Catfish and Carrot Sauce
Aperçu
Catfish is everywhere in Nigeria now, and the reason is farming rather than fishing. Catfish aquaculture expanded enormously across the country from the 1990s onward, at both household and commercial scale, and a fish that was once a river catch became one of the most available proteins in the market. Dishes built around it have multiplied accordingly. This one is a contemporary Nigerian preparation rather than an inherited dish. Carrot and tomato are blended into a sauce in a three to one ratio, so the carrot rather than the tomato carries it, giving a sweeter and thicker base than a standard Nigerian stew. The fish is marinated, grilled or baked separately, and set into the sauce at the end rather than cooked in it. Cleaning is the part that determines whether it works. Catfish is naturally slimy and has to be scrubbed with salt, alum, potash or maize chaff, and soaking it briefly in hot water both removes the remaining slime and firms the flesh so it holds together instead of breaking apart. Grilling rather than frying keeps that firmness. It is served with rice, potato or yam.
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
Wash the catfish thoroughly with potash, maize or wheat chaff, since the skin is very slimy.
- 2
Cut into the size you want.
- 3
Place on a tray and allow the water to dry off for 10 minutes.
- 4
Wash and blend the cayenne pepper, onion and red bell pepper.
- 5
Pour into a bowl and add the seasoning, salt, fresh garlic and lemon.
- 6
Marinate the fish for 20 minutes, then grill for 15 minutes, or bake if you prefer.
- 7
Wash and cut the carrots and tomatoes into small cubes, using three parts carrot to one part tomato.
- 8
Blend the carrot and tomato until smooth and pour into a saucepan.
- 9
Add the marinade juice from the fish, seasoning and salt, and fry until you reach a thick consistency.
- 10
Cut more carrot into large chunks and add them to the sauce. Stir until tender, then remove from the heat.
- 11
Serve the sauce in a bowl with the catfish on top, garnished with cucumber or a herb of your choice.
Notes de l’Africook
Notes personnelles de Maryam Al-Mansour- Soak the catfish briefly in hot water even if it has been cleaned. It removes the remaining slime and firms the flesh, which is what stops the fish breaking apart in the sauce.
- Keep the three to one ratio of carrot to tomato. That is what makes this a carrot sauce rather than an ordinary Nigerian stew, and reversing it produces a different dish.
- Grill or bake the fish rather than frying it. Catfish is soft and frying it in a wet sauce is how it disintegrates.
- Use the marinade juice in the sauce rather than discarding it. It carries a great deal of seasoning.
- Check the fish carefully before use. Fish that has been through temperature fluctuations in the fridge, or that smells off or has changed colour, should not be used.
Questions fréquentes
How do I clean catfish?
Scrub the skin with salt, alum, potash or maize chaff to strip the slime, then rinse. Soaking it in hot water for about three minutes afterwards removes what is left and firms the flesh, which is worth doing even if the fish has already been cleaned. Catfish is soft, and firming it is what keeps it intact in cooking.
Why carrot sauce rather than tomato stew?
The ratio is the point: three parts carrot to one part tomato, which gives a sweeter, thicker and slightly earthier sauce than a standard Nigerian tomato stew. It also balances the richness of the catfish differently. This is a contemporary Nigerian preparation rather than an inherited one.
Can I use another fish?
Yes, though catfish is what the dish is built around and its firm flesh suits the treatment. Tilapia works well. Any firm white fish that holds together under grilling will do. Avoid delicate flaky fish, which will collapse when it meets the sauce.
What is catfish and carrot sauce served with?
Rice most often, and boiled yam or potato are the standard alternatives. The sauce is thick and slightly sweet, so a plain starch suits it. It can also be eaten with bread, and the sauce works separately with cooked vegetables or seared meat.
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Never cooked catfish this way before, usually just fry it or make nuggets. I didn't have wheat chaff or potash to get the slime off, so I just rinsed thoroughly with salt water and dried it for the 10 minutes on a tray as stated. Is salt water enough for cleaning catfish? The flavor from the cayenne and garlic blended together was fantastic though, spicy but delicious.
Sawa Brian, salt water works well, but adding a bit of lemon juice or vinegar helps even more with that slime. Finding potash or wheat chaff here in Dubai is nearly impossible, so we always adapt! Glad the cayenne and garlic hit the spot, that combination is very poa with catfish nyama.
Couldn't get potash here in Thamesmead so I just used lime juice and salt to scrub the slime off the catfish, worked fine sha. The half lemon mixed with the blended cayenne and garlic gives the sauce such a nice bright flavor. Ate it with boiled yam yesterday, e sweet o!
Using lime and salt for the slime is a great shout, we do the exact same thing with salt and lemon in Indian fish prep to get rid of any riveriness. That garlic, cayenne and lemon combination reminds me so much of how we build a quick onion-and-chilli masala base. Must try it with boiled yam next!
Bought fresh catfish from Rye Lane in Peckham specifically for this. I was a bit skeptical about using 6 whole carrots because my mother never added that many to her fish sauce, but it really balances the heat from the cayenne peppers. Just make sure you don't skip letting the fish dry on the tray before cooking or it will break apart in the sauce.