YASSA

From the Gambian kitchen

Of course, you understand that I didn't leave Gambia without trying all the Gambian specialties. We had traditional pancakes with honey from our own garden, Baobab jam fresh from the tree, and homemade Hibiscus lemonade for breakfast. Our lunches mainly consisted of fresh fish and rice dishes. The Gambian kitchen has three meals that are pretty much always and everywhere on the menu: Benachin, Domoda, and Yassa. Benechin is a spicy ‘one pot’ rice dish, Domoda is perhaps the most famous dish based on peanuts, and I shamelessly ate Yassa three times in four days. You eat this dish with fish, chicken, or beef. And yes, when the fish is served straight from the water onto your plate, you understand that I am at the front of the line. Yassa is a widely eaten stew based on onions, garlic, and mustard. If you are a fish lover, grab a pen and paper and start writing. Because believe me, you want this.

Ingredients (for 4 people)

300 grams of brown rice
4 pieces of firm white fish
5 onions
juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
100 ml oil
1/2 bulb of garlic
1 stock cube
1 cup of water
black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt

Marinate the fish with 1 tablespoon of mustard, half of the garlic, the juice of 1 lemon, and black pepper. Then slice the onions and marinate them with the remaining mustard, the lemon, salt, and black pepper. Set the fish aside. Heat some oil and sauté the onions. Add the remaining garlic. Add a cup of water, the broth, and the chili pepper to the onions. Let it simmer for half an hour. Grill the fish until golden brown and cook the rice until done in the meantime. Serve the rice with the fish and finish it off with the sauce.