Ingredients
Greens
- 1 kgamaranth leaves, folon, or spinach as a substitute
Base
- 2onions, chopped
- 4 clovesgarlic
- 3tomatoes, chopped
- 150 mlred palm oil
Protein
- 200 gsmoked fish, flaked
- or 200 g dried fish, soaked
- 2 tbspground crayfish
Seasoning
- 2scotch bonnets
- 1stock cube
- salt and pepper
To serve
- with cassava sticks, bâton de manioc
- or with plantain or rice
Directions
- Strip the leaves and tender shoots from the tough stems. Older thick stems are fibrous and should be discarded. Wash them thoroughly in several changes of water, since field greens carry grit.
- Chop them fairly finely, which helps them cook evenly and take up the sauce. Others cook them straight in the pot, which keeps more of the flavour and gives a wetter result.
- Warm it gently rather than to smoking point. It should stay bright orange-red. Fry the onion in the palm oil until soft, then add the garlic. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook them down for eight to ten minutes.
- Cook the tomatoes down properly rather than briefly, since a watery base gives a thin stew. Flake it and check carefully for bones as you add it. Add the chopped leaves and a very little water.
- Use far less water than seems right, since the leaves release plenty of their own. They will look like far too much and they collapse dramatically.
- Simmer for twenty-five to thirty minutes until completely tender. Amaranth softens quickly, and the longer cooking is about letting it take up the palm oil and fish flavour. Stir the pot occasionally as it cooks. Now the consistency it should reach. Cook off excess liquid at the end if it is too wet.
- Add the scotch bonnets whole for aroma, or blended in for real heat. The dish is usually moderately hot rather than fierce. Season firmly with salt, pepper and stock cube. Serve it with bâton de manioc, the fermented cassava sticks steamed in leaves.
Technique
- Amaranth is among the most widely eaten leafy greens in Africa.
- Very little water is added, since the leaves release plenty of their own.
- Do not overheat the palm oil, which destroys its colour and flavour.
Substitutions
- Spinach in place of amaranth, which is close.
- Any smoked fish, flaked and boned.
Variations
- Made with dried fish, which is stronger.
- With ground peanuts stirred through.
- Made with meat as well as fish.
History
A leafy green of the forest belt shared with Cameroon, cooked down with palm oil as an everyday partner to cassava sticks.
Frequently asked questions
What is Folon?
Folon is a soup & stew from Gabon: amaranth leaves stewed with palm oil and smoked fish. A leafy green of the forest belt shared with Cameroon, cooked down with palm oil as an everyday partner to cassava sticks.
How long does Folon take to make?
Folon takes 20 min of preparation and 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Folon?
Yes, within limits. Spinach in place of amaranth, which is close. Any smoked fish, flaked and boned.
What is the most important thing to get right in Folon?
Warm it gently rather than to smoking point. It should stay bright orange-red. Fry the onion in the palm oil until soft, then add the garlic. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook them down for eight to ten minutes.
