Fish smoked hard over wood and broken into peanut and palm-oil sauces. Smoking preserved the Atlantic catch before refrigeration reached the islands, and smoked fish still gives Equatoguinean stews their depth.
It needs a continuous smouldering wood fire under a rack for a day or more; the drying is what preserves it, and a short run in a domestic smoker produces a perishable and different thing.
What goes into it
- Atlantic fish, split
- hardwood for smoke
How it is made
The fish is split, laid on a raised rack over a smouldering hardwood fire, and smoked and dried together for a day or more until it is stiff and dark. The water loss and the smoke compounds on the surface together keep it edible for weeks in a hot climate.
How long it takes: one to two days on the rack
How it is eaten
Broken into groundnut and palm-oil sauces, where it dissolves and seasons the pot.
History
Smoking preserved the Atlantic catch before refrigeration reached the islands, and smoked fish still gives Equatoguinean stews their depth.
Frequently asked questions
What is Pescado ahumado?
Pescado ahumado is a charcuterie & cured from Equatorial Guinea: fish smoked hard over wood and broken into peanut and palm sauces. Smoking preserved the Atlantic catch before refrigeration reached the islands, and smoked fish still gives Equatoguinean stews their depth.
How is Pescado ahumado made?
The fish is split, laid on a raised rack over a smouldering hardwood fire, and smoked and dried together for a day or more until it is stiff and dark. The water loss and the smoke compounds on the surface together keep it edible for weeks in a hot climate. It takes one to two days on the rack.
Can I make Pescado ahumado at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It needs a continuous smouldering wood fire under a rack for a day or more; the drying is what preserves it, and a short run in a domestic smoker produces a perishable and different thing.
What goes into Pescado ahumado?
Atlantic fish, split, hardwood for smoke.
How is Pescado ahumado eaten?
Broken into groundnut and palm-oil sauces, where it dissolves and seasons the pot.
