Gages
Aperçu
Gages is a Sierra Leonean aubergine and tomato salad, marinated in vinegar and oil and finished with flaked coconut and roasted peanuts just before serving. The aubergine is fried in butter first, which is what separates it from a raw salad. The structure is a marinated salad rather than a cooked dish, and the long chill is where the work happens. Three hours minimum, and overnight is better, lets the vinegar and oil work into the fried aubergine and the raw tomato and onion soften slightly without losing their shape. It is one of very few African dishes served genuinely cold. Coconut and peanuts go on at the last moment and are the point of the dish. Both go soft within minutes of meeting the dressing, so adding them early loses the crunch that the whole thing is built around. Both are staples of Sierra Leonean cooking, where groundnuts appear in everything from stews to snacks and coconut grows along the coast. Because of the peanuts and the butter, this is neither vegan nor peanut-free, which the ingredient list makes clear but the name does not.
Note de Patrimoine AFN
Gages is a Sierra Leonean marinated salad of fried aubergine, tomato and onion, finished with flaked coconut and roasted peanuts, both staples of the country's cooking.
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
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- 2
Fry the aubergine in the butter until lightly browned, stirring frequently.
- 3
Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- 4
In a large bowl, combine the chilli pepper, tomatoes, onion and aubergine.
- 5
Mix the vinegar and oil together, pour over the vegetables and toss gently to coat.
- 6
Cover and chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
- 7
Toss with the coconut and peanuts just before serving.
Notes de l’Africook
- Add the coconut and peanuts at the very last moment. They go soft within minutes in the dressing and their crunch is the point of the dish.
- Give it the full three hours in the fridge, and overnight if you can. This is a marinated salad and the chilling is when it comes together.
- Fry the aubergine until properly browned. Underdone it stays spongy and soaks up the dressing without softening.
- Slice the aubergine thinly and evenly so it cooks through in the pan.
- Use unsalted peanuts as the recipe specifies, since the dressing is already sharp and salted nuts overwhelm it.
- Contains peanuts, and butter, so it is neither peanut-free nor vegan. Oil in place of butter makes it vegan.
Questions fréquentes
What is gages?
A Sierra Leonean marinated salad of fried aubergine with raw tomato, onion and chilli, dressed with vinegar and oil, chilled for several hours and finished with flaked coconut and roasted peanuts. It is served cold, which is unusual among West African dishes, and works as a side or a light dish on its own.
Why does it need to chill for so long?
Because it is a marinated salad rather than a cooked one. Three hours lets the vinegar and oil work into the fried aubergine and softens the raw tomato and onion slightly without collapsing them. Served straight after mixing it tastes like separate ingredients rather than a dish.
Can I make it vegan?
Yes, easily. Fry the aubergine in oil instead of butter and everything else in the recipe is already plant-based. It still contains peanuts, so it is not allergen-free. The butter contributes a little richness but the vinegar dressing carries most of the flavour anyway.
What is it served with?
As a side to rice dishes, grilled meat or fish, or as a light dish in its own right. It is served cold, so it works particularly well alongside something hot. In Sierra Leone it appears as one dish among several rather than as a course on its own.
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