Attiéké Steak Alloco
Overview
This is a plate rather than a dish: attiéké, steak and alloco together, which is how Ivorians eat all three. Each element is a staple in its own right and the combination is what turns them into a meal. Attiéké is the foundation. It is fermented cassava, grated and steamed into fine pale granules that look like couscous and taste nothing like it, carrying a distinct sourness from a fermentation of a few days. It originated in the coastal districts of Côte d'Ivoire centuries ago and is eaten at every meal of the day by Ivorians of every age. That sour note is the thing people either take to immediately or need a few platefuls to appreciate, in the same way sourdough divides opinion. Alloco is fried ripe plantain, and it is eaten across the region under different names: dodo in Nigeria, makemba in the Congo, amanda in Togo, kelewele in Ghana. Its caramelised sweetness against the sour attiéké is the balance the plate depends on, with the steak providing the third element. In Abidjan the combination is sold from roadside maquis and eaten with the fingers, and any drink at all is considered appropriate alongside it.
AFN Heritage Note
Attiéké originated among the lagoon peoples of coastal Côte d'Ivoire, who developed the fermentation and steaming of grated cassava into fine granules. Cassava itself reached West Africa through Portuguese Atlantic trade from the 16th century.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- 2
Season the steaks and let them rest for about 40 minutes.
- 3
Place the steak on a small baking sheet and roast until an instant read thermometer inserted into the centre registers 57°C, about 1 hour.
- 4
Place the attiéké in a microwave safe dish.
- 5
Add half a cup of water and salt to the attiéké and let it absorb.
- 6
Microwave for 5 minutes, repeating with a further quarter cup of water until the consistency is right.
- 7
Peel and cut the plantains diagonally into slices about 5mm thick, and salt them.
- 8
Heat oil in a non stick skillet over medium heat.
- 9
When the oil shimmers but does not smoke, fry the plantains in batches for about 90 seconds on one side and a minute on the other.
- 10
Drain the plantains on paper towels and continue in batches.
- 11
Rest the steak, slice it, and serve with the attiéké and alloco.
Africook’s Notes
- Attiéké is sold ready fermented and only needs steaming or rehydrating. Do not try to make it from raw cassava, which is a multi day process.
- Add water to attiéké gradually. It swells fast and over watered attiéké turns to paste.
- Use plantains that are yellow with black patches. Green plantain will not caramelise and fully black plantain collapses in the pan.
- Rest the steak properly before slicing. It is the largest component and cutting it early loses the juices.
- Fry the alloco in batches. Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature and the plantain absorbs rather than caramelising.
Reviews
4 reviews
Made this for dinner tonight and my family devoured the alloco! I'd never cooked attieke before so I was worried it would stay dry, but absorbing that salted water made it so light. Quick question, should the oil be super hot for the plantains? Mine absorbed a bit too much oil before browning.
Had to track down a ball of attiéké from a local Afro-Caribbean shop since the high street supermarkets don't carry it. The microwave method with the half cup of water plumped it up nicely, though 1 hour at 200°C left my steak a bit past medium rare so I'll pull it earlier next time.
Herh, eating attiéké with big ribeye steak instead of tilapia? In Tema we usually pair it with fish oo, but I tried this for my brothers. The plantains must be very ripe so they fry dark brown to cut through the sour cassava paa. Good dish though.
put the 3kg bone-in ribeye on the braai grid instead of the oven roast, took it off right as my thermo hit 57C. That half cup of salted water in the attieke worked a charm in the microwave, totally lekker contrast with the sweet fried plantains.