This is amongst the ‘poshest’ of the Senegalese ‘thiep bou dieun’ style dishes (its alternate name is: thiep bou dieun bou wekh). It is traditionally made with thiof (a species of grouper) but this fish has become too expensive for the majority to use, so it tends to be prepared these days with capitaine (Nile Perch). Nététou is the Wolof name of fermented locust beans, a flavour ingredient in many West African dishes. This is available either as a powder or as balls of whole beans.
Prep time: 20 minutes/Cook time: 120 minutes/Serves: 5
Ingredients:
For the preparation of the thiep:
250ml of oil
2 onions
6 cloves of garlic
1 large fish (about 1kg) (thiof, nile perch, mullet, sea bream, etc.), cleaned, scaled and with gills removed
1 bunch of parsley
4 stock cubes
2 habanero chillies
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 piece of yët
1 slice of guedji (dried fish, also known as stockfish)
vegetables:
1 slice of cassava
1/2 cabbage
1 fresh pepper
1 eggplant
2 carrots
2 okra
1kg of rice
1 tsp of nététou (optional)
1 lemon
40g of tamarind.
For the tomato and chilli nététou sauce:
40ml of oil
2 onions
50g of concentrated tomato
chilli powder
2 tablespoons of nététou powder (or nététou in crushed grains)
1 maggi stock cube.
For the beugueuthie sauce:
1 bunch of bissap leaves
2 okra
1/2 lemon
salt.
Method:
Cut several deep gashes in both sides of the fish. Pound together the parsley, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 crumbled stock cube, 1/2 habanero chilli and a small pinch each of salt and black pepper. Use this mixture to rub all over the inside and outside of the fish, making sure you rub into the gashes.
Heat the 250ml of oil in a wok or large pot. Add the fish and cook for a few minutes until the skin is golden and crispy. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.
Chop the onion. Thoroughly wash the yët by scraping the skin with a knife, then cut it in half to release all the aromas.
Add two minced garlic cloves, the prepared yët and the onion to the hot oil and brown for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 crushed bouillon cube and 1 teaspoon of nététou (optional). Mix and cook for about 1 minute. When the onions and the yët are golden brown, add 2.25l (9 cups) of water.
Wash the guédié thoroughly by scraping it with a knife. Add to the pot. Also add the 1/2 cabbage and the aubergine (eggplant) cut in half lengthways, the peeled carrots and cassava, the whole fresh habanero chilli, and the two okras by (trim off the ends). Season lightly with salt (the guédié will be salty) then cook for 20 minutes over medium heat.
Coarsely chop 1 onion and mix lightly with 2 maggi stock cubes, a pinch of chilli powder and freshly-ground black pepper, and 2 minced garlic cloves. Lightly pound the mixture to a coarse paste in a mortar then add to the pot.
Now add in the fried fish. Stir everything together gently and cook for 20 minutes over medium heat. If in the meantime as soon as any of the vegetables are tender, remove them and set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare the beugueuthie: Thoroughly wash the bissap leaves then trim the two ends of the okra. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the bissap leaves and orka then boil until cooked (about 8-10 minutes). Remove the leaves and okra with a slotted spoon, drain in a colander then transfer to a small blender and process to a smooth purée. Add in the juice of 1/2 lemon and season with salt. Your sauce is now ready to accompany your rice and fish.
As soon as any of your vegetables are cooked remove them from the main pot and set aside. At the end of cooking remove the fish and set this aside too. At this point, wash and steam the rice using a couscousier set over your stew for 10 minutes.
After steaming the rice, also remove the yët and the guédié from your pot and add to the bowl of vegetables. After this you should only have liquid sauce left in the pot. Add a ladleful of sauce to the bowl with the vegetables to help keep them warm.
Pour a second ladleful of sauce in a small bowl and mix in the tamarind. Ensure that everything is well blended together and set aside.
Add the remaining 1/2 bouillon cube to the main sauce, mixing well to incorporate. Adjust the seasoning to taste, adding more salt if needed. Stir the steamed rice into the sauce and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
To make sure the rice is cooked, take a few grains between your fingers and crush them. If they are soft it is cooked, if not, cook for a few more minutes. Also, by the end of the cooking time the rice should be almost dry, if not, cook, uncovered for about 3-5 minutes more.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the nététou (fermented locust bean) sauce. Heat the oil in a pan, add the 2 remaining chopped onions and fry for about 5 minutes until nicely browned, stirring occasionally. Also add the tomato purée with 65ml (1/3 glass) of water. Mix and cook for 5 minutes over low heat. Add in a further 100ml (2/5 cup) of water, 1 crushed bouillon cube, plenty of fresh or powdered hot chilli and the 2 tbsp nététou. Mix and cook for 5 minutes over low heat.
To serve, arrange the rice on a decorative serving tray, making sure that you scatter over some of the coloured rice from the bottom of the pot (this is called the “hoogne”). Place the fish in the centre and arrange the vegetables around the fish. Serve accompanied by the nététou sauce and the beugueuthie sauce.
Accompany with lemon wedges.
