Ingredients
Fish
- 1 kgcatfish, in thick steaks
- juice of 2 limes
- 1 teaspoonsalt
- black pepper
Vegetables
- 1small cabbage, in wedges
- 3carrots, thickly sliced
- 400 gcassava, peeled and cut in chunks
- 2sweet potatoes, in chunks
- 1aubergine, quartered
Base
- 2onions, chopped
- 4garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 tablespoonstomato paste
- 3tomatoes, chopped
- 4 tablespoonsoil
- 2stock cubes
- 1scotch bonnet, whole
- 2bay leaves
- 1 litrewater
- salt and black pepper
To serve
- plain white rice
- or the rice cooked in the broth
- lime wedges
Directions
- Peel away the whole pink layer under the bark. Never taste the raw root at any point. Rinse the pieces under cold running water. Rub them all over with lime juice and salt. Let them sit for fifteen minutes. Rinse the lime off before cooking.
- Season the fish again with salt and pepper. Preparing the vegetables takes the longest. Peel the cassava thickly with a knife. A vegetable peeler is not strong enough for it. Cut everything into large even chunks. Cut the cabbage into wedges through the core.
- Heat the oil in a very large pot. Add the chopped onions to the oil. Cook them for about eight minutes until soft. Add the crushed garlic and cook for one minute. Stir the tomato paste in as well. Fry it for a good three minutes. That frying takes the raw edge off it. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pot.
- Cook them down for about five minutes. Pour in all of the measured water. Crumble the stock cubes into it. Add the bay leaves to the pot. Add the whole scotch bonnet as well. Never let it burst in the pot. Season it with salt and black pepper.
- Bring the whole pot up to a simmer. Adding the vegetables is done by cooking time. Add the cassava first, since it takes longest. Give it about fifteen minutes on its own.
- Lay the fish steaks on top of the vegetables. Do not stir the pot after this point. Cover the pot and simmer gently. Give the fish about ten minutes. Taste the broth and adjust the salt. Serving it is done hot over rice. Lift the fish out carefully with a slotted spoon.
- Set a piece of fish in each bowl. Arrange the vegetables around it. Ladle plenty of broth over everything. Serve plain white rice alongside or underneath. It keeps two days refrigerated.
Technique
- The Gambia is built around its river, and the catfish that the river and its creeks supply year round is everyday food.
- Lime juice rubbed onto the fish before cooking removes any muddy river flavour.
Substitutions
- Any firm freshwater or sea fish works, and tilapia or bream both suit it.
- Yam, taro or potato can replace the cassava if it is not available.
Variations
- Some cooks cook the rice in the broth, making it closer to benachin.
- A version with smoked fish added for depth is also made.
- Domoda, the groundnut stew, is the other great Gambian pot.
History
A river-fish dish of the Gambia, built on the catfish that the river and its creeks supply year round.
Frequently asked questions
What is Chewi kong?
Chewi kong is a soup & stew from Gambia: catfish stewed with cabbage, carrot and cassava, served over rice. A river-fish dish of the Gambia, built on the catfish that the river and its creeks supply year round.
How long does Chewi kong take to make?
Chewi kong takes 30 minutes of preparation and 50 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Chewi kong?
Yes, within limits. Any firm freshwater or sea fish works, and tilapia or bream both suit it. Yam, taro or potato can replace the cassava if it is not available.
What is the most important thing to get right in Chewi kong?
Peel away the whole pink layer under the bark. Never taste the raw root at any point. Rinse the pieces under cold running water. Rub them all over with lime juice and salt. Let them sit for fifteen minutes. Rinse the lime off before cooking.
