Makayabu
Aperçu
Makayabu is salted cod cooked with vegetables, and it is a fixture of Congolese home cooking. It is eaten across both Congos and in Gabon, and it turns up wherever Central African communities have settled, because salt cod travels and keeps in a way fresh fish does not. The fish arrived through trade rather than from local waters. Salted and dried cod was a European preservation industry, carried into Central Africa through colonial supply routes, and it was adopted so completely that it now reads as a Congolese ingredient. That pattern repeats across the continent: stockfish in Nigeria, salted cod in Angola and Congo, dried fish traded far inland from every coast. Rehydrating it properly is the whole technique. The fish is packed in salt and has to soak before cooking, with the water changed, or the finished dish is inedible. After that it is straightforward: the fish is fried until golden, set aside, and the vegetables built up in the same pan before everything comes back together. Cassava or rice goes alongside. The vegetables here are cabbage, courgette and bell pepper, which is one common combination among many, and Congolese households vary it freely according to what is in the market.
Note de Patrimoine AFN
Makayabu is a Congolese preparation of salted cod, also eaten in Gabon. Salted and dried cod reached Central Africa through European trade and was absorbed into the local repertoire.
Ingrédients
Les mentions alimentaires sont fournies par les contributeurs à titre indicatif. Elles ne sont pas vérifiées par AFN et dépendent des produits que vous achetez. En cas d’allergie grave, vérifiez vous-même chaque ingrédient. Cuisine, allergies et votre propre jugement
Préparation
- 1
Soak the salted fish in water to rehydrate it and draw out the excess salt.
- 2
Sauté the onion, bay leaves and garlic. Add the fish and fry until golden brown, then lift it out into a separate bowl.
- 3
In the same pan, add the cooking oil and more onions and sauté them.
- 4
Add the courgettes and cook for 2 minutes.
- 5
Add the cabbage and stir for a minute, then let it cook for 4 minutes.
- 6
Add the bell pepper and cook for another 4 minutes.
- 7
Return the fish to the pan with the stock cubes and stir for a minute.
- 8
Cook for a further 3 minutes and serve with cassava or rice.
Notes de l’Africook
Notes personnelles de Nympha Nzeribe- Soak the cod properly and change the water at least twice. Salted fish that has not been soaked long enough makes the whole dish inedible, and this is the one step that cannot be rushed.
- Taste a small piece of the soaked fish before cooking. If it is still sharply salty, keep soaking. Overnight is not excessive.
- Hold back on salt entirely until the very end. Between the fish and the stock cubes there is usually enough.
- Fry the fish first and remove it, then build the vegetables in the same pan. Left in, it breaks up completely.
- Keep the cabbage and pepper slightly firm. They are there for texture against the soft fish.
Questions fréquentes
What is makayabu made from?
Salted cod, rehydrated and cooked with vegetables. Salt cod is sold in Caribbean, Portuguese, Spanish and African grocers, usually as stiff dried slabs. Any salted white fish works, and some Congolese cooks use salted mackerel or tilapia instead. The key characteristic is that it is preserved in salt rather than fresh.
How long should I soak the fish?
At least a few hours with the water changed twice, and overnight is better for thick pieces. Taste a small piece before cooking: if it is still sharply salty it needs longer. Under-soaked salt cod cannot be rescued once it is in the pan, so err on the side of more time.
What is makayabu served with?
Boiled cassava is the most common accompaniment in Congo, along with rice. Fufu and plantain both work. It is a substantial dish and the starch alongside is there to balance the saltiness of the fish rather than to add much of its own.
Can I use fresh fish instead?
You can cook the same vegetables with fresh fish and it will be a good dish, but it will not be makayabu. The salt cure changes the texture of the flesh, making it firmer and more layered, and it gives a depth of flavour that fresh fish does not have. The dish is named for the preserved fish.
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found salted cod at surrey street market in croydon last weekend so decided to try this. i soaked the fish overnight changing the water three times so it wasnt overly salty. was a bit sceptical about adding courgettes chale because my congolese flatmate back in university never used them, but it actually added a nice texture to the cabbage. proper comforting dish oo.
i got salted cod from dekalb farmers market to make this on sunday. taste was good but my fish completely fell apart in the oil when trying to fry it golden brown. maybe i soaked it too long or my pan wasnt hot enough? the cabbage and green bell pepper mix was nice but the dish ended up looking like shredded fish mash instead of distinct pieces.
Bought the salted fish from Rye Lane. Abeg make sure you soak that fish well, at least 12 hours, otherwise the salt will overwhelm the whole stir fry. I reduced the oil to about 100ml because 150ml looked too much for me sha, but frying the vegetables in the oil after removing the fish gave the cabbage so much flavour o.
Never cooked with salted cod before so I was nervous about the salt level, but soaking it for 18 hours did the trick. I realized courgettes are what we call zucchini here! Frying the veggies in the same oil after browning the fish made the cabbage so flavorful. My family really enjoyed this with a side of steamed rice.
Getting good salted fish in Berlin isn't easy but the Turkish supermarket in Wedding carries Bacalhau which worked perfectly. The combination of bay leaves with garlic and the fried saltfish smell took me back instantly. The cabbage cooked in 4 minutes just like you said, stayed nice and crispy.