Ghanaian cuisine is a vibrant tapestry of flavors and traditions, passed down through generations. Food is an integral part of Ghanaian culture, with recipes varying from region to region and even home to home. Today, let's explore a classic Ghanaian dish: fried fish, or "kenam" as it's known among the Ga people.
Before diving into the recipe, let’s appreciate the rich culinary heritage of Ghana. The fabric of modern Ghana is a tapestry of traditions woven by more than 60 indigenous tribes and languages. Its appearance changes with virtually every household and so do the dishes, which mutate from region to region, tribe to tribe, village to village, and even home to home depending on the local staple ingredients and those idiosyncratic knacks that can make one person’s home-cooking distinctive. Most traditional Ghanaian dishes have been passed down verbally. This oral tradition of passing on knowledge and values keeps tribal culture alive throughout Ghana and, to a lesser extent, in the diaspora.
The Essence of Ghanaian Cooking
Ghanaian cooking is very flexible; you can take the basic principles of a dish and adapt them fairly easily to what you have in your cupboard or fridge. You could make almost any dish vegetarian, or even vegan or, indeed, add fish or meat, as you please. In this spirit, we present a recipe that honors tradition while allowing for personal adaptation.
There have been occasions where somebody will say “that’s not Ghanaian” when they try one of my recipes; it’s pretty easy to offend food purists. But things must adapt to survive, and I think the same is true of recipes and ingredients. Extending their life and widening their circulation has got to be a good thing.
Ghana Fried Fish Version I (salted)
The Ga people living along the coast traditionally just rubbed salt over the fish before shallow fat frying it, and that's the first way I'll present. Most any fish will work: in Ghana we made it with red snapper, but I chose the least expensive and smallest fresh fish I could find at my local grocery today, which were croakers and porgies. Vendors in Ghana often use smallish fish.
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Ingredients:
- Fresh fish (red snapper, croakers, or porgies)
- Salt
- Oil for frying
Instructions:
- If the fish are not descaled, you must do that. Most likely they've already been cleaned.
- You'll need to shorten the tail and remove all of the fins (and I remove the gills and gill coverings). This requires care and a sharp knife (those fins can be like needles). For larger fish, you can cut them in two or 3 pieces.
- After cleaning them and removing all the fins,gills, etc., rinse the fish with a cup or two of water in which you've squeezed a half or a whole lemon. Cut a slit or 2 in the each side of a whole fish. (I suppose that in North America we could use filleted whole fish, but that seems kind of wrong, somehow). And it also would prevent Ghanaians from having access to any bones.
- You'll need a whole fish or two per person if they're small, or several pieces if they're larger.
- Blot the fish dry if necessary with a little paper towel, then carefully put them in the hot oil to avoid splattering.
- Vendors in Ghana often cook the fish longer, until it is very hard, because it will keep from spoiling longer, but the fish can also be cooked so that the inside is still soft, or medium hard if you prefer.
Kenam, Version II (seasoned and stuffed)
This is probably a more common way to make kenam nowadays.
Ingredients:
- Fresh fish (red snapper, croakers, or porgies)
- Salt
- Spices (e.g., ginger, garlic, pepper)
- Oil for frying
Instructions:
- Follow the same procedure for cleaning and preparing the fish.
- Sprinkle a little salt over both sides of each fish.
- Stuff the slits with the spice mixture and close the slits up.
- Shallow fry the fish as for version I above (about 5 minutes on each side, more if desired).
- Drain the fish on paper or paper towels before serving.
Nigerian Fried Fish Recipe
Alternatively, consider a Nigerian-style fried fish, which also omits the batter. This version uses a spicy marinade for a delicious result.
Main Ingredients:
- 4 whole perch scaled and gutted (feel free to use any fish of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of bullion
- 1 teaspoon of chilli pepper
- 1 teaspoon of ginger powder
- Half a teaspoon dry mustard
- Half a teaspoon of salt
- Half a teaspoon of garlic powder
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions:
- Mix the Dry Seasoning: Combine all the dry seasonings (black pepper, bullion, chilli pepper, ginger, dry mustard, salt, and garlic powder), and set aside.
- Marinating the Fish: Pat dry the cleaned fish so it is not wet, lightly score the fish twice on each side then season each fish with about half to 1 teaspoon of the dry seasoning. Massage the dry seasoning into the fish gently then set aside.
- Frying the Fish: In a deep fryer/ deep frying pan, bring the oil up to a temperature of about 350 degrees F. Usually if you don’t have a thermometer or are too lazy like me to use it, just throw in a piece of bread into the oil, if it sizzles, then you know it is ready. Just be cautious, this method does not tell you if your oil is too hot. Fry the fish for about 10-15 minutes on each side, until the fish is golden brown on both sides.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your Ghanaian or Nigerian fried fish with a variety of sides to complete the meal:
- Fried sweet potato cubes
- Fried cocoyam (taro) chips
- Plantain chips
Shito: The Perfect Accompaniment
No Ghanaian fried fish experience is complete without shito, a hot pepper sauce that adds a unique and fiery kick to the dish.
Ingredients:
- Onions
- Garlic
- Guinea peppers
- Ginger
- Thyme or rosemary (optional)
- Chillies
- Tomato puree
- Chicken stock
- Chilli powder
- Prawn, shrimp or crayfish powder
- Smoked fish powder
- Oil
- Crushed sea salt
Instructions:
- Heat a heavy-based saucepan, then add the oil and fry the onions over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic, guinea peppers, ginger, thyme or rosemary (if using) and chillies, then fry together for a few minutes.
- Stir in the tomato puree and chicken stock until the mixture has formed a thick paste. Add the chilli powder and continue cooking and stirring for a further 10 minutes.
- Finally, add the prawn, shrimp or crayfish and smoked fish powders, then cook over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring almost continuously to prevent the mixture sticking to base of the pan. The oil will rise to the surface when the sauce is ready. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
- You can choose to blend the sauce with a stick blender or leave it unblended for a coarser texture. Leave to cool, then spoon into sterilised jars. There should be plenty of oil on top of the sauce once it’s cooked, so make sure there is a layer about 1cm (1/2 inch) thick in each jar. Seal the jars and store in the fridge for up to a month.
Shito Mayo: A Modern Twist
For a contemporary twist, try shito mayo, a blend of shito and mayonnaise that can be used as a condiment, dip, or spread.
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Ingredients:
- Egg yolks
- Vinegar
- Shito
- Cayenne pepper
- Oil
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions:
- Put the egg yolks in a bowl. Add the vinegar, shito and cayenne pepper, then whisk until blended. Add a dash of oil and whisk again until blended. Repeat until the mixture emulsifies and thickens. Season to taste.
- Alternatively, blitz the egg yolks, vinegar, shito and cayenne pepper in a blender. With the machine running, add the oil in a slow, thin, steady stream until the mixture emulsifies and thickens.
Chunky Yam Chips
Complete your Ghanaian "fish and chips" experience with chunky yam chips, a delicious and starchy alternative to traditional potato chips.
Ingredients:
- Yam
- Oil
- Salt
- Smoked paprika (optional)
Instructions:
- Fill a bowl with water. Slice the yam into 2cm-thick discs, then peel. Chop each peeled disc into 1-2cm thick chips. Rinse thoroughly in cold water to remove the starch, then toss in the water bowl until you’ve cut up the rest.
- Transfer the yam chips to a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water and blanch for about 8-10 minutes until soft when pricked with a fork - be careful not to over-boil them or they will fall apart. This method speeds things up and ensures that the centre of the chips will be nice and fluffy once baked or fried. Alternatively, you can soak the chips in water for about 20 minutes instead of pre-cooking them.
- Drain the chips well. Give them a gentle shake, allowing the outsides to fluff up so they crispen when you next bake or fry them. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and spread out the cooled yam chips on a large baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, so there is a little space between each one. Sprinkle the yams with oil, salt and, if you like, smoked paprika. Make sure they are evenly coated. Bake for 20 minutes, turning them over halfway through the cooking time.
- Deep-fry the baked yam chips in batches for 2 minutes until golden. Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper, keeping the cooked chips hot while you fry the rest.
How To Make Crispy Roadside Fried Yam With Fried Fish Alongside Shito, Hot Pepper Sauce & More!
Enjoy your flavorful journey into Ghanaian cuisine! Whether you stick to the traditional recipes or add your own personal touch, the result is sure to be a delicious and satisfying meal.
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