Benachin/Cheb-ou-jen (Gambia)

Ingredients for 10 servings:

• 1 ½ kg fish, perch (white fish)
• 125 g tomato paste
• 400 g oil
• 2 Pepper
• 125 g fish, dried fish (if available)
• 250 g carrot(s)
• 1 small white cabbage, quartered
• 300 g cassava, peeled, in pieces
• 300 g sweet potatoes, peeled and halved
• 200 g pumpkin flesh, peeled, in pieces
• 300 g eggplant(s), unpeeled and halved
• 200 g turnip(s), peeled, in pieces
• 3 large onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• Parsley
• 1 ½ kg rice
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour

Recipe for an extended African family

Chop half a bell pepper, spring onions, garlic, and parsley, mash them, and mix them with a pinch of salt to form a paste. Score the fish steaks and fill them with the paste. Slice the onions into rings and sauté them in oil. Add the dried fish. Then add the fish slices and let them turn golden brown. Remove the fish, add the tomato paste dissolved in three liters of water, and bring everything to a boil. Add the vegetables and fish pieces. Season to taste, let the remaining bell peppers float to the top, bring to a boil, and cook covered for 20 minutes. Once cooked, remove the fish and vegetables, place them on a plate, add a little broth, and keep warm. The cassava takes the longest. When there are no more vegetables in the pot, remove some of the sauce, add the rice to the remaining liquid (there should be twice as much broth as rice in the pot), and cook until the broth is completely absorbed. There should be no liquid left. Place the rice on a large platter and arrange the fish and vegetables on top. Serve with lemon wedges and sauce.