ⅜ oz fresh ginger, ⅔ oz parsley, 1 celery stick, ⅓ oz basil leaves, 1 scotch bonnet chilli, 1 fish or vegetable stock cube, 1 tsp salt and 2 tbsp vegetable oil to a coarse paste.
Step 2: Rinse 4 whole tilapia or mackerel, pat dry and cut 3 deep slashes in each side. Rub with the juice of 1 limes, then rub the paste over and into the slashes and the belly.
Step 3: Cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
30 minStep 4: Heat a barbecue or grill until very hot. Brush the fish and the grill bars with the remaining 2 tbsp vegetable oil.
Step 5: Grill the fish for 8–10 minutes a side, depending on size, without moving them until the skin is charred and lifts away cleanly.
20 minStep 6: The fish is done when the flesh at the thickest part near the bone is opaque all the way through and flakes easily, about 145°F.
Step 7: Serve straight away with fried 2 ripe plantains and the remaining 1 limes wedges. Eat cooked fish the same day or chill and use within 1 day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does poisson braisé take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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